Willmar City Council Approves $24.5 Million Municipal Broadband Project

In a tight 4-3 vote, the Willmar City Council has approved moving forward with the Connect Willmar Initiative, a $24.5 million project to build an open-access, city-owned fiber optic network. The decision came despite a last-minute offer from Charter Communications (Spectrum) to build up its fiber-optic network in the city's industrial park at no cost if the council would pause the municipal project.

The Connect Willmar Initiative aims to provide high-speed internet access to all homes and businesses in this agricultural city of 21,000 residents. Construction costs will be funded through bonds, with internet service providers paying leasing fees to use the network, generating revenue to repay the bonds.

Supporters of the project, including Council Members Vicki Davis, Tom Gilbertson, Justin Ask, and Carl Shuldes, believe the potential community growth outweighs the financial risks. They also noted that the city's fiber network would be useful for up to 40 years, longer than Charter's proposed coaxial cable infrastructure.

To learn more about Willmar's planned open access fiber network, join us for the CBAN/IAMU 2025 Spring Summit on April 22-23, 2025 at Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames, Iowa. Kyle Box, the Willmar City Operations Director, will participate in a panel discussion "Open Access Fiber Networks: Many Models, One Goal" along with Josh Orlowitze with Bonfire Networks and Dan Tracy with the City of Ammon, Idaho. The panel, moderated by Kim McKinley of TAK Communications, will outline how the open access model can help communities bring fiber services to residents with an emphasis on consumer choice. Join us!