Benton Harbor City Commissioners will soon be asked to approve an agreement with broadband company Peninsula Fiber Network for the use of city property as it works to build a high-speed internet line under Lake Michigan.
PFN is using a federal grant to run the high-capacity line for broadband traffic from Chicago and across the lake into Benton Harbor and Byron Center. It’s asking the city to let it bring its line into Jean Klock Park and construct a building for broadband equipment on the Benton Harbor water intake pump house property.
Speaking to the city Economic Development and Parks Committee this week, Benton Harbor City Manager Alex Little said PFN will provide the city with new internet service in exchange.
“Service into the water plant at Ridgeway, to the public library here in town, to city hall, public safety here, to Dial a Ride Transit, to the library, and to Bobo Brazil Center,” Little said. “Seven years of one gigabyte high-speed internet service to each of these buildings, free.”
PFN will also pay the estimated $320,000 cost to lay fiber to all of those facilities.
In addition, Little said the company’s presence in town could allow for a new service to residents.
“They’ll be bringing a live trunk in there that will be available for the city at any time it would decide to do so to set up its own business operation, like we do water, and sell internet service to our citizens and to businesses and so forth in the community. And we would buy it from them at most favorite wholesale rate to do that.”
Committee members had no objection to PFN’s request, and it could go to the full city commission next month.
