Title
Resolution Halting Fiber Optic Construction
History
From telehealth, to remote learning, to work-from-home, people are living increasingly digitally connected lives. The Village encourages private investment in infrastructure, but it cannot be done at the expense of the quality of life of residents. The Village is in support of better internet, but it must be done responsibly.
Astound, one of many internet providers licensed by the State of Illinois to install high-speed internet, disrupted approximately 300 homes following an incident that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The attached Resolution halts fiber optic construction following a sharp increase in resident complaints about unsafe and incomplete work tied to fiber internet installation.
The Resolution directs Village staff to withhold permits until the following are addressed:
-Unrepaired property damage
-Utility hits
-Open holes, potholes, and sidewalks left unrestored
-Work conducted outside of allowed hours
-Subcontractors working without visible identification
State-Authorized Internet Providers
To provide internet services utilizing public easements, an internet provider can be approved to construct infrastructure in one of two ways - via a municipal franchise agreement or via state-issued authorization. Of all the internet service providers in the Village, only Xfinity operates under a municipal franchise agreement, all other internet service providers utilizing public easements operate under state-issued authorization in accordance with the Illinois Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007.
The Illinois Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007 limits the ability of a municipality to regulate internet services providers. As an example, under the law:
-A municipality cannot withhold access to public right-of-way, including easements, when access is required for the installation, construction, and operations of cable, video, or telecommunications.
-A construction permit is automaticall...
Click here for full text