Background

There is a need to upgrade the data lines serving Fire Stations 3 and 4.  Currently, these stations are served by two 1.5 Mbps T1 (copper) point to point connections to Village Hall. Utilization of these network links has reached maximum capacity and there is often a delay or lag in video conferencing between fire stations and an application delay when updating incident reports.  Also, it is the oldest technology serving a department location, as other remote sites over time have moved to fiber connections.  Network connection upgrades are needed to support new technology improvements that are part of the technology capital improvement plans identified by Fire Administration.  

An upgrade from copper links to fiber links will address issues related to:

•  Creating, submitting and updating dispatch call reports to CAD and Firehouse applications
•  Morning muster/videoconferencing between all fire stations
•  Network reliability and available bandwidth

Cost

Currently the Village has a 3 year agreement with AT&T, the service provider of the T1 lines at Fire Stations 3 and 4.  The T1 lines have been determined to no longer adequately serve  current or upcoming technology improvements.  

AT&T provided pricing to move from the T1 1.5 Mbps copper lines to a 10 Mbps fiber optic connection (6.6 x faster than current speeds). This would be an enhancement to the existing contract, and is comparable to other network connection speeds between all other Village buildings.

The current monthly cost is $650.00. The new pricing structure with the enhanced service would be $1,750.00 per month for Fire Stations 3 and 4, or $1,100 more than the current monthly agreement.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Village Board approve an upgrade to add fiber optic connections to Fire Stations 3 and 4, for an additional monthly cost of $1,100 or an annual cost of $13,200. This will require a budget amendment to account #101-7101-531.22-70.  Funding is available from the contingency account in the General Fund.