Indianola Municipal Utilities Moves Forward on FTTP

The Indianola Municipal Utilities Board of Trustees has approved construction bids for a project to complete the community's FTTP network.

The low construction bid for the feeder and distribution network (not including service drops) from Excel Utility Contractors of St. James, Missouri was accepted by the Board, subject to financing. Excel's bid of $3.75 million was less than the engineer's estimate of $4.97 million from NewCom Technologies.  IMU's FTTP network will be 90% underground and 10% aerial.

Also accepted were materials bids from several vendors for a total amount of $1.28 million, which was also below the engineer's estimate of $1.42 million.

Construction of the network is expected to begin this summer, with the feeder and distribution network completion late this year.  The IMU Board will consider a combination of taxable and tax-exempt bond issues to finance the project at their June meeting.

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