County examines fiber optic ring

Do you think Carver County should pursue a fiber optic ring to bring high speed communication to the area? Carver County is in the early stages of exploring a high-speed fiber optic ring. Here's a letter on the topic from Randy Maluchnik and Tim Lynch, Carver County commissioners:

Fiber optic

ring considered

Carver County is in the initial stages of exploring the feasibility of a fiber optic ring in the county. This initiative would link public and potentially private organizations to a high-speed fiber backbone to address increasing demands in the information technology arena.

The Association of Carver County Elected Leaders (ACCEL), which includes elected leaders from across the county, plans to discuss this issue at their August meeting and how a fiber optic loop could benefit the county.

Among the many benefits of a fiber ring include the opportunity to partner with the private sector in order to attract businesses that require high speed connections. One of the County Board’s goals is to encourage the development of a broader, and more diverse commercial/industrial tax base in Carver County that may support higher paying local jobs and provide greater balance to a commercial/industrial sector. Additionally, fiber technology could allow greater opportunity for residents and county staff to work from their homes and telecommute.

The fiber can allow for high-speed connectivity between public agencies, opening the door to more effective and efficient service delivery, software application sharing, high quality interactive video conferencing, and in the event of a public emergency, the fiber network would allow agencies to have reliable, redundant and fast communication. It would also allow public entities to back-up each other’s electronic data in a secure and reliable manner.

Transporting of information is becoming just as essential as transportation of goods over our road network. While the county has planned for vehicular traffic via the road system, this is the first effort where consideration is being given to how information is being transported most efficiently throughout the county. 

The County and ACCEL, along with input from citizens, will continue to examine this important project in the weeks and months ahead and we look forward to your feedback. 

Tim Lynch and Randy Maluchnik

Carver County commissioners/ACCEL representatives