A five-year agreement Dowagiac City Council made Tuesday night with ACD.net will provide fiber network improvements and services.

 

These benefits include: faster internet service — 100 Mbs versus 12 Mbs; a network connection to the wastewater treatment plant, allowing future communications and control to the water treatment plant on Chestnut Street; and future connections to other facilities (water towers, lift stations and electric substations) for control/monitoring for better response and increased efficiency.

 

City Manager Kevin Anderson said after a $2,000 equipment purchase, monthly costs of services are less than what is being paid to multiple providers.

 

In 2005, the city partnered with Dowagiac Union Schools to install fiber optic communication cables in a joint build that serves city and school facilities.

 

Approximately six miles of fiber were installed, consisting of a 3.8-mile loop around town with two spurs; one spur running out Pokagon Street past the industrial park; and another down Riverside Drive past the water tower to the middle school.

 

Anderson said the city was not able to heavily use these fibers until the last four years when the fire station moved from behind City Hall to Wolf Street.

 

“We utilized fiber for both the phone system and computer network to the fire station,” Anderson said. “Since then, the fiber has been utilized — and extended — to serve CCDET (Cass County Drug Enforcement Team, a joint venture with the Sheriff’s Office) functions as well as the mechanic, public works and electric offices and Chestnut and South Front streets. Most recently, the fiber was extended to (Dowagiac Area History Museum on East Division Street) for phone and computer connections. Expansion of the fiber system to lift stations and water towers is now planned.”

 

ACD is a phone and internet service provider offering a variety of communication-related services.

 

A Lansing company, ACD is a partner in the Merit Network’s REACH-3MC project aimed at bringing high-speed fiber broadband connectivity statewide.

 

Merit provides services to the education and non-profit community.

 

ACD provides services to businesses from Fortune 500 to small- and medium-sized companies.

 

ACD.net proposed providing telephone and internet service to City Hall, building fiber out to the wastewater treatment plant and providing a fiber connection between City Hall and the county building in Cassopolis, meaning enhanced disaster recovery.

 

“Works both ways,” the city manager said. “We can be each other’s back-up.”