What’s in Store for Palo Alto Fiber in 2024
The City Council approved moving forward with broadband fiber internet services in December 2022. In a recent update to the Council, staff shared the latest on this effort to make fiber services for our residents a reality. Read on to gain details about an innovative approach the City has been exploring to providing fiber and aligning it with our sustainability goals and modernizing our electrical grid and what’s planned in 2024.
Bridging Technology and Sustainability
Palo Alto Fiber and sustainability? The two go hand-in-hand! In June the Council approved the FY 2024 Capital Improvement Program budget to include the fiber to the premises project and the grid modernization project. This accelerated efforts to align both projects.
The grid modernization project involves replacing and upgrading over a thousand pole top transformers, which deliver electricity between circuits. Wires will be replaced through a multi-year upgrade of the electric distribution system to meet the City’s goal of being ready for full-scale electrification by 2030.
Coupling these two efforts are anticipated to reduce community disruption in neighborhoods and capitalize on economies of scale. It reduces community disruption by grouping construction activities together and minimizing the number of backyard visits. When complete, residents can take advantage of locally owned internet services in Palo Alto and use new whole home electrification technologies with ease like vehicle charging, home appliance electrification, solar energy generation, and battery storage.
Phasing in Fiber
The pilot area has been identified to determine the best approach at integrating the fiber expansion and grid modernization. An area of Palo Alto, which was previously identified to begin modernizing the grid, was selected as Phase 1, the starting point to expand fiber broadband internet services. The pilot will inform how closely the two projects may be aligned and is anticipated to bring about new levels of reliability, resiliency, and operational efficiencies across a brand new high-performance electric grid and fiber optic network. Some criteria that will be used to analyze alignment include impact costs, reductions to community disruptions, internal staffing, and project timelines.
The blue outline is the anticipated Phase 1 boundaries, which may change as the pilot informs on how closely the two projects may be aligned. The red shaded area covers the pilot area, which is a component of Phase 1.
Even Faster Internet is On Its Way
The pilot area, shaded in red above, was previously in development for grid modernization because it was part of the remaining neighborhood areas requiring an updated electric distribution system. To date, about 80% of the City is converted to a higher electric load bearing system. This pilot area for fiber to the premises and grid modernization will convert about 10% of the remaining areas. Grid modernization will double the electric load capacity for the entire City.
In accordance with state environmental law, the City retained a consultant to prepare an Initial Study on potential environmental impacts associated with construction and operation of the citywide fiber network. This network would include much of the City of Palo Alto, adding new infrastructure such as fiber huts, fiber cabinets, aerial and underground cables, and more. The preliminary assessment will determine if a full Environmental Impact Report will be necessary according to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This process is anticipated to be complete in June or July 2024.
To help reduce the pilot area construction timeline, existing contractors will perform the engineering design, overhead and underground construction, and installation for about 400 poles and 1,200 homes. By using existing resources, construction time will likely reduce by 6–9 months. Construction in the pilot area to get the poles ready for electrification and fiber will begin in early 2024. Completion is anticipated in 2025.
Stay Connected
Thank you to all who participated in the Palo Alto Fiber deposit program. The overwhelming response was one measure of many used to design the fiber build out. While deposits are no longer being accepted, submitted deposits will be applied as a credit to your first Palo Alto Fiber bill.
Through the FIBERLink eNews, information will be shared about how to sign up for Palo Alto Fiber broadband services as it becomes available within the pilot area of Phase 1 and beyond.
Stay tuned and up to date by following along with this blog series.
More Resources
- Read the December 18, 2023 City Council Informational Report
- Sign up for FIBERLink, the City’s dedicated fiber newsletter: www.cityofpaloalto.org/FIBERLink
- Access the project website: www.cityofpaloalto.org/PaloAltoFiber
- Visit the Palo Alto Fiber Hub at fiber.cityofpaloalto.org
- Follow the Palo Alto Fiber blog series: conversation in this blog series
