In 2003, a privately owned fiber optic network was constructed in Fort Morgan, Colorado to provide Internet service to the city of Fort Morgan, Morgan County, and the Fort Morgan school district. However, over the last few years, several additions and modifications have been made to the fiber network without documentation, leaving city engineers unsure of exactly what the current infrastructure entails.
The city determined that before it could utilize its network effectively and make expansions to it, a study was needed to map out the fiber network and all existing infrastructure. This way, they could identify and update their current data on configurations, connection points, splicing, and incorporated devices.
“We have all of the responsibility to take care of all of the fiber for the benefit of everybody that’s using it,” said City Manager Jeff Wells. “This study was part of trying to figure out what are we going to do in the future with it.”
The Fort Morgan City Council recently approved spending up to $40,000 on this study of the city’s fiber optic network infrastructure. The city has decided to employ Magellan Advisors’ team in Denver, a company that specializes in broadband and telecommunications planning, for their bid of $32,500. The rest of the budget for the study ($7,500) will be used to resolve any issues from the study and to upgrade services when possible.
At GeoTel Communications, our fiber optic network maps integrate telecommunications infrastructure data with geospatial technologies so that cities like Fort Morgan can analyze fiber infrastructure in a spatial, map-like environment. If you are interested in obtaining telecom GIS data sets for a particular city or metro area, contact GeoTel Communications at (800) 277-2172.
