The City wants to hear from you. The Lakeland Commission is currently exploring the idea of launching a City-operated broadband utility. (Read: High-speed internet provided by the City.)

They’re holding a public forum on Tuesday (Oct. 1) and asking Lakelanders to take their public survey to gauge community interest.

But first, some background info:

DYK? The City of Lakeland currently owns + operates 330+ miles of existing fiber-optics. This network has been used to provide high-speed internet connectivity to the Polk County School District, local libraries, public safety entities + Lakeland Electric. Now, the City wants to know: Should they develop a plan to offer broadband services to residents?

The plan would cost an estimated $97.5 million to connect customers to the existing fiber-optic network. This is clearly a big undertaking, so the City hired Magellan Advisors to create a Lakeland Broadband Business Plan, which outlines risks, infrastructure needs, costs, pricing + more.

Have your say:

To voice your opinion,

✔️ Learn more about the proposed plan

✔️ Take the survey

✔️ Attend the public forum on Tuesday, 6 p.m. at the RP Funding Center. Ⓟ