Decorah is not the only Iowa community investigating starting a municipal broadband network

The City of Decorah's Telecommunications Utility Board will meet Tuesday night.  The board will get an update on questions asked by vendors in response to Decorah's request for proposals for a feasibility study of setting up a municipal broadband network here.

But Decorah isn't the only Iowa community getting ready to do such a feasibility study.  Former Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities broadband expert Curtis Dean--now a broadband consultant--has this to say in his latest newsletter:

"As 2017 begins, several Iowa communities are in various stages of evaluating whether or not to create a municipal fiber broadband network.

Farthest along in the process is Vinton, which received 88 percent approval by voters in a November 2015 referendum. Farr Technologies of Mitchell, South Dakota has been hired to conduct a feasibility study in Vinton this winter and spring. 

Decorah has issued an RFP for a feasibility study, with the goal of hiring a firm and conducting their study before mid-summer. 

New Hampton and Maquoketa are preparing feasibility study RFP's, following "Community Fiber Broadband Engagement and Education" projects (aka "pre-feasibility") in 2016. 

Charles City, which has also conducted a pre-feasibility study, will be considering its next steps over the next couple of months."