Iowa Institute for Sustainable Communities' study of the Metronet gives local leaders some possible future goals

The Iowa Institute for Sustainable Communities has been working with the six Winneshiek County institutions that are part of the Metronet to give some guidance on where the fiber optic cable network should be heading.

University of Iowa graduate students presented their findings Monday to a group of around 30 people.  The students presented four different possible future projects, ranging from installing additional fiber optic cable in downtown Decorah at a cost of around $350,000 to installing additional fiber optic cable to Ridgeway, Spillville, Fort Atkinson, Jackson Junction, Calmar, Ossian and Castalia at a cost of $11.2 million.

The students said the $11.2 million network to communities in Winneshiek County was "most desirable."  They predicted almost all of the cost of the expansion could be paid through state and federal grants.

On the other hand, expanding fiber optic cable into the neighborhoods of Decorah at a cost of $5.8 million would be "unfeasible," they said, because only $1.7 million in grants could be gotten.  The resulting $4.2 million funding gap could be handled by a city utility doing bonding, but not by Metronet, which is extremely limited in its borrowing ability.

The final report from IISC will be completed and delivered to City of Decorah officials later this week.