Magellan Advisors first provided a feasibility study as a consultant to the city in June 2014. They recently updated the report's research based on Columbia's current high-speed Internet availability.

The Columbia City Council will hear a report Monday on a consultant’s recommendations related to high-speed broadband service in the city.

The report, an update of a 2014 study, said there have been significant increases in high-speed Internet in some areas of Columbia, but others still are having issues with availability. It suggests the city and Columbia Water and Light establish a broadband business plan and the consultant's research showed area service providers want city assistance in improving high-speed service availability downtown.

The broadband business plan would include strategies for the city to manage existing or proposed broadband infrastructure Columbia owns.The city’s fiber network affects the expansion opportunities for high-speed broadband service and the consultant’s report recommends the city look for ways to build new infrastructure. John Conway, chairman of the Columbia Water and Light Advisory Board, said the board received the same updated report earlier this year for review.

“I think we need to continue to develop a business plan,” Conway said, speaking on behalf of himself and not the entire board. “We need to see how that would fit in with what the other local broadband companies are pursuing.”

Magellan Advisors, the consultant, first provided a broadband feasibility study to the city in June 2014. That report recommended Columbia Water and Light change its broadband business model and deploy an open-access network, where the city could sell lit transport bandwidth to service providers. Lit fiber calls for the service provider to own and maintain the equipment to light the fiber.

Since 2014, multiple providers have said they plan to deploy fiber-based gigabit services in Columbia. The city has not moved forward with the suggestion to create an open-access platform and is waiting to see if service providers “step up their service levels in the area — ultimately achieving the city’s goal of faster and more reliable Internet speeds for Columbia-based business,” the updated report document states.

Last summer, the consultant’s team met with local service providers and discussed improvements in Columbia’s available services.

“Many providers stated that assistance from the city in constructing in the downtown area would be welcomed and that it could advance the downtown build-outs,” the report said.

When the advisory board discussed the plan, board member Dick Parker pointed out one of the maps in the report showed issues downtown, an area in which service providers have had the most trouble expanding service.

Conway said the board did not take any action on the consultant’s recommendations but discussed the report. Water and Light Director Tad Johnsen previously said any actions related to the report would come back to the water and light advisory board at a later time. Water and light staff, he said, wanted the board to review the consultant’s suggestions and updated analysis.

Conway said he plans to follow the council’s discussion of the report Monday. The council is not set to take any votes Monday related to this study.

mfavignano@columbiatribune.com

573-815-1719