Telecommunication Board Approves $10.5M Contract for Fiber-to-the-Home Project

Without local news, all we have are rumors. Keep facts alive — give now. DECORAH — Decorah's plan to bring high-speed internet to every home took a major step forward Thursday when the city's Telecommunication Utility Board awarded a $10.5 million construction contract for the Decorah 2025 Fiber to the Home Project. "This is 141 miles of additional conduit fiber to be installed throughout the city limits," City Manager Travis Goedken said during a public hearing. "This will reach every premise within the city limits of Decorah." Goedken emphasized that this was a "very big, momentous occasion." The effort began a decade ago with the Decorah Fast Fiber Initiative. "The goal was always to get fiber here and it has been a long, hard project," Mayor Lorraine Borowski said, voicing appreciation for the board's "patience, diligence, and perseverance". "Once it gets there, it is gonna be very, very valuable for the citizens of Decorah," she added. The city received six bids, two of which were deemed "nonresponsive." West Union Trenching Inc. submitted the lowest responsive bid at $10,593,648.40. "We're very confident that West Union Trenching [will] do a great job for us," Goedken said before the resolution passed unanimously. The board also authorized professional services contracts with Fibersmith, the project's engineer, and R&S Fiber Optic Services LLC. Board members reflected on the project's significance at the close of the meeting. "This is exciting … still a little bit surreal," Board Chair Jarrad Walter said. "We need to do a good job with thanking all those volunteers and honestly a lot of Decorah businesses that gave time and money for fundraising." Goedken, who had previously claimed that "there would be cake" at the meeting where the contract was finally approved, made good on this promise by handing out blue and white frosted cupcakes in celebration of the occasion. Stay ahead of the curve! Subscribe to free newsletters for exclusive insights, local trends and analysis delivered straight to your inbox.