The Aurora City Council this week approved spending about $1.5 million with Downers Grove-based NTI National Technologies for projects expanding the city’s fiber optic network.
In doing so, the city also approved using EX2 Technology, LLC of Omaha, Nebraska, as the secondary vendor for 2024 fiber optic projects.
The projects total about $1.36 million, with a contingency that would mean the city would spend no more than $1.5 million.
Aurora has used NTI as its fiber provider since 2018, and a memo from city staff to Mayor Richard Irvin and City Council members said the company “has exceeded expectations” for the city.
The company performed a fiber optic audit on the city’s fiber optic network.
The audit gave NTI extensive knowledge of the city’s fiber optic network, the memo said, and provided information that city staff added to GIS ArcMap and Vetro Fiber Map software which provides the city with a comprehensive fiber map.
“These maps showcase specific cables, fiber connected buildings, telecom carriers and more within the telecommunications infrastructure,” the memo said.
The projects were bid through a Kane County purchase resolution, which means NTI prices were competitive, city officials said.
If NTI does not conform to the pricing in the Kane County resolution, the city can request comparative pricing from EX2 Technology as the secondary vendor.
The proposed projects for 2024 include: Yearly field repair fiber maintenance; fiber to lift station Manchester, 155 Manchester Way; fiber to lift station Molitor, 1610 Molitor Road; fiber to lift station Orchard Road, 529 S. Orchard Road; fiber to Well 16, at 371 Parker Ave.; fiber to Well 17, at 811 N Highland Ave.; fiber to Well 18, at 218 Hillside Ave.; fiber to Well 26 at 2026 Nottingham; and fiber for the Jumbotron installations at RiverEdge Park.
Extending fiber to the three lift stations and four wells will mean the accelerated fiber expansion to water locations, begun in 2022, will be complete, city officials said.
slord@tribpub.com
