Nelsonville gov’t to get upgraded phone, internet systems
Click here for original story in the Athens Messenger. Note: This story appears in the Wednesday, June 12 newspaper on Page A3.
NELSONVILLE — City buildings in Nelsonville will soon be outfitted with new phone and internet systems, which may also improve surveillance and emergency services in town.
That decision was made by Nelsonville City Council on Monday, which gave a thumbs up to making improvements to City Hall.
City officials have sought an improved phone system for several years, dating back to when the local government’s phone bill exceeded $63,000 for the year 2016.
The city switched to Nelsonville TV Cable for several years, but officials have eyed trying to upgrade the services while keeping costs low.
The city received three bids, one of which was approved on Monday. The bid price of $19,500 per year was accepted from Horizon Telcom Inc. and FreedomLinx LLC, which will work together to provide phone and internet services. There is also an initial fee of $8,000 for installation and wiring, which the city will then own once it is in place.
“We felt the combination of these two (companies) brought us into the 21st Century,” City Manager Chuck Barga said.
He noted that the service will allow expansion of surveillance in the city, including more cameras at the city pool and park.
Horizon provides fiber optic services to Ohio University, Hocking College and several hospitals and medical centers. A Horizon representative present at the Council meeting said he was completely sure that the new phone system will have no failures, as it will provide lines for 911 services at the police and fire department as well.
In case of an internet failure, the representative said the free Nelsonville TV and Cable service will be kept as a “failover” precaution.
The installation time for the new phone system is expected to take 180 days, and the contract was approved unanimously during the Monday night meeting.
