New broadband provider deal approved; fiber

Sep 17, 2023

Bluepeak, the newly franchised broadband company, officially will begin construction Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, on its state-of-the-art, fiber cable system set to run throughout Enid.

ENID, Okla. — A new broadband provider is coming to town.

Enid City Commission on Tuesday approved a new, non-exclusive franchise deal with Bluepeak to construct and maintain a fiber-optic cable system throughout Enid, replacing a lapsed deal with Suddenlink.

Within three years, Bluepeak will be able to provide both internet and cable TV to Enid residents with its "Fiber to the Home" plan that company representatives on Tuesday called a "true game-changer."

The city of Enid will then receive 5% of gross revenues from cable services each fiscal year quarter for at least 10 years.

Desi Stoops, with Bluepeak, said he anticipates construction on the hundreds of miles of aerial and underground fiber cables to begin in 45-60 days on both sides of the city.

Stoops said the company also has been in talks with Vance Air Force Base and hopes to reach out to North Enid this week.

Engineers have completed construction walk-outs in Enid, he said. Engineering and design permits are waiting to be submitted to the city for approval in order for construction to start in public rights-of-way.

Bluepeak has two years to meet 50% completion and three years for 90%, according to the 10-year franchise agreement, passed unanimously Tuesday with an additional 7-0 emergency vote to facilitate faster build-out.

Bluepeak also will set up a retail office with technicians to install private services.

Stoops said technicians in Enid would be able to respond to a request for new service in three to four days, after which setup would take a couple hours. A wireless access router would be provided by the company.

The planned fiber cable construction isn't the only project now getting the green light, as city commissioners also unanimously added half a million dollars to purchase additional asphalt for city road work.

"Anybody angry about spending money on roads, raise your hand. No? I don't think so," Mayor George Pankonin said, with a laugh, before Ward 1 Commissioner Jerry Allen motioned to accept the transfer and Ward 3's Keith Siragusa seconded.

The city's Street and Alley Department already has spent its initially budgeted $200,000 for street repairs and maintenance during the 2021-22 fiscal year, city of Enid CFO Erin Crawford said.

However, the city has enough general reserve funds to transfer to the street fund in order to purchase $500,000 more in asphalt to continue road projects, Crawford said. Commissioners approved the blanket purchase order from Cummins Construction on Tuesday.

City Manager Jerald Gilbert said he made the additional funding request.

Street crews of about eight people are working on laying down asphalt at Wabash and York in Enid's Southern Heights Addition, and they plan to be there for a while, Gilbert said, "because there's a lot of road work that needs to be done."

Since July, Gilbert said crews have finished work at U.S. 81, Frontage Road, Shady Lane, the Rolling Oaks area and the alley next to the YWCA Enid.

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Ewald is copy editor and city/education reporter for the Enid News & Eagle.

Bluepeak, the newly franchised broadband company, officially will begin construction Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, on its state-of-the-art, fiber cable system set to run throughout Enid.

Writer, doer and overthinker. OU grad, California native with Oklahoma heritage.

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