HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2020 1021 CCSA REG ITEM 09DCITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA
City Council Meeting
of October 21, 2020
ACTION Adopted Broadband Strategic
Plan and Provided Direction to Staff. (Roll
Call Vote: Unanimous).
BY B.Garza.
D. Consider Adoption of the City’s Broadband Strategic Plan. Staff
Recommendation: 1) Adopt the draft Broadband Strategic Plan prepared by
Magellan Advisors; and 2) Provide direction to staff regarding implementation of
the Broadband Strategic Plan as enumerated in numbers 1 through 8 in the
Agenda Report. (Staff: Brian Chong)
Item: 9.D.
MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: Brian Chong, Assistant to the City Manager
DATE: 10/21/2020 Regular Meeting
SUBJECT: Consider Adoption of the City’s Broadband Strategic Plan
SUMMARY
On July 17, 2019, the City Council authorized release of a Request for Proposals (RFP)
for development of a Broadband Strategic Plan. On November 6, 2019, the City
Council approved an agreement with Magellan Advisors, LLC (Magellan Advisors) to
prepare a Broadband Strategic Plan for the City. Staff and Magellan Advisors have
worked closely over the past 11 months to research and prepare the Broadband
Strategic Plan, and the City’s Broadband Ad Hoc Committee (Councilmembers Mikos
and Simons) reviewed a draft of the Plan on September 3, 2020. The attached draft
Broadband Strategic Plan (Attachment 1) incorporates revisions made pursuant to the
Committee’s and staff’s review of the initial draft and is now recommended for adoption
by the City Council. Staff is also seeking City Council direction on implementation of the
Plan at this time.
BACKGROUND
The City Council’s Strategies, Goals, and Objectives for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019/20 and
FY 2020/21 establish an objective to “Conduct a study of commercial broadband,
identify current and needed infrastructure, and determine funding needs and other
actions to achieve desired level of commercial broadband in the City.” This objective
was carried forward from the Goals and Objectives for FY 2017/18 and FY 2018/19.
On December 6, 2017, the City Council created the Broadband Ad Hoc Committee,
comprised of Councilmembers Mikos and Simons, to consider various policy decisions
that need to be made along the way in pursuing the development and deployment of
broadband infrastructure throughout Moorpark. The Committee could then advise the
City Council and assist staff in preparing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for
development of a Broadband Strategic Plan. Following several scoping meetings for
Item: 9.D.
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the Plan, the Broadband Ad Hoc Committee reviewed and recommended approval of an
RFP on June 24, 2019. The City Council then reviewed and authorized release of the
RFP at its July 17, 2019, City Council meeting. At the same meeting, the City Council
also adopted two new Smart City objectives to “Develop a list of potential Smart City
items to assist with sustainable business retention for City Council consideration” and to
“Develop a list of potential short-term Smart City projects for City Council review.”
Development of these lists was incorporated into the scope of work for the Broadband
Strategic Plan because the selected consultant would possess expertise in Smart City
applications.
Following staff and Broadband Ad Hoc Committee review of the proposals received, the
City Council approved an agreement with Magellan Advisors to prepare the City’s
Broadband Strategic Plan on November 6, 2019. At the time, Magellan Advisors had
already been retained by the Cities of Oxnard and Ventura to prepare similar
Broadband Plans. Since that time, the County of Ventura has also retained Magellan
Advisors to assist with its plans for broadband deployment and advancement.
To develop a clear picture of the broadband environment in Moorpark and to develop a
list of potential Smart City applications that could benefit the City’s municipal operations
and service deliveries, Magellan Advisors held biweekly conference calls with key City
staff and further spent two full days (pre-pandemic) in Moorpark touring the community
and completing on-site interviews with management staff across all City Departments,
as well as the Moorpark Police Department, City Council, and City Attorney. Magellan
Advisors also collected large amounts of economic, business, and operational data from
the City and reviewed numerous City documents such as the City’s Capital
Improvements Plan, Budget, and Municipal Code.
To anticipate future deployment efforts in the Moorpark community, Magellan Advisors
conducted numerous conference calls (post-pandemic) with telecommunications
providers in the region, including the two incumbent providers for Moorpark (AT&T and
Charter/Spectrum), to ascertain their current service offerings and future plans for the
Moorpark market. Magellan then identified 180 businesses located throughout
Moorpark’s three major business parks for an online broadband survey that collected
information about their Internet service, Internet needs, costs, and a speed test to
determine their actual connection speeds. Through City outreach to those businesses,
the City received 49 survey responses that represented each of Moorpark’s three
business parks. Magellan Advisors then combined data from the survey with its own
proprietary information to complete their analysis and reach their conclusions.
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DISCUSSION
The Broadband Strategic Plan reaches various conclusions about the City’s broadband
needs, both in terms of the City government’s operational needs and in terms of the
business community’s needs, as summarized below.
Broadband Access in Moorpark Business Parks
Magellan Advisors found that Spectrum can provide broadband service to 97.3% of
Moorpark and that AT&T can provide broadband service to 91.0% of Moorpark, but
availability of service within Moorpark’s business parks is smaller. Based on survey
responses and speed tests of 49 targeted businesses across the City, Magellan
Advisors found that broadband was generally available in the City’s western (Gabbert
Road) and eastern (Condor Drive) business parks, with lesser availability in the City’s
central business park (Patriot Drive, Flinn Avenue) and no availability on Science Drive,
also located within the City’s central business park area. Additional details are provided
in Section 3 of the Broadband Strategic Plan, and recommendations to improve access
are discussed later in this staff report.
Network for City Operations
The City currently spends $24,000 per year to connect its facilities across the City at the
Civic Center, Police Services Center, and Arroyo Vista Community Park. As Smart City
applications and technology generally advance, the amount of data traversing across
the City’s municipal operations will increase, along with the associated costs. The
Broadband Strategic Plan maps out a network for City operations that would connect
these facilities, save the City the ever-increasing costs of purchasing connections
through private Internet Service Providers, and allow the City additional control,
bandwidth, and redundancy in connecting its facilities.
As routed by Magellan Advisors, the hypothetical City network would have a total
estimated construction cost of between $1,800,000 and $2,400,000. However, the
network’s route has been strategically designed to take advantage of City, County, and
Caltrans capital projects that already involve excavation; actual costs could be reduced
by taking advantage of joint trenching opportunities as those projects are built.
Additionally, the network takes advantage of future planned developments that could be
conditioned to install conduits for fiber-optic cables as part of their street improvements,
further reducing the costs to the City. City-owned conduit and fiber-optic cables can
also be leased out to other broadband providers, which would make it easier for those
entities to provide services across the City and would represent a revenue source for
the City. The amount of such revenue could vary widely, highly dependent on the
demand for such conduit and with the length and location of such infrastructure being
key factors.
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The Broadband Strategic Plan makes recommendations to deploy this network over
time (10+ years) by incorporating broadband infrastructure into the City’s capital
projects located along the network path, by setting aside funding to joint trench with
other entities when they engage in excavation work along the network path, and by
conditioning new land developments along the network path to install broadband
infrastructure as part of their development approvals.
Additional information about a City-owned network is included in Sections 2.2 and 7.2
of the Broadband Strategic Plan.
Civic Center Plan and Meet Me Room
Because of the timing overlap of the Broadband Strategic Plan and the development of
the Civic Center Master Plan, the Scope of Work for Magellan Advisors included a
review of the Civic Center Master Plan while it was being developed, to ensure that the
campus and new buildings will be “futureproofed”, from a broadband perspective. That
feedback was incorporated into the Civic Center Master Plan before it was presented to
the City Council.
The Broadband Strategic Plan recommends that the City give serious consideration to
including a “meet-me room” (MMR) in the new Moorpark City Library building. MMRs
house servers that act as a hub for telecommunications service providers, from which
expanded services across the community and region could commence. The location of
the Library is uniquely suited for an MMR because of its close proximity to numerous
long-haul fiber-optic lines located within the railroad right-of-way. Users of an MMR
would rent space within the MMR, which would represent a revenue stream for the City.
Magellan Advisors recommends that the City consider commissioning a study to
determine the market demand among carriers for an MMR in Moorpark. Section 6.8 of
the Broadband Strategic Plan better details the general design standards and potential
opportunities represented by an MMR.
Smart City Applications
While not an officially defined term, “Smart City” generally refers to a community that
collects and applies data – usually derived by sensors along a fiber-optic network – to
improve efficiencies and service delivery to solve real-world problems.
The Broadband Strategic Plan identifies the City’s recent acquisition of approximately
2,200 streetlight poles from Southern California Edison, along with the City’s previous
decision to fit each with an ANSI 7-pin receptacle (as part of the LED fixture
conversion), places the City on its way to becoming a Smart City. Additionally, the
City’s previous purchase and deployment of smart irrigation controllers that only turn on
irrigation systems based on actual weather conditions and actual soil conditions
represent a “Smart City” application already in use by the City.
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Section 5.1 of the Broadband Strategic Plan identifies Smart City applications for the
City’s consideration, including:
• Traffic Cameras and Signalization: Connect traffic signal cameras with fiber-optic
cables to better manage traffic congestion.
• Smart Streetlights: Install systems that allow for dimming and brightening when
vehicles or pedestrians come near to save energy costs.
• Smart Irrigation Systems: Utilize sensors to monitor weather and soil conditions,
and water only when needed.
• Smart Buildings: Utilize connected thermostats, lighting controls, and automatic
tinting, shading, and climate control systems to reduce energy consumption.
• Public W i-Fi: Provide free public Wi-Fi at public parks with large gatherings, such
as Arroyo Vista Community Park, to allow better service for vendors at large
community events and video streaming for park patrons (such as parents’
sharing their children’s sporting events).
• Smart Parking and Wayfinding: As Moorpark’s downtown area begins attracting
more people, sensors and applications can be used to direct visitors to available
parking spaces.
It should be noted that some of these technologies, such as smart irrigation systems
and smart lighting controls, are already incorporated into some of the City’s buildings,
facilities, and parks across the community.
Governance and Policies
As part of its scope of work, Magellan Advisors examined the City’s regulatory and
permit frameworks for broadband-related activities, with a focus on whether the City
could further streamline its permitting processes and requirements and incorporate
other best practices. Magellan Advisors affirmed that the City’s wireless facilities
ordinance – adopted recently in April 2019 – is consistent with current legislation, case
law, and best practices. They also reviewed and provided suggestions on how to
streamline the City’s permitting process for small wireless facilities in the public right-of-
way, and staff has already initiated updating its process accordingly. Magellan Advisors
also provided feedback on the City’s Master License Agreement template, which the
City intends to use to establish procedures, terms, and conditions for
telecommunications companies to install wireless facilities on streetlights and other
facilities within the City’s public right-of-way. Staff has already incorporated this
feedback into its Master License Agreement template for ongoing and future use.
The Broadband Strategic Plan does identify that the City’s lack of a “Dig Once Policy”
represents a missed opportunity to facilitate the faster deployment of broadband
infrastructure. A Dig Once Policy would advance broadband deployment by requiring a
chance for different underground infrastructure owners to coordinate to install or replace
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underground infrastructure at the same time. For example, if a water utility is replacing
an underground sewer line in a street in which an Internet Service Provider also wants
to install a fiber-optic cable, a Dig Once Policy would require them to install both at the
same time through the same trenching effort. Doing so reduces the costs to each entity
to complete installation and reduces disruptions caused by repeated excavations, but
also can slow down the construction timelines while contracts and cost-sharing
agreements are prepared. Magellan Advisors recommends that the City adopt a Dig
Once Policy.
Additional details about broadband governance and policy is included in Section 4 of
the Broadband Strategic Plan.
Recommendation: Funding and Partnership Opportunities
Section 7.4 of the Broadband Strategic Plan identifies various grant opportunities that
the City should monitor and pursue, should a grant opportunity arise that aligns with the
City’s broadband-related goals. In addition to grants, Magellan Advisors identifies the
creation of an impact fee to fund broadband-related fees, whereby the City could charge
a fee on a permit to fund broadband-related projects just as school fees, library fees,
and other similar fees are collected. Should the City Council want to pursue this policy
option, additional staff research will be needed to determine best practices on how to
apply such a fee.
Magellan Advisors has also identified potential partners – both public and private – that
the City may engage to advance broadband deployment in Moorpark. The County of
Ventura retained Magellan Advisors subsequent to the City’s hiring of the firm, and the
County is currently studying ways to create a “middle-mile” network to connect its
facilities across the County. There will likely be synergies with City efforts as the
County’s project continues to be scoped. The recommendations in the Broadband
Strategic Plan also include outreach to several broadband providers that work in the
Southern California region to try to identify opportunities for partnerships to promote
broadband deployment in Moorpark.
Relationship to 5G Deployment
Broadband infrastructure has many applications, one of which is the deployment of 5G
wireless telecommunications facilities. The Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), telecommunications industry groups, and the City anticipate that many 5G
facilities will be proposed on streetlights within Moorpark and every community across
the United States. These facilities generally work by placing antennas at the top of the
streetlights and connecting them with fiber-optic cables in the ground. As such, the
proliferation of additional fiber-optic infrastructure throughout the community may also
facilitate 5G deployment.
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Some community members have previously expressed concerns about the health
impacts of 5G wireless facilities, particularly in residential zones. However, the FCC
has found that such facilities do not pose a health risk to the public and precludes the
City from taking any health impacts into consideration when reviewing an application for
a wireless facility. Although Moorpark and many other cities and counties across the
country have argued and continue to argue against federal preemption of local control
over wireless facility siting, FCC regulations and subsequent case law preclude the City
from denying applications for wireless facilities on such grounds. The City’s wireless
telecommunications facilities ordinance was written to retain as much local control as is
allowed, including a requirement for a permit applicant to exhaust all other locations
(such as commercial zones) to serve the targeted area before a residential site is
approved. However, an outright ban on such facilities in residential zones would be
illegal.
City Council Direction on Recommendations
In its Broadband Strategic Plan, Magellan Advisors makes numerous recommendations
for next steps, many of which have associated costs and risk/reward potential. In
approving the Plan, staff seeks City Council direction on which items to pursue
immediately, which items may be better pursued at a later date, and which (if any) items
to not pursue. Staff’s recommendations for such direction are listed below:
1) City Network: Direct staff to take steps to develop a City-owned fiber-optic
network with the primary goal of connecting the City’s multiple facilities across
the City. Immediate actions include incorporating broadband infrastructure into
development projects along the network path and incorporating broadband
conduit into the capital projects along the network path.
2) Meet Me Room: Direct staff to prepare a Request for Proposals to complete a
market study to determine the financial viability of a Meet Me Room as part of the
Moorpark City Library project. Until then, direct staff to incorporate a Meet Me
Room into the Library’s design.
3) Governance and Policies: Direct staff to, as recommended in the study,
incorporate broadband infrastructure into its planning/permitting processes,
implement recommendations to facilitate efficient review of wireless
telecommunications facility permits, and develop a Dig Once Policy for City
Council consideration.
4) Research Broadband Impact Fee: Direct staff to complete additional research
into a potential Broadband Impact Fee as an option to fund broadband-related
infrastructure.
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5) Partnership and Funding Opportunities: Direct staff to monitor grant
opportunities to fund broadband-related projects, to track and participate in
regional efforts by the County of Ventura and the Broadband Consortium of the
Pacific Coast to advance broadband deployment in Moorpark, and engage with
potential partners about how to work collaboratively to advance broadband
deployment in Moorpark.
6) Smart City Applications: Direct staff to further review, analyze, and create
capital projects to accomplish potential Smart City applications identified in the
Broadband Strategic Plan, where staff analysis determines that such projects are
desirable and appropriately timed. For example, staff can incorporate a plan to
improve the Los Angeles Avenue and Tierra Rejada Road traffic signal
interconnect systems with cameras and fiber-optic connections into the City’s
next Capital Improvement Program, while deferring installation of sensors to
inform a parking and wayfinding mobile app to help visitors find parking along the
High Street corridor until a time where there are sufficient visitors to warrant such
a system.
7) Funding for Joint Trenching: Defer discussion of setting aside funding for joint
trenching opportunities to install fiber-optic conduit until the City’s Mid-Year
Budget discussion, when the City hopefully has a clearer picture of the near-term
financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
8) ROI Study for Leasing City Network: Defer commission of a study to determine
the market, potential revenue, and potential costs for leasing a City-owned
network to Internet Service Providers until such time as the City has a clearer
funding mechanism to begin construction of a network.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of the Broadband Strategic Plan does not inherently have a fiscal impact on
the City. However, many of the Plan’s recommendations have associated costs with
them if taken. Given the current challenge in projecting the City’s near-term financial
position due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, staff recommends that the City
Council not appropriate funding for broadband-related projects until at least the City’s
Mid-Year Budget discussion or at such time that City Council action is needed to
approve the scope of a capital project or to award a contract for a specific study (such
as a market study to determine the viability of a Meet Me Room).
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COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE
Adoption of the Broadband Strategic Plan implements the following City Council Goals:
Strategy 5, Goal 2, Objective 1 (5.2.1)
Conduct study of commercial broadband in City to a) identify infrastructure
currently in place; b) identify gaps in the current infrastructure and; c)
recommend actions to improve infrastructure, determine funding needs, evaluate
options to provide funding, and evaluate other actions needed to achieve desired
level of commercial broadband services within the City.
Strategy 5, Goal 2, Objective 2 (5.2.2)
Develop list of potential short-term Smart City projects for City Council review.
Strategy 1, Goal 2, Objective 2 (1.2.2)
Develop list of potential Smart City items to assist with sustainable business
retention for City Council consideration.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. Adopt the draft Broadband Strategic Plan prepared by Magellan Advisors
(Attachment 1).
2. Provide direction to staff regarding implementation of the Broadband Strategic
Plan as enumerated in numbers 1 through 8 above.
Attachment: Broadband Strategic Plan
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ATTACHMENT
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ____________________________________________________________ 4
Introduction _______________________________________________________________ 4
Methodology _______________________________________________________________ 5
Summary of Findings ________________________________________________________ 6
Recommendations __________________________________________________________ 7
1. Background _____________________________________________________________ 11
1.1 Overview of Broadband Infrastructure ______________________________________ 11
1.2 Broadband & Economic Development _______________________________________ 14
1.3 Enhancing Public Services ________________________________________________ 15
1.4 Reducing Municipal Telecommunications Spending ____________________________ 15
1.5 Addressing Community Needs _____________________________________________ 16
2. Needs Assessment _______________________________________________________ 17
2.1 Economic Development __________________________________________________ 17
2.2 Government Innovation and Smart City _____________________________________ 19
2.3 Conclusions ____________________________________________________________ 24
3. Analysis of the Current Broadband Market & Infrastructure ______________________ 24
3.1 Business Broadband Availability ___________________________________________ 25
3.2 Fiber locations in Moorpark Market ________________________________________ 26
3.3 Business Broadband Survey _______________________________________________ 29
3.4 GAP Analysis ___________________________________________________________ 33
4. 5G Readiness and Broadband Policies ________________________________________ 34
4.1 5G Deployment _________________________________________________________ 34
4.2 Federal and State Broadband Policy Environment _____________________________ 35
4.3 Policies and Actions Needed for 5G Deployment ______________________________ 39
4.4 Recommended Actions ___________________________________________________ 42
5. Smart City Applications ___________________________________________________ 43
5.1 Smart City Applications for Moorpark _______________________________________ 45
5.2 Connected and Autonomous Vehicles _______________________________________ 47
5.3 Smart City Policy Issues __________________________________________________ 48
5.4 Preparing Moorpark for Smart City _________________________________________ 48
6. Asset Inventory __________________________________________________________ 50
6.1 Vertical Assets _________________________________________________________ 50
6.2 Other Assets ___________________________________________________________ 51
6.3 Capital Improvement Projects _____________________________________________ 51
6.4 Development Projects ___________________________________________________ 53
6.5 Identification of Anchors _________________________________________________ 55
6.6 Building Additional Assets incrementally & Opportunistically ____________________ 55
6.7 Conduit construction Specifications ________________________________________ 56
6.8 City Civic Center Design Considerations _____________________________________ 57
7. Recommendations & Next Steps ____________________________________________ 59
7.1 Incorporating broadband and smart City into planning processes ________________ 59
7.2 Building and operating a citywide network ___________________________________ 59
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7.3 Provider Investment/Partnership Opportunities ______________________________ 60
7.4 Funding Opportunities ___________________________________________________ 63
7.5 Ventura County Broadband Project _________________________________________ 66
7.6 Next Steps for Moorpark’s Broadband Strategy _______________________________ 67
Table of Figures
Figure ES-1. Capital Improvement and Development Projects for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment ................ 7
Figure ES-2. Conceptual Network Vision with CIP, City Facilities, and Business Parks........................................... 8
Figure 1-1. How Fiber Connects Communities ............................................................................................... 11
Figure 1-2. Physical Bandwidth Capacity Comparisons ................................................................................... 12
Figure 1-3. Diagram of 5G Infrastructure ..................................................................................................... 14
Figure 2-1. Components of a Tech Ecosystem............................................................................................... 18
Figure 3-1. Commercial Addresses Selected for Analysis ................................................................................ 25
Figure 3-2. Long-Haul Fiber Routes in Moorpark ........................................................................................... 27
Figure 3-3. Metro Fiber Routes in Moorpark ................................................................................................. 27
Figure 3-4. Lit Buildings in Moorpark ........................................................................................................... 28
Figure 3-5. Service Providers (n = 37) ........................................................................................................ 30
Figure 5-1. The Smart City......................................................................................................................... 44
Figure 6-1. City of Moorpark Vertical Assets ................................................................................................. 50
Figure 6-2. Moorpark Capital Improvement Plan Projects for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment ..................... 52
Figure 6-3. Development Projects for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment .................................................... 54
Figure 6-4. Conceptual Citywide Network ..................................................................................................... 56
Figure 6-5. Civic Center Design with Conduit and Vaults ................................................................................ 57
Figure 7-1. Moorpark RDOF Map ................................................................................................................. 64
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Executive Summary
INTRODUCTION
In an increasingly digital world, access to broadband internet has become crucial to
governments, businesses, and residents. Recognizing this, the City of Moorpark,
California, commissioned development of this Broadband Strategic Plan to develop a
strategy for ensuring abundant broadband c onnectivity for municipal operations, fully
capitalizing on C ity assets and planned projects for private companies to provide
network services, maximizing economic vitality, and minimizing costs and disruptions
for the community.
The City recognized the n eed to interconnect its various sites, most crucially the City’s
new Civic Center and L ibrary campus, the Police Department, and Arroyo Vista
Community Park to improve services to residents and capitalize on efficiencies through
interconnectivity. Moorpark also requires connectivity to enable Smart C ity innovations
including intelligent transportation, security and traffic cameras, and other applications
controlled through sensors and servomechanisms. These technologies can result in
substantial cost savings, faster and more flexible response times, and improve quality
of life; however, all of them require connectivity to high-bandwidth, low latency
broadband.
In addition to the communications needs of the City itself, Moorpark seeks to improve
connectivity for its businesses to enable operations for tech-focused companies that
will boost economic development. Over the past several years, commercial activity
across many sectors has become increasingly reliant on the availability of broadband,
and the current C OVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted and accelerated those
needs in recent months. To keep pace with other cities in attracting and retaining
businesses, the City recognizes the need to ensure that reliable, affordable broadband
options are available, particularly in the City’s three business parks and new
development sites.
Simultaneously, Moorpark needs policies and a strategy for responding to
telecommunications carriers’ plans to deploy 5G wireless service. This new generation
of connectivity will require densely placed “small cell” telecommunications devices, as
well as fiber-optic cables to backhaul data from user devices to the internet. The
placement of these devices is governed by an interrelated legal framework
characterized by shared jurisdiction between state and federal authorities (the Federal
Communications Commission, or FCC);1 however, over the past two decades the FCC
has preempted the authority of state and local jurisdictions. Although the City’s ability
to regulate deployment of small cell technology has been usurped by the federal
government, ideally, the rollout of these devices in Moorpark will be guided by the City
to maximize local control over placement and aesthetics, and to receive fair
compensation for the use of publicly owned assets.
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T o meet these needs, the City of Moorpark selected Magellan Advisors to develop this
Plan, which will provide a strategy for the City of Moorpark to attract and guide
investment from broadband providers, as well as economically deploy its own
broadband infrastructure when and where it has clear value for employers, residents,
and visitors.
METHODOLOGY
Over the course of five months between February and June 2020, Magellan Advisors
worked with staff to develop a clear picture of the current broadband environment in
the City, understand the current and future operational needs of businesses and the
City itself, assess the assets and planned projects that Moorpark could use to enhance
broadband availability, identify potential obstacles and funding sources, and analyze
the City’s current policies as they relate to the deployment of broadband.
Magellan’s team interviewed a variety of City departments including the City Attorney,
City Manager, Community Development, Community Services, Finance, I nformation
Services, Parks and Recreation, Planning, and Public Works, as well as the City’s Police
Department, Ventura County Sheriff, and City Coun cilmembers. These discussions
centered on the current and future needs of the City for internal operations, as well as
the broadband needs of businesses and residents of Moorpark. Potential Smart City
applications and their impact on the community were also discussed and weighed in on
by the City’s team.
We also spoke with incumbent telecommunications providers including AT&T and
Spectrum/Charter to get an understanding of their current offerings and future plans in
Moorpark. Other providers including CenturyLink, GeoLinks, and Zayo were also
engaged to understand whether they had assets and interest in the Moorpark market.
Magellan also analyzed maps of available fiber-optic infrastructure in the City through
its national database of fiber assets.
To further vet findings about the current market, a short survey was promoted among
Moorpark’s businesses, especially those located within the City’s three business parks.
The survey requested information about current services including provider and type of
connection, as well as an e mbedded speed test, which measures actual download and
upload speeds. Participants were also asked about satisfaction and given an
opportunity to provide open-ended feedback about broadband for businesses in
Moorpark. Based on input from the City’s team, survey responses, conversations with
providers, and the mapped locations of current assets, a gap analysis was developed
to identify areas of the City that lacked a robust broadband environment.
Magellan’s team of policy experts also examined the City’s existing broadband-related
policies, especially as they relate to the rollout of 5G. Additionally, an inventory of
City-owned assets including fiber-optic cable, conduit, streetlights, and traffic signals
was performed to gain an understanding of how Moorpark might leverage its assets to
expand broadband availability.
Finally, Magellan analyzed the City’s capital improvement and development projects, as
well as planned Ventura County capital projects, to determine opportunities for
Moorpark to deploy conduit and fiber at locations where excavation work was already
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planned. Projects were identified and vetted with the City’s team before being
incorporated into a conceptual network design that would allow Moorpark to deploy
new broadband assets in key areas of the City as defined in the gap analysis, subject
to available funding.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Based on these evaluations, the most important gaps in broadband availability for the
City’s operations are connections between the City’s Civic Center campus, Arroyo Vista
Community Park, and the Police Department at an annual cost of $24,000. T he City
currently has an agreement with Spectrum/Charter to connect these key facilities, as
well as a backup wireless line-of-sight connection through AT&T, but the amount of
bandwidth needed to support Smart City applications will increase dramatically over
the coming years.
Although conversations with the City’s team revealed only a few Smart City
applications that are currently desired (including cameras, public wi-fi at Arroyo Vista
and on High Street, and improved traffic devices), the City’s recent purchase and
consequent upgrading of its streetlights to light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs will allow
for additional Smart City and intelligent transportation applications in the future.
Therefore, to save the City money on its telecommunications budget as needs for
bandwidth grow, Moorpark would be well-served to develop its own resilient, reliable
fiber-optic network with connections between these three key sites.
Findings also indicate that although most business locations in Moorpark have access
to broadband, competition is limited. In some locations, only one provider offers
service, while others have the option to choose between either Spectrum/Charter or
AT&T. Generally, the costs for businesses to connect to fiber are high; in some areas,
fiber is simply unavailable. Although the City’s western and eastern business parks are
relatively well-served by at least one provider, there is concern about the lack of
competition and the high costs of fiber-based connections. T he central business park
(Science Drive/Patriot Drive area) represents a major gap in broadband availability,
and businesses in these locations report having no access to broadband at all.
As in many cities, the lack of available broadband is a result of a convergence of issues
that comes down to a simple question for broadband providers: is the investment
worth it? When faced with challenges such as crossing railroad tracks or major
highways, providers need to see a business case that will return their investment,
including aggregated demand from users. Lowering costs by making public assets in
the public right-of-way available to a number of service providers to enter the market
can also inspire investment.
The central business park represents a potential area where, if enough demand is
aggregated and the costs to serve businesses can be lowered, broadband providers
may consider making additional investments. If Moorpark deploys additional
infrastructure such as conduit and/or fiber that it could lease to broadband providers,
the cost of serving businesses could be lowered, creating a business case that would
attract additional providers, increasing the number of options available to Moorpark’s
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businesses, enhancing competition and creating downward pressure on broadband
pricing.
Such partnerships and leveraging of the City’s assets should be considered during
discussions with providers about their plans to rollout telecommunications
infrastructure as well. Negotiating agreements that consider in-kind arrangements and
implementing policies such as Dig Once could allow Moorpark to work with
telecommunications providers to strategically invest in additional broadband assets in
key areas while reducing Moorpark’s spending on the margin.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The most effective means of improving the broadband environment in Moorpark is for
the City to consider incremental, oppop rtunistic deployment of additional broadband
infrastructure. While building a fiber-optic network can be costly for cities, major
savings can be realized if it is done in coordination with projects that already require
the ground to be excavated at a depth of at least 24 inches.
The City of Moorpark and Ventura County’s Capital Improvement Projects revealed
several opportunities for laying conduit and/or fiber over the next several years. The
map below shows the locations of these projects in green. Additionally, planned
develoments include Hitch Ranch development, are opportunities to negotiate with
developers for the placement of broadband infrastructure. These projects are shown
below in red.
Figure ES-1 . Capital Improvement and Development Projects for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
--- North Hills Parkway (CIP# C0031)
--- Replace Copper w/ Fiber (CIP #M0040)
--- Shasta Drain (Future CIP)
--- Los Angeles Ave Widening (CIP #C0027)
--- Los Angeles Ave Widening (CIP #C0021)
--- Los Angeles Ave to Freeway (CIP #C0026)
--- Spring Rd Widening (CIP #C0022)
--- High St Improvements (CIP #C0009)
--- Princeton Widening (CIP #C0020)
--- Moorpark Ave Widening (CIP #C0004)
--- Developer Area (Hitch Ranch Development)
New Civic Center/Library
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The City should set aside funds for deploying conduit and/or fiber along the se routes
while the ground is already open. Developers should be encouraged to install conduit,
especially in the new Hitch Ranch development, to mitigate the need for the City to
fully fund the network. Although including conduit and/or fiber in these routes may call
for borrowing money from another well-funded CIP or increase budgets during the
City’s annual budget update, the marginal cost to the City will be greatly reduced by
joint buidling with these CIP projects, resulting in savings of up to one third of the cost
to deploy the network instrastructure.
In addition, the City should consider filling in “gaps” in this burgeoning network that
would create a resilient backbone fiber loop in Moorpark, as shown below. This fiber
could be used to connect key City faciliites, including the three-way connection
between the new Civic Center Campus, Arroyo Vista Community Park, and the Police
Department. As indicated in the map, these routes run along many of Moorpark’s major
arterials and pass key City facilities. The fiber could also be leased to
telecommunications providers to serve business customers in all three of the business
parks, including the central business park that is currently underserved. This design
includes fiber along Los Angeles Avenue, where CalTrans has already planned to
replace aging traffic signal infrastructure with fiber. The City is engaged in discussions
with CalTrans to place City-owned fiber and conduit along this route if possible, as well
as negotiating the use of CalTrans fiber for Moorpark. The City can use this conduit
and fiber not only to support its own Smart City applications and other operational
needs, but also to allow internet service providers to lease these assets that will
enable them to serve underserved locations such as the central business park.
Figure ES-2. Conceptual Network Vision with CIP, City Facilities, and Business Parks
Although the scope of this Plan does not include the design, costs, or revenue
projections for a Moorpark network, over the course of developing this Plan, a network
was mapped that could readily be built incrementally based on upcoming CIP and
development projects. Using current estimate for laying fiber and conduit in California
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of between $30-40 per linear foot, we estimate the total cost of building such a
network at between $1.80 million and $2.39 million, not including any costs for
engineering, permitting, or other considerations. This is only provided as a high-level
estimate; detailed engineering would need to be performed to create a more accurate
cost analysis.
Additionally, because the ground is already being excavated in the CIP locations, costs
could be reduced by up to 33%. Also, an additional 11,622 linear feet of assets could
be installed by developers already working in the Hitch Ranch area, further reducing
the cost by up to $464k.
The leased network could be managed by telecommunications providers, relieving the
City of any obligation to operate or maintain it, with a revenue sharing structure that
would provide the City with additional cashflow. Although specifics of such an
agreement would be detailed during contract negotiations with potential partners
(likely followng an RFP process), i t is Magellan’s experience that the City could receive
up to 5 0% of the gross revenue in such an arrange ment.
Because a full ROI analysis was not performed as a part of this Plan’s scope, detailed
revenue projections are not available. Should t he City be interested in further
exploring costs and revenues of this network, we encourage Moorpark to conduct
detailed design engineering and perform additional outreach to businesses and
potential partners in order to generate take rate estimates and other key metrics that
could be input into a pro-forma to provide more detailed return on investment
estimates. Because the full construction of the network would be a 10+ year project,
a more detailed ROI analysis could be prepared based on individual portions of the
network.
In addition to this long-term network deployment, the City should continue its
coordination with Ventura County on its Countywide Fiber Network project, which is
currently ongoing and seeks to create a backbone that will connect County facilities,
anchor institutions, and municipal networks. Because of Moorpark’s central location
and the presence of the rail alignment, the City would be an ideal place for a “M eet-M e
R oom” that could connect the County network, as well as private networks. This
central location would further attract investment in broadband infrastructure within the
City, putting Moorpark at the center of the broadband crossroads of Ventura County.
Such a R oom could be incorporated into the existing design for the new library, and
connections to carrier locations on Poindexter Avenue have been included as a part of
the network design. Considerations for dimensions, air conditioning, power
conditioning, conduit access, and dual route entry should be considered in the design
of the building and are detailed later in this report.
This Broadband Strategic Plan identified key next steps for the City of Moorpark to
contmplate as it moves forward toward development and implementation of a
comprehensive strategy. These elements include:
1. Incorporate broadband and technology into all planning, permitting and
construction approval considerations, especially the City’s 2050 General Plan
update.
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2. Implement policies related to the deployment of small cell telecommunications
facilities including an MLA, Small Cell Design and Deployment Standards, and an
updated telecommunications ordinance. A Dig Once policy and practice may be
used in some significant projects as well, subject to the discretion of the Public
Works Director
3. Include broadband in development agreements, with considerations for impact
fees and mitigations for the placement of conduit.
4. Set aside funds to build conduit and/or fiber infrastructure during CIP projects.
5. Incrementally and opportunistically build connections for a Citywide fiber network.
6. Engage with potential partners about agreements to use City assets for increasing
service offerings.
7. Track and participate in the Ventura County broadband project and other local
initiatives to promote a regional broadband vision and increase interest in the
region.
8. Provide space for a “Meet Me R oom” in the design plans for the new Civic Center.
9. Continue tracking grant opportunities for funding expansion of broadband assets
including EDA, RDOF, and CASF.
10. Should the City desire to further understand the cost and revenue potential of the
network identified in this Plan, it should perform a full financial analysis based on
further outreach to the business community.
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1. Background
1.1 OVERVIEW OF BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE
The term “broadband” refers to high-speed internet services that provide users access
to online content including websites, television shows, videoconferencing, cloud
services, or voice conversations. These applications can be accessed and shared
through a variety of technologies including personal computers, smartphones, tablets,
and other connected devices. Although demands for this high-speed data are rapidly
increasing, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines broadband speeds
as at least 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. Cable, DSL, fiber, and wireless
are the prime broadband delivery systems used to meet these demands by connecting
users to the internet.
Fiber-optic cables (or just “fiber”) are strands of glass the diameter of a human hair
that carry waves of light. Unlike other connections that carry electrons across copper
wire, fiber supports fast, reliable connections by using photons across glass, giving it
the capacity to carry nearly unlimited amounts of data across long distances at
spectacularly fast speeds. Because of this speed and reliability, fiber is considered the
gold standard for supporting broadband across the full spectrum of devices and
applications. Fiber’s usability and resiliency have brought fiber to the forefront of
broadband, making it a highly desired asset for all entities, public and private, that
own or control it. If properly maintained, fiber-optic cable has a lifespan of up to forty
years. Due to its capacity for transmitting large amounts of data at high speeds, it will
remain a preferred communications infrastructure type and will be essential for
backhauling wireless communications for many years to come. The availability of a
reliable, cost-effective fiber connection creates opportunities for the communities it
serves.
Generally, broadband is one of many services offered by telecommunications
companies on multiple tiers of performance and cost. These services are divided into
business and consumer users and are then offered at a subscription fee. The variety of
services and technologies are increasing—exemplified by the explosion in smartphone
apps—but the networks themselves are converging, so that any device operated by any
user can potentially connect with vast amounts of information either inside or outside
of the same network.
Broadband is deployed throughout communities as wired cables or wireless
technologies that carry digital signals to and from users. The content comes into the
local community from around the world via global, national and regional networks. The
local infrastructure is built, connected and operated by internet and
telecommunications companies that own the physical wires to each household. This
started with telephone companies, which deployed twisted-pair copper telephone lines.
The second wire came from television companies in the form of coaxial cable. Later
satellite and wireless phone companies provided video and voice, with more flexibility
to mobile and remote devices using radio waves. Beginning in the mid-1990s these
companies repurposed their infrastructures to connect to the internet and carry digital
content.
Figure 1-1. How Fiber Connects Communities
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Infrastructure built on the older technologies described above is aging and results in
slower, less reliable access to content. Capacity limits of this infrastructure of the
infrastructure limit service providers’ ability to reliably provide high speeds, and in
turn, the amount of data consumers can use is also limited. Fiber provides the robust
infrastructure that connect telephone, cable, and internet infrastructure between
communities and around the world. It was originally used by telecommunications for
their core infrastructure, to connect their major switching centers, and was only
available to their biggest corporate and institutional customers. Today, fiber-optic
networks serve homes and businesses throughout the world providing telephone and
television as well as internet access services.
With fiber-optic broadband networks, speeds in the billions of bits per second range
are possible. The fiber-optic network today operates at nearly 300 Terabits per second,
which is so fast that a single fiber could carry all the traffic on the internet. More
commonly, fiber-optic networks provide between 100 Mbps and 10 Gbps to users.
Fiber-optic networks can be designed to be highly reliable as well as fast. Fiber-optics
are used extensively by major corporations and institutions and are beginning to be at
the core of every telecom company’s network.
Figure 1-2 illustrates the relative difference between common internet connection
methods, comparing access technologies from basic dial-up service through DSL, cable,
and fiber. Whereas traditional broadband technologies have an upper limit of 300
Mbps, next-generation broadband that utilizes fiber-optic connections surpasses these
limitations and can provide data throughputs of 1 Gbps and greater.
Figure 1-2. Physical Bandwidth Capacity Comparisons
Dial-Up – 56Kbps
• Legacy Technology
• Shared Technology
ADSL – 10Mbps
• First Generation of DSL
• Shared Technology
ADSL2 – 24Mbps
• Second Generation DSL
• Shared Technology
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Cable – 150Mbps
• Data Over Cable (DOCSIS 3.0)
• Shared Technology
Next Generation Fiber – 1Gbps
• Passive Optical, Active Ethernet
• Shared and Dedicated Technology
5G and Fiber Dependency
Fourth Generation or “4G” mobile wireless technology has been widely available for
many years. Now “5G”, the latest generation, is emerging, with forecasted commercial
availability in 2021 and an increased maturity of the network in 2035. These new
networks are designed to provide increased efficiencies while decreasing latency and
are anticipated to improve the performance of connected devices, including the IoT
and network architectures with an emphasis on massive multiple input multiple output
technologies (MIMO) and device-to-device (D2D) communications such as autonomous
vehicles, healthcare technologies (such as blood glucose monitoring), and ultra-high-
definition video.
5G networks operate multiple frequencies in three bands using millimeter
w avelengths—the highest of which is anticipated to offer download/upload speeds of 1
Gbps. The speed and range the consumer gets depends on a variety of factors,
including what spectrum is being used by the service provider:
Low-band frequencies work well across long distances and in rural areas;
speeds are greater than 4G but slower than other 5G frequencies.
Mid-band frequencies are currently sought after since they permit greater
speeds while covering relatively large areas.
High-band frequencies provide the fastest speeds but in more limited
circumstances such as close to the antenna and in areas without physical
obstructions (i.e., windows, buildings, walls). Thus high-band will work well in
dense areas where antennas can be placed every few hundred feet. This
spectrum delivers the high speeds that are commonly associated with 5G when
the subject comes up.
It is therefore likely that 5G networking will be a combination of low, mid, and
high-band frequencies.
Also, obtaining 5G service requires using a 5G-ready device, of which at present
there are only a handful (though the number is growing).
5G networks are distinguished from the present 4G technology by use of low power
transmitters with a coverage radius of approximately 400 feet; 5G thus requires the
use of wireless technology for maximum usability, meaning close spacing and
increased numbers of antennas. These 5G antennas must be connected to and
backhauled via fiber due to the vast amounts of data being transmitted and the high
speed required to provide low latency and reliability. Therefore, we consider 5G
wireless and fiber optics to be complementary, rather than competing technologies.
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Figure 1-3. Diagram of 5G Infrastructure 2
A recent study and report by Deloitte noted that “Deep deployment of fiber optics into
our nation’s network infrastructure might not be as glamorous as the eagerly
anticipated launch of fifth-generation mobile networks (5G); however, it is just as
important—if not more so. In fact, 5G relies heavily on fiber and will likely fall far short
of its potential unless the United States significantly increases its deep fiber
investments.”3 The study estimates that the US will need to invest $130 - $150 billion
in the next 5-7 years in fiber infrastructure in order to support the roll out of next
generation wireless.
1.2 BROADBAND & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Across the board, industries increasingly rely upon transmitting and receiving large
amounts of data and the internet to operate and thrive. Consequently, the availability
and affordability of broadband has become a driver for decisions about where
companies locate their headquarters, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and
satellite locations.
To attract and retain these industries, infrastructure that supports a competitive
environment for affordable, reliable, redundant broadband services must be readily
available in areas where office, technology, and industrial parks and other major
commercial developments exist today or are being planned and built. In some cases,
l ocal governments have taken it upon themselves to ensure that this infrastructure
exists so they can continue to drive economic investment in their regions. This includes
2 http://www.emfexplained.info/?ID=25916
3 https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consulting/articles/communications-infrastructure-upgrade-deep-fiber-
imperative.html
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working with residential developers for the delivery of fiber-to-the-home for support of
home-based businesses, telemedicine, aging in place, public safety, and emergency
response. Other benefits include managing the energy grid and increasing housing and
property values for the high-tech jobs needed to support economic growth supported
by the internet.
Although it would be misleading to imply that the availability (or lack thereof) of
broadband is the only factor by which businesses decide their locations, many
companies do consider a lack of affordable, reliable broadband a major barrier to
entry. In locations such as Santa Monica, California, major employers have been
dissuaded from relocating because the local government was able to offer an
alternative cost-efficient broadband service. Following in this effort, cities and counties
across the country are implementing fiber and wireless networks for economic
development and quality of life. These include Fort Collins, CO, Centennial, CO,
Inglewood, CA, Culver City, CA, Santa Clarita, CA, Oxnard, CA, Ventura, CA, Paso
Robles, CA, San Luis Obispo, CA, San Leandro, CA, Carlsbad, CA, Chattanooga, TN and
hundreds more throughout the country.
1.3 ENHANCING PUBLIC SERVICES
The private sector is not the only major consumer of broadband. As technology
becomes more integrated into daily life, government operations have also become
increasingly reliant on transmitting and receiving large amounts of data via broadband
internet connections. These networks are becoming increasingly important to cope with
the rapid growth in connected devices, from utility assets, to streetlights, to traffic
signals, to surveillance cameras, combining “Smart City” technologies to create Smart
Regions of interconnected infrastructure that allow governments to be more efficient,
reducing costs and increasing the value they deliver to their constituents.
In addition to using internet connections for communications for field staff, the
burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) enables municipal applications that can promote
citizen engagement and government innovation. These improvements can foster
efficiency and innovation across a variety of community services including public
safety, sustainability and energy efficiency, recreation, intelligent transportation, traffic
and parking, and environmental monitoring.
Smart cities, towns, and municipalities capitalize on internet enabled smart IoT devices
to make their organizations more efficient and effective while gathering data from
devices to make better informed decisions regarding operations. The opportunities
range from connected Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks,
electric grids, traffic cameras and signalization systems, smart light pole grids for
monitoring and control, people sensors, vehicle sensors, smart trash cans, smart park
benches, smart parking and wayfinding, smart irrigation systems, IoT systems within
buildings for energy management, and access control systems, can all enable more
responsive crowd management along with dynamic planning for public safety
responses.
1.4 REDUCING MUNICIPAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPENDING
Many cities invest in advanced communications (broadband) infrastructure not only to
enhance local internet services, but also to support their own operational needs and
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other public agencies, utilities, and transportation districts in their area. Investment in
fiber backbone infrastructure is generally utilized to provide a foundation for
broadband. This allows cities to allocate some of the costs of broadband to their own
purposes, which has a positive impact on the overall cost structure for deploying
broadband since local governments can realize a return on investment by offsetting the
monthly recurring fees they currently pay for connectivity. The telecommunications
budget required for many of the applications used in Smart City applications that are
enabled by broadband purchased through a third-party internet service provider will
continue to grow as the need for bandwidth and the number of sensors and internet
enabled devices increases. Owning the infrastructure within a Smart Region allows
support for high-bandwidth connectivity without the need for increasing
telecommunications costs from commercial providers.
1.5 ADDRESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS
In addition to private and public organizations, broadband supports community needs
including telemedicine, aging in place, distance learning, and telecommuting. The
COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the long-term trend of digitalization of business
processes, the economy overall, and everyday life.
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating shifts and trends toward internet
technologies and business trials. Perhaps the obvious example is the boom in Zoom
meetings, but there are many other trends developing or accelerating as well,
including an increase in remote telework and distance learning. The proportion of
companies ramping up globally on automation technologies will at least double over
the next two years, according to a Bain survey of nearly 800 executives.4 The Wall
Street Journal recently pointed out that
“The coronavirus pandemic is deepening a national digital
divide, amplifying gains for businesses that cater to customers
online, while businesses reliant on more traditional models fight
for survival. The process is accelerating shifts already under
way in parts of the US economy in ways that could last long
after the health crisis has passed…”5
From a community perspective, interconnection of billions of devices allows evolution
of smart cities, smart homes, smart schools, safer and autonomous vehicles, and a
safer, healthier, smarter place to live. From a business perspective, interconnection of
devices provides data previously unavailable to inform operations, enhance decision-
making and automate/innovate in the production process.
4 “Pandemic Speeds Up Corporate Investment in Automation”; The Wall Street Journal, April 9, 2020.
5 “Crisis Speeds Up Economy’s Shift”; The Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2020.
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2. Needs Assessment
2.1 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Historically, the City of Moorpark was a hub of Ventura County due to its location, the
presence of the freight railroad, and the intersection of two major automotive
thoroughfares (US Highway 101 and California State Road 23). Its population hovers
near 40,000 people, but approximately 87% of residents commute to locations outside
of the City for work. Current business license data indicates that there are around 650
businesses supporting approximately 8,500 jobs in Moorpark. The disparity between
available jobs and residents sets Moorpark up to be a bedroom community for
surrounding cities with larger economies including Los Angeles (about a half-hour’s
drive), Thousand Oaks (just to the south) and Simi Valley (just to the east).
The City seeks to change this. All City staff, including City Manager Troy Brown, as
well as councilmembers, want to encourage economic opportunities that will allow the
residents of Moorpark to work in the City that they call home. They rightly point out
that if the City can change the equation by bringing more jobs to Moorpark, both the
City’s economic outlook and quality of life are likely to improve. Specifically, attracting
high-paying tech-focused companies to Moorpark could go a long way toward reversing
the daytime exodus.
There is reason to be optimistic about these efforts. The City is already home to a few
tech-focused employers including Laritech, a printed circuit board assembly and design
company, and Aerovironment, a defense contractor producing unmanned aircraft,
which collectively employ about 1,500 people. There are also large employers in other
industries including defense contractor Ensign-Bickford and national home lender
Penny Mac. Moorpark College is also a large employer as well as a resource for training
the workers that such large firms seek.
Moorpark has several industrial parks that house these employers. While some of these
parks have decent connectivity, employers at other industrial parks struggle to obtain
cost-effective reliable broadband. Some of the large employers like Penny Mac have
built their own internet connections to meet their needs, but the cost of doing so
(upwards of $10,000) makes that option prohibitive for many local employers.
Councilmembers and staff report that there have been countless instances of
businesses considering a move to Moorpark only to change their minds and locate
elsewhere once they learn of the lack of connectivity. Some of the most pressing areas
to consider enhanced services include:
• A proposed location for an Amazon fulfillment facility at the corner of the 118
and Princeton Avenue. There are several heavy users of broadband in this area,
and the potential exists to bring in more if options for connectivity improve.
• The business park on the west side, including the location that a movie studio is
currently considering. Given the current environment of streaming
entertainment, such as studio would require a high level of bandwidth to
operate. There is also potential space for several smaller businesses to locate
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within the business park near the future site of the Hitch Ranch residential
neighborhood.
• The Patriot Center and Science Drive “triangle,” home to some emerging
businesses. This area is a relative broadband dead zone and, though there are
existing businesses in the area with potential to thrive, the limits of available
service have hindered new businesses considering occupying some of the vacant
space.
Tech Ecosystem
The proliferation of startups and the transition to a more digital economy has
increased interest in economic development through creating a tech ecosystem that
attracts tech-based companies and creates an environment for new ones. Supporting
start-ups, a tech workforce, investors, incubators, accelerators, and youth/adult tech
programs are key to the creation and nurturing of tech ecosystems within
communities, and access to broadband is a fundamental need.
Figure 2-1. Components of a Tech Ecosystem
The City of Moorpark is well suited to nurture and expand its tech ecosystem,
especially given its well-educated population and the resources that Moorpark College
and the High School at Moorpark College provide. The new Library and Civic Center
plans c ould allow for spaces dedicated to initiatives such as “hack-a-thons” or “maker
spaces”, which would be both engaging for the community and a boon to the economy.
To capitalize on growing the existing technology environment by nurturing start-ups
and attracting new tech-based businesses, however, additional options for high-speed
broadband are needed for both businesses and City facilities. As we will see in the
Market Analysis (Section 3) of this report and as anecdotal evidence collected by City
staff and Councilmembers suggests, the current broadband environment lacks
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investment, which would increase competition and investment, driving prices down;
this leaves many locations with insufficient bandwidth and higher prices.
New Mixed-Use Developments
To meet the housing guidelines designated by the State of California’s Regional
Housing Needs Allocation (“RHNA”) requirements, the City must update its General
Plan Housing Element to identify additional housing sites. Proposed development of
Hitch Ranch, to the west of the Civic Center, would add an additional 755 housing
units; however, t here is little space for the City to expand outward, so in many
locations, it must grow upward or introduce residential uses into new areas. Moorpark
will see an increasing number of mixed-use developments with multi dwelling unit
(“MDU”) housing on upper floors and retail, restaurants, and other businesses on the
lower floors. The City is currently reviewing its first mixed-use proposal, along the
Historic High Street downtown corridor, called High Street Depot.
As observed in other cities, residential developments could replace some of the strip
mall locations in the City, creating a more walkable community and bringing in
additional commercial space for small and medium-sized businesses that will support
the needs of the residents. It i s important that new developments such as these have
broadband connections to meet those needs and considerations for the necessary
infrastructure to be in place should be part of the planning process. We will further
expand on this in the Recommendations section of this report.
Historic High Street
One proposed location for the new MDUs is High Street, a historic corridor near the
Civic Center’s campus. High Street currently houses the High Street Arts Center, a
venue used for theater productions and other community events, as well as a small
number of cafes, restaurants, and retail stores. High Street Depot, a proposed MDU
project, is proposed to be placed along this corridor, and the City is already preparing
to accommodate more parking by paving a lot near that location. With the addition of
more housing and commercial space, the street could be transformed into a prime
location for economic activity, potentially transforming into a vibrant walkable
destination for not only occupants of the new MDUs in the area, but residents
throughout the City. Revitalizing such historic locations to become areas where
emerging tech-based small businesses meet old world charm has become a trend in
many cities. Broadband and its related technologies such as wi-fi are key to realizing
such transformations and could be instrumental in reimagining Moorpark’s downtown.
2.2 GOVERNMENT INNOVATION AND SMART CITY
The relatively small size of the City of Moorpark’s internal organization brings many
benefits to its community compared to larger organizations. The City has recognized
the importance of forging an intimate, positive relationship with its residents and
businesses and has had success in engaging the community to ensure needs are being
met. Under the guidance of City leadership, initiatives such as the #TellMeMoor social
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media campaign have been successful in soliciting feedback from the community to
improve the City’s responsiveness. Although the size of the staff is small, complaints
about issues such as graffiti can often be addressed in as little as one hour.
In addition to benefits, however, the relatively small size of the organization also has
constraints. As the residential population is poised to expand in relation to meeting the
state housing requirements, the City would be well-served to find ways that make
providing services to the community more efficient, enabling it to continue its lean
model of operations. Such efficiencies can be accomplished through a variety of
b roadband-enabled technologies.
Traffic Management
Due to the City’s location at the convergence of two state highways, State Highways
118 and 23, traffic congestion is perhaps the biggest pain point among the citizens of
Moorpark. The City does not currently have a traffic management center (“TMC”)6 and
only two locations (Spring at Tierra Rejada and Tierra Rejada at Miller Parkways)
currently have traffic cameras in place. These cameras are only used for detecting
vehicles at the signal, not for monitoring traffic flow, and the City has no plans to build
a TMC.
G ravel mining operations in surrounding areas bring truck traffic through the City,
particularly on Los A ngeles Avenue. Los Angeles is also a bypass alternative for
Highway 101 and the Conejo Grade and has potential to see heavy traffic when
closures occur. All of the signals along Los Angeles Avenue are owned and maintained
by Caltrans. Despite traffic signal programming efforts by that agency, the road is still
the subject of continuous complaints. The City would like to increase its ability to
communicate and coordinate with Caltrans about signal programming along this
corridor to alleviate some of the issues. Plans exist to widen Los Angeles Avenue to six
lanes from four between Spring and Moorpark and is considering replacing existing
copper lines with fiber.
Tierra Rejada Road is also an area of concern. The road is a bypass alternative in case
of closures on State Road 118, but the signals are not currently set up to manage
additional traffic when closures occur. The only synchronized signals along the road
are between Countrywood Drive and Spring Road. The City intends to eventually
synchronize all signals, but the project is not currently funded.
There are also plans to improve Princeton Avenue between Spring and Condor by
adding bike lanes and an island. This construction presents an opportunity to lay
conduit and/or fiber along this stretch, a crucial connection from the east to the
northern sections of the City and that would cross the 118 Freeway right-of-way.
6 A traffic management center is a central location or “mission control” for a City’s street and highway network at
which traffic signals, roads, and intersections are monitored and proactively managed. (Source: Texas A&M
Transportation Institute - https://mobility.tamu.edu/mip/strategies-pdfs/traffic-management/technical-
summary/traffic-management-centers-4-pg.pdf)
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The growth in residential areas within Moorpark is likely to compound traffic concerns
if left unresolved. Connecting traffic signals along these major corridors via fiber could
alleviate many of the issues.
Public Safety
Crime is quite low in Moorpark, so much so that the City has been ranked among the
safest in the US. The Moorpark Police Department is contracted through the Ventura
County Sheriff’s Office and, as officers of the organization point out, most calls they
respond to are for petty crimes such as vandalism.
Despite the low level of crime in Moorpark, public safety officials state that the
addition of cameras at the City’s seven ingress and egress routes could be beneficial to
preventing crime and solving those crimes more quickly. The most pivotal route is the
State Road 23 on ramps at Los Angeles Avenue. There are currently cameras in place
at the Metrolink station and the police station as well as an offline camera at the City’s
skatepark on Poindexter. The park has occasional issues with vandalism and vagrancy
at night, so installing a n operational camera there may be beneficial. Because
shoplifting is an issue at some of the large retail stores, officials indicate that the
Moorpark Marketplace shopping center would also be a good location for cameras or
license plate readers (“LPRs”) for crime solving purposes. The City currently does not
have any fixed LPRs in place.
Ventura County is currently engaged in talks with AT&T regarding FirstNet for
emergency communications. Moorpark itself has some need for emergency
management at large events such as the July 3 fireworks show at Arroyo Vista
Community Park. The event attracts about 12,000 people annually and, with only one
vehicular ingress and egress point in the park, a critical event would require
substantial communication capabilities. In the event of fires, a robust communications
system is also essential.
Within the last several years, wildfires have caused outages throughout the region,
and the City has relied on a backup AT&T DSL line providing maximum speeds of only
5 Mbps to operate the emergency operations center (“EOC”). Additional redundant
communications infrastructure could provide another option for such situations to
ensure that officials are able to communicate during such events. The EOC is currently
connected to City Hall using point to point with no redundant connection.
Additionally, Moorpark Police Department officials state that the wi-fi connections at
the station are relatively weak. Officers using laptops over wi-fi connections are
experiencing maximum speeds of just 12 Mbps and, with maximum speeds of 20 Mbps,
plugging directly into the modem is not much better.
Recreation and Community Services
The citizens of Moorpark value parks and community services such as the library. As
such, the City has continuously invested in recreation and community services, from
creating sprawling parks such as Arroyo Vista to planning for a new C ivic C enter that
caters to the needs of residents.
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Arroyo Vista Community Park
Arroyo Vista is the largest of Moorpark’s parks and offers an array of activities
including tennis courts, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and pavilions that are
available for the public to rent. Park goers can sign up to use these facilities using the
RecT rac application, which is currently undergoing upgrades. Arroyo Vista is also the
home of the Arroyo Vista Recreation Center, offering programs that include coding
classes, talent shows, festivals, sports leagues, summer camp, and even a preschool.
The park’s excellent facilities draw visitors from outside of Moorpark on a regular
basis. Events such as the fireworks on July 3 and regional sporting events including
soccer and baseball tournaments bring in spectators from across Ventura County and
the region. The City’s Parks and Recreation D epartment has also implemented some
additional innovative community events; Arroyo Vista recently hosted its first highly
successful community concert, and staff is planning for at least three more of these
events in the coming year. The gym at Arroyo Vista is also a designated Red Cross
Shelter site in the event of emergencies. Arroyo Vista has also been historically used
as a staging site for firefighters during large wildfire events in the region.
With all this activity occurring at Arroyo Vista, the park would benefit from robust
broadband connections in a variety of ways. Although there are currently some CCTV
cameras in place, they are outdated and lack storage space. Implementing a new
camera system in the park could help to reassure league managers who store
equipment at the facilities or who make use of the concessions stands during events.
Blanketed public wi-fi across the park would support the use of the RecT rac application
for renting facilities, point of sale technologies at the concessions stands, and live
streaming events such as sports tournaments and concerts by both visitors and Parks
and Rec staff. Critically, due to the gym’s designation as a Red Cross Shelter site,
broadband should also be available to support communications during emergencies.
Library and Civic Center
The Moorpark City Library is very popular with the community and has been for many
years. Its computers see heavy use, and it offers services such as tutoring programs,
children’s workstations, and printing services. Plans are currently being drawn for a
new library, just around the corner from the current location, and the City envisions
enhancing the already popular facilities. Among the design ideas are considerations for
a “maker space”, more dedicated meeting rooms for home-based small business
owners, and a wi-fi enabled laptop vending machine. These ambitious offerings tie
nicely into the City’s desire to enhance its tech ecosystem and, due to the library’s
location as a “bookend” to High Street, it could become a vibrant home for new Smart
City applications. The library currently has a 100 Mbps connection via CENIC, which it
will likely transition to the new location for its broadband needs. CENIC is limited to
educational purposes and cannot be used by municipal or commercial organizations, so
this network is not a viable option for connecting City facilities or telecommunications
providers’ networks.
The Civic Center, next door to the library, houses all City departments. Once the new
library is completed, the Civic Center will move into the old library’s building. Although
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the Center currently offers public wi-fi, the connections are relatively slow and use
access points that are ten- to fifteen-year old technology. The City’s Active Adult
Center, on the Civic Center campus, has a computer lab, and staff are currently looking
into grant funding to upgrade it. Community events such as dance recitals also take
place in the designated Council C hambers are not currently broadcast, but with more
robust connections, the City may consider offering that option in the future. Magellan
will be providing recommendations and guidance about broadband considerations for
the new Civic Center design throughout this project.
Internal City Telecommunications Needs
The City’s internal telecommunications needs are currently served by an I-net system
installed by Adelphia over twenty years ago under an agreement that has since been
transferred to Charter Spectrum.
Charter Spectrum owns most of the infrastructure, except for a small amount of fiber
on the Civic Center campus. The network contains 6- and 12-strand dark fiber, two
pairs of which are for use by the City, which pays Charter Spectrum approximately
$1,100 per month for a 100 M bps symmetrical connection. City Hall is the single point
of entry with a firewall managing all City traffic.
All City buildings are currently connected using point-to-point on a hub and spoke
design which lacks redundancy. The City installed Ubiquiti point-to-point wireless for
backup in a few locations:
• Link from City Hall to Arroyo Vista Community Park in case fiber gets cut. Simple
spanning tree design.
• Link from City to High Street Arts Center that is used for public wi-fi. The
c onnection is about 100/7 Mbps but the equipment is so old, it doesn’t support
that; actual speeds are about 50/3.
• Backup connectivity between three buildings near the Police Department s et up
as a redundant link between them in case the fiber link fails.
The Police Department serves as the disaster recovery center and also houses the
Emergency Operations Center, which is directly connected to City Hall using two 1G b
Charter Spectrum-owned links.
The City also has a back-up DSL 1.5 or 5 Mbps connection through AT&T. That
connection is used for the EOC and was the only thing that worked when fires caused
outages in the past.
Buildings are access controlled, all of which is managed by Information Services except
for the Police Department, which manages its own access controls. The City uses some
VOIP connections but has not yet planned a full migration and currently operates on a
hybrid phone system. Plans are also currently in the works to implement EnerGov and
Office 365.
Magellan reviewed the contract between Spectrum/Charter and the City as a part of
this engagement, which allows the City to use eight strands of Spect rum/Charter’s
fiber for connections between Moorpark’s current City Hall, the Ruben Castro Human
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Services Center, Moorpark Police Services Center, and the Moorpark Public Services
Facility. The agreement will span a three year term, with the City paying
Spectrum/Charter $2,000 per month for this conne ction. Magellan advised the City to
enter into this agreement with Spectrum/Charter to meet the City’s communications
needs over the coming years as Moorpark incrementally builds its own connections.
The agreement was finalized in May 2020.
2.3 CONCLUSIONS
Priorities for connectivity include:
1. All City facilities, including Arroyo Vista Community Park and, less crucially, the
skate park, with the new Civic Center site as a potential City hub site and Meet
Me Room for connecting service providers to the City’s fiber infrastructure.
2. All three major business parks: Patriot Center/Science Drive, Princeton
Industrial Area, and the business park near Hitch Ranch, as well as a fourth
emerging industrial area on Zachary Street near the current location of Enegren
Brewery.
3. Traffic signals on major thoroughfares: Los Angeles Avenue, Spring Road, and
Tierra Rejada.
4. High Street between Moorpark Avenue and Spring Road.
5. Future movie studio site on the western end of Los Angeles Avenue.
6. Consideration of 5G readiness for these facilities and districts, including
planning guidelines.
3. Analysis of the Current Broadband
Market & Infrastructure
To analyze the current broadband market and availability of infrastructure in Moorpark,
a variety of sources were consulted including data reported to the FCC by incumbent
providers, advertised offerings as quoted by the providers’ websites, and a database of
nationwide fiber assets, which provides maps of some existing fiber assets in the area.
In addition to the sources, Magellan’s team conducted outreach to incumbent
providers’ sales teams to analyze the availability and pricing of commercial internet
services at six (6) business addresses in various parts of the City. A survey was also
conducted among Moorpark’s business to gather geographically specific data about
broadband subscription.
Based on this research, Magellan concludes that, while most businesses in Moorpark
have access to broadband, many locations have only one choice of provider.
Additionally, although broadband connections are widely available in the City’s eastern
and western business parks, the central business park in the area of Science Drive and
Patriot Drive has only sparse availability of broadband.
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In general, the availability of fiber-based broadband is sporadic, as some larger
companies have paid for private connections through AT&T. However, smaller
businesses are left with few options for service and surveyed businesses cited a need
for more competition through all areas of Moorpark.
3.1 BUSINESS BROADBAND AVAILABILITY
T he major internet service providers for businesses in Moorpark are Spectrum/Charter
and AT&T. Spectrum is the major cable provider in Moorpark, with 97.3% availability
throughout the City, consisting of primarily cable infrastructure. AT&T has DSL
covering 91% of the market, as well as some fiber.7
To gain an understanding of offerings from AT&T and Spectrum/C harter, seven
business address locations across various commercial locations in Moorpark were
selected to investigate coverage options. Each business location was researched for
availability and service options at that location. Below is a map of the locations.
Figure 3-1 . Commercial Addresses Selected for Analysis
Spectrum and AT&T are the main providers in the Moorpark market. However, despite
being the primary incumbent provider in Moorpark, Spectrum/Charter only covered two
of the seven addresses selected. AT&T listed coverage in six of the seven locations but
most were DSL service; AT&T offered fiber at only one location. One location, 609
Science Drive, did not have service from either provider. Below is a table of the
offerings from Spectrum and AT&T.
7 Source: BroadbandNow.com
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Table 3-1 . Summary of Commercial Service Offering Analysis
Addres s Location Provider Service Tier Type
865 Patriot Drive Central AT&T 1000/200 mb
$300.00/month
12 Mo Promotion
Fiber
Spectrum No Coverage
609 Science Drive Central AT&T No Coverage
Spectrum No Coverage
6000 Condor Drive Eastern AT&T 1.5 Mbps $49.99/month
12 Mo Promotion, 1 TB
Cap
DSL
Spectrum No Coverage
14501 Princeton
Avenue
Eastern AT&T 3 Mbps $40.00/month
12 Mo Promotion, 1 TB
Cap
DSL
Spectrum 200 Mbps $49.99/month
400 Mbps $69.99/month
940 Mbps $109.99/month
All are 12 Mo Promotional
Cable
444 Zachary Street Central AT&T 3 Mbps $40.00/month
12 Mo Promotion, 1 TB
Cap
DSL
Spectrum No Coverage
5360 N Commerce
Avenue Unit B
Western AT&T 5 Mbps $40.00/month
12 Mo Promotion, 1 TB
Cap
DSL
Spectrum No Coverage
5150 Goldman
Avenue
Western AT&T 3 Mbps $40.00/month
12 Mo Promotion, 1 TB
Cap
DSL- Yes
Spectrum 200 Mbps $49.99/month
400 Mbps $69.99/month
940 Mbps $109.99/month
All are 12 Mo Promotional
Cable-No
3.2 FIBER LOCATIONS IN MOORPARK MARKET
Moorpark has several providers of fiber in the market area, including both long-haul
routes that connect Moorpark to a national fiber network and more localized metro
routes that connect different parts of the Moorpark m arket to the l ong-haul networks.
Long-Haul Routes
Long-haul fiber networks carry data to internet points of presence over long distances,
but do not provide local connections. Such fiber runs through many communities such
a Moorpark, often along railway or major highway alignments, but because these
networks have no local connections, they do not offer services to the community.
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Moorpark has 6 long-haul providers that run mainly along the railroad that passes
east-west through the center of town. As displayed in the figure below, Hudson Fiber
(Orange) and Level 3 (Pink) are built into the center of town while the other providers
stay on the rail path. There is ample capacity to provide service to the Moorpark
community.
Figure 3-2 . Long-Haul Fiber Routes in Moorpark 8
Metro Routes
Metro fiber networks consist of local connections that serve business, residential, or
government customers. Unlike long-haul fiber, this infrastructure is capable of serving
the community by providing connectivity to end users.
The m etro routes are provided by four vendors. Crown Castle and Edison Carrier
S olutions are the major providers of metro routes. Crown Castle (black) has major
east-west locations while Edison covers a large north-south area. Both transit the
downtown business park areas. The other two providers, Level 3 and TPX, only have
routes along the rail alignment, which don’t appear to serve any of Moorpark’s
business parks or major commercial areas.
Figure 3-3 . Metro Fiber Routes in Moorpark 9
8 Source: FiberLocator, accessed March 2020.
9 Source: FiberLocator, accessed March 2020.
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Edison Carrier Solutions (ECS) has a large fiber network connecting many cities in the
Los Angeles are and all over California. ECS was contacted concerning providing
dedicated internet service to the 6 business locations. The 444 Zachary St location was
s ingled out for quotes. An ECS representative declined to give rough estimate quotes
saying they would be “too expensive”.
Crown Castle Fiber is a large nationwide provider of dark and lit fiber. They also
provide symmetrical, dedicated fiber internet access service to government and
businesses. Magellan contacted Crown Castle Fiber and asked for estimated quotes for
service rates and installation costs for dedicated internet access to the 6 business
addresses. Rates quotes were for symmetrical, dedicated fiber services and were
around $1,000/month for 100 Mbps, $2,000/month for 1 Gbps and closer to
$6,500/month for 10 Gbps. Crown Castle provided specific quotes for 444 Zachary St
and 965 Patriot Drive. For the Zachary St location, the rate would be around $1,800
per month over 36 months for 1Gbps. F or Patriot Dr, it would be around $2,200 per
month.
Installation costs were included in the monthly totals quoted for the 3-year contract.
Again, these are informal quotes produced quickly, so they may change when formal
quotes are requested.
Crown Castle does have fiber within 2000 feet of the locations in the western and
eastern business park.
The fiber database also shows which buildings have “lit” fiber and who the provider is.
AT&T lists many buildings in Moorpark that have lit fiber. AT&T provides a database of
lit buildings but does not share its fiber routes. Crown Castle Fiber does provide fiber
routes and “lit” buildings. Below is a map of the lit buildings in Moorpark area. Over
97% have AT&T listed as the fiber provider.
Figure 3-4 . Lit Buildings in Moorpark
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Based upon this information and the results of our outreach to providers, it can be
concluded that AT&T does have some fiber in Moorpark, but that many of its
connections to these lit buildings may be to just one large business that has paid to
build a connection. While these connectivity options may work for such large entities,
the cost for such a connection is likely too expensive for small- to medium-sized
businesses to take on.
3.3 BUSINESS BROADBAND SURVEY
To better understand the current and future broadband needs of businesses in
Moorpark, Magellan and the City administered a short survey that was distributed to
businesses throughout Moorpark. City staff conducted outreach to promote the survey
among a predetermined list that included businesses with five or more employees
whose industries indicated that they would be likely to be users of broadband.
Questions gathered information about a few key insights including broadband
adoption, reason for not having broadband (if applicable), service subscription types,
performance, and satisfaction.
The survey was open for approximately six weeks and resulted in a total of 49
responses from businesses across the City. While all responses to each of the survey’s
questions were captured and analyzed, respondents were not required to provide
answers for all questions. An analysis of the responses received for each question
follows.
Respondents’ Industries and Locations
The survey received a relatively diverse sample in terms of the locations and industry
sectors of businesses that responded. The top three sectors, as shown in the figure
below, were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (20.4%), Health Care and
Social Assistance (18.4%), and Manufacturing (18.4%), all of which are industries
likely to be heavy users of broadband due to their operational practices.
The survey results include responses from all three of Moorpark’s commercial areas
including the business parks in the eastern, central, and western parts of the City, as
well as home-based businesses and other locations that fall outside of these main
commercial zones. Businesses located in the central and western business parks make
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up the majority of responses (15 and 13 respondents respectively), but other areas
were also well represented.
Broadband Adoption
Most of the respondents (93.9%) indicated that they have broadband connections at
their locations. All three of the responses that indicated they do NOT have broadband
connections and could only connect to internet via cell phone, dial-up, or satellite were
located in the central commercial area of the City near Science Drive and the Patriot
Commerce Center. None of these three respondents identified or ranked factors for not
having broadband connections.
Table 3-2 . Total Responses and Broadband Adoption by Location
Eastern Central Western Home-based Other
Total Responses 6 15 13 8 6
Yes, this location has
broadband.
6 12 13 8 6
No Broadband 0 3 0 0 0
Service Subscription
Overall, most respondents subscribed to services from AT&T, with Spectrum as the
second most frequent response provided. Two respondents reported subscribing to
services from other providers, although only one wrote in a response (“Site Server”10).
Just one respondent indicated subscribing to services from TPX.
Figure 3-5 . Service Providers (n = 37)
Based on survey responses, AT&T and Charter/Spectrum appear to have a presence in
all three of the major commercial areas, as well as among home businesses and other
10 Site Server is a Simi Valley-based small, independent internet service provider (ISP)
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business locations that fall outside of the large business parks. The table below details
service providers and connection types of respondent by their location in the City.
Table 3-3 . Provider by Location (n = 47)
Provider Eastern Central Western Home-
based
Other
AT&T 2 11 5 4 0
Charter/Spectrum 2 1 3 4 2
Other - Write in 0 1 1 0 0
TPX 0 0 1 0 0
Fiber and cable were reported as the most widespread types of connection, each with
ten respondents. Eight respondents were unsure of their connection type, three had
dedicated lines, and two had fixed wireless connections. None indicated that they had
DSL.
Based on the figure below, it appears that fiber connections were present in all three
business parks. Adoption of fiber was highest in the western business park, where five
of 13 respondents indicated they have fiber connections. Only one of the two
respondents outside of the three business parks indicated having a fiber connection,
and none of the home-based responses had fiber.
Table 3-4 . Connection Type by Location (n = 38)
Connection Type Eastern Central Western Home-
based
Other
Don't know or not sure 3 1 1 3 0
Fiber-optic cable 1 3 5 0 1
Coaxial cable 0 2 3 4 1
Fixed wireless antenna 0 0 1 1 0
DSL 0 4 0 0 0
Dedicated line or enterprise network
(T-1 or similar, Metro Ethernet, etc.)
0 3 0 0 0
Of these ten fiber connections, eight were AT&T fiber and one was TPX; the other
respondent did not provide information about which company provided service. AT&T
fiber subscriptions occurred in all three business parks, and the single TPX subscriber
was located in the western business park. There was also a single respondent outside
of the three business parks that reported having a fiber connection from
Charter/Spectrum.
Table 3-5 . Reported Fiber Connections in Business Parks
Eastern Central Western
AT&T Fiber 1 3 4
TPX Fiber 0 0 1
It should be noted that based on the speed test results of these survey responses,
Magellan concludes that some respondents may have mistakenly chosen fiber as their
connection type. More details on this conclusion are provided below.
Performance
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To gain more insight into how respondents’ connections were performing, the survey
contained an imbedded speed test. Respondents provided their contracted speeds for
comparison to actual speeds. As shown in the table below, actual speeds were far
lower than contracted speeds.
Table 3-6 . Contracted and Actual Speeds (mb/s) (n = 35)
Contracted
Download
Actual
Download
Contracted Upload Actual
Upload
Maximum 500 325.29 500 111
Minimum 10 2.64 1 1.05
Average 114.8 71.15 79.63 25.24
These data also reveal that although several respondents indicated having fiber
connections, they are not seeing speeds that are congruent with dedicated fiber
connectivity. Business class fiber speeds provide speeds of up to 1GB, far outpacing
the average speeds of survey respondents. S ymmetrical speeds of 1GB should be a
target for providing a broadband environment to support technology-heavy industry.
Magellan further analyzed the data by focusing on responses that indicated having
fiber connections to determine whether the actual speeds confirmed this. Across all
responses indicating fiber connections, speeds are much lower than would be typically
expected. This discrepancy may be the result of respondents taking the speed test on
connections over wi-fi rather than directly connecting to the modem. Observed speeds
will decrease quickly with distance on wi-fi networks. In some cases, the issue may
also be that the respondent mistakenly indicated having a fiber connection when in
fact the connection was via a different, slower technology.
Satisfaction
Overall, respondents were nearly evenly split on their levels of satisfaction with
service. The biggest points of dissatisfaction appear to be choice of providers &
offerings and performance & speed. Technical support & customer service, reliability,
a nd price all received relatively high satisfaction level rankings.
Other Comments
Finally, respondents were asked to provide comments about what better broadband
would mean to their organization and the area. Some indicated that they are happy
with current offerings, but many stated a need for greater competition, faster speeds,
and lower costs. Below are a few comments from respondents. A complete list of
comments has been provided to the City.
Choices are limited. Faster speed is needed for VOIP phones and
security cameras. – Respondent #37
Faster and more reliable service. Introduction of competition typically
improves performance and price. – Respondent #46
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Having remote access to work is becoming more important to everyday
life and work, and therefore a better broadband would be better
quality of life. – Respondent #48
We are happy with our current offering. – Respondent #27
The location of our building required us to get the broadband from
AT&T. We could not get service from Time Warner [now
Charter/Spectrum] without extraordinarily high install costs. ($25,000)
– Respondent #15
3.4 GAP ANALYSIS
As noted from the price, rate, and availability charts above, the broadband service for
small and medium business in the three business parks as quoted by the providers
themselves is sparse, particularly in the central business park near Science Drive.
AT&T covered 6 of the 7 business addresses but only 1 was fiber and met the FCC
definition of broadband (minimum of 25 Mbps download / 3 Mbps upload).
Spectrum/Charter provided service at only 2 of the 7 locations but did quote speeds
that would meet FCC definition of broadband. Although Crown Castle could provide
dedicated service to the western and eastern business parks at around $2,000 per
month, costs are higher than most small or medium businesses may be able to pay.
T he eastern and western business parks seem to have access to broadband, but the
choice of providers is limited to one or two options. In the central business park near
Patriot Drive and Science Drive, broadband may not be available in all locations.
The availability of fiber is somewhat less conclusive as the speed test results do not
indicate widespread adoption of fiber. We surmise that AT&T fiber is available to
businesses in some of these areas, although the costs for installation are unclear. We
also know that Spectrum/Charter has fiber infrastructure in the region based on its
agreement with the City itself; however, the exact location of these assets are unclear
and offerings as quoted by the company’s sales team indicate that most of the
business parks are unserved by it.
The City of Moorpark has recently learned that AT&T is continuing to deploy fiber upon
request from businesses in the Patriot Drive area and the eastern business park.
However, the challenges of crossing major roadways and the on-demand nature of
these builds make it unlikely that fiber will be ubiquitously available among businesses
in the central business park.
Outside of these business parks, fiber is only available in select locations from two
fiber infrastructure owners, as shown in the fiber database maps. Additionally, while
larger businesses may have the means to pay for their own fiber connections, small to
medium sized businesses are likely priced out of that option.
Overall, competition and choice of providers are other concerns. AT&T seems to be the
only fiber-based broadband provider in many areas, and, although Charter/Spectrum is
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offering broadband speeds, the actual performance of these offerings may not be
enough to attract tech-focused businesses. Many comments from respondents reflect
the need for increasingly high speeds and performance as the economy continues to
digitize.
4. 5G Readiness and Broadband
Policies
4.1 5G DEPLOYMENT
Deployment of “5G” is distinguished from the present “4G” based wireless service by
use of low power transmitters with coverage radius of approximately 400 feet; 5G thus
requires closer spacing of antennas and more of them. Small cells bring the network
“closer” to wireless service users to deliver greatly increased data capacity, faster
connectivity speeds and an overall better wireless service; however, the density of
wireless attachments must be greater. As stated by the FCC,
The wireless industry is currently deploying and planning for additional
construction of large numbers of small cells – the number of these facilities is
expected to grow rapidly over the next decade. S&P Global Market Intelligence
estimates that between 100,000 and 150,000 small cells will be constructed by
the end of 2018, and that small cell deployments are expected to reach 455,000
by 2020 and nearly 800,000 by 2026. AT&T has reported that a substantial
majority of its infrastructure deployments over the next five years will be small
cell sites. In addition, Verizon is deploying small cells in several urban areas,
including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Sprint announced last
year a goal of deploying 70,000 small cells within two years.11
In the years following this FCC pronouncement all wireless providers did indeed begin
deploy ment of 5G (during 2019), and the deployment continues in the US with three
wireless carriers (given the recent merger of T-Mobile and Sprint) but perhaps at a
reduced pace given financial and business impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, both AT&T and T-Mobile are on target to offer “nationwide” 5G using low-
band spectrum by mid-year.12
Just as in other cities, in the City of Moorpark, requests to encroach on public rights-
of-way and attach small cell antennas to City-owned streetlights, for example, will be
accompanied by requests to place fiber optic cable for backhaul and network
11 Streamlining Deployment of Small Cell Infrastructure by Improving Wireless Facilities Siting Policies; Mobilitie,
LLC Petition for Declaratory Ruling, WT Docket No. 16-421, Public Notice, 31 FCC Record 13360, December 22, 2016,
at page 3-4 (citations omitted). (“Improving Wireless Facilities Siting Policies Public Notice”).
12 AT&T “plans to reach nationwide coverage this summer” (2020).
https://about.att.com/newsroom/2020/5g_announcements.html (viewed on May 27, 2020). “T-Mobile has launched
nationwide 5G: Here is what that means.” https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/03/tech/tmobile-5g/index.html (viewed
on May 27, 2020). See also, “What is 5G? The definitive guide to the 5G network rollout”;
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/5g-release-date,review-5063.html (viewed on May 27, 2020).
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connection, whether via boring, trenching, or other placement technique. The City
needs to have appropriate administrative practices and policies in place to address
these requests for encroachment permits and placement of antennas on City-owned
structures when they come. In addition, the City may consider policy steps such that
the City benefits from future fiber deployments in the public rights-of-way.
4.2 FEDERAL AND STATE BROADBAND POLICY ENVIRONMENT
Federal Policy
The placement of wireless facilities is governed by an interrelated legal framework
characterized by shared jurisdiction between state (e.g., the California Public Utilities
Commission) and federal authorities (the Federal Communications Commission, or
FCC).13 But in the past two decades the Federal Communications Commission (and
Congress) has preempted the authority of state and local jurisdictions, most recently in
its “Small Cell Order”.14 The FCC’s Small Cell Order (currently under appeal in the
Ninth Circuit) limits local authority in many areas include fees (most notably the annual
fee limit of $270 per pole), requirements and criteria that may be used, time frames,
and provisions of state laws where the FCC claims the ability to preempt local
authority. The Order permits fees only to the extent they are non-discriminatory (“no
higher than the fees charged to similarly-situated competitors in similar situations”),
and are a “reasonable approximation” the government entity’s “objectively reasonable
costs” specifically related to the deployment.15
The Order sets out fee levels which are “presumptively reasonable” are $270 per small
wireless facility per year, $500 application fee for up to five facilities, plus $100 for
each facility beyond five.16 Higher fees can be charged if the state or local government
entity can show the higher fees are a reasonable approximation of cost and the costs
themselves are reasonable and being assessed in an non-discriminatory manner.17
Beyond fees, the Small Cell Order also addressed state and local requirements in the
areas of aesthetic requirements, undergrounding requirements, and minimum spacing
requirements using the “materially inhibits” standard created by the FCC in its Small
Cell Order. According to the Order, these requirements are not federally preempted if
they are 1) reasonable, 2) no more burdensome than those applied to other types of
infrastructure deployments, and 3) objective and published in advance. This leaves
open the specter of federal preemption of local authority in these and other areas.
13 The following discussion does not constitute a legal opinion and should not be construed as such. Questions
about interpretation or applicability of these or other provisions of federal or California law should be referred to legal
counsel.
14 Declaratory Ruling and Third Report and Order; In the Matter of Accelerating Wireless Broadband Deployment
by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment; WT Docket No. 17-79; In the Matter of Accelerating Wireline
Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to infrastructure Investment; WC Docket No. 17-84; Released by the
Federal Communications Commission, September 27, 2018. (“Small Cell Order” or “Order”.)
15 Small Cell Order, at paragraph 50.
16 Id., at paragraphs 78-79.
17 Id., at paragraph 80.
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The Small Cell Order is under broadscale legal challenge in the Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals at present. Among the challenges is that the FCC had no basis for the $270
per pole limit which would make it arbitrary and capricious, and that the FCC wrongly
infringed on local authority over placement of wireless facilities. But pending those
appeals the Order is enforceable. Many cities have chosen in the meantime not to take
new actions that are in significant contradiction of the FCC Order. Other cities have
chosen to recognize that the FCC’s Small Cell Order is under appeal and not in effect,
and either set fees/terms and conditions as they would have otherwise, and/or
incorporated provisions in ordinances and agreements that have “change of law
provisions” with the current appeal in mind. Such “change of law provisions” allow
changes to fees (i.e., the FCC annual fee “limit” of $270 per pole), agreements and
other regulations in the event the FCC Order is substantially upheld. (Moorpark Council
had approved $270 annual pole attachment fee in mid-2019.)
The FCC recently made another ruling which attempts to preempt local authority
regarding placement of wireless facilities. The FCC issued a Declaratory Ruling 18 on
June 10, 2020, which also has been (or will be) appealed by numerous parties
including state and local government organizations and entities. In particular, the
League of California Cities, the League of Oregon Cities, and the cities of Glendora,
Rancho Palos Verdes and Torrance in California were among those appealing the FCC
preemption almost immediately (on June 22nd). Among other things the Declaratory
Ruling purports to “clarify” existing FCC rules originally adopted in 2014 to implement
the Spectrum Act. The cities challenge the FCC’s ruling on the basis that it violates
federal requirements for rulemakings, and is arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of
discretion in seeking to change existing FCC rules regarding applicability of “eligible
facilities requests” (below).
Prior to the Small Cell Order, the “Spectrum Act” enacted by Congress in 2012 19 added
new requirements and directives to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for
processing and approval of wireless deployments. Following the Spectrum Act, the
FCC issued new regulations to interpret and implement the Section 6409(a)
requirements and directives of the Act related to local authorities processing of
applications for wireless communications facilities. In brief, the Act tightens the
application of “shot clock” timelines, and requires local jurisdictions to approve certain
collocations and modifications to existing wireless communications facilities under
shortened explicit deadlines, if it is an “eligible facilities request” – any request for
modification of an existing tower or base station that does not substantially change the
physical dimensions of such tower or base station, involving (1) collocation of new
transmission equipment; (2) removal of transmission equipment; or (3) replacement of
transmission equipment. The new FCC regulations established defined standards for
18 In the Matter of Implementation of State and Local Governments’ Obligation to Approve Certain Wireless
Facility Modification Requests Under Section 6409(a) of the Spectrum Act of 2012, WT Docket No. 19-250 and RM-
11849, FCC 20-75 (released Jun. 10, 2020)
19 See Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Pub. L. No. 112-96, 126 Stat. 156, § 6409(a) (2012)
(“Spectrum Act”), codified at 47 U.S.C. § 1455(a).
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what for “substantial change” and implemented the statutory changes to “shot clock”
regulations.
The basis for federal preemption is that Federal law allows cities and counties to
regulate the “placement, construction, and modification” of wireless communications
facilities but subject to certain limitations.20 Those limitations include:
City regulations may not “prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the provision
of personal wireless services”21;
City regulations may not “unreasonably discriminate among providers of
functionally equivalent services”22;
Any denial of an application to place, construct, or modify a personal wireless
facility must be based on “substantial evidence contained in a written record”23;
and,
City regulations may not “regulate the placement, construction, and modification
of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects
of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with the
Commission's regulations concerning such emissions.”24
Also, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has regulatory jurisdiction over
transmission of radio frequencies (RF), since the 1996 Telecommunications Act
preempted local regulation of RF safety standards in favor of a uniform national RF
safety standard under FCC jurisdiction.25 “The FCC’s limits for maximum permissible
exposure (MPE) to RF emissions depend on the frequency or frequencies that a person
is exposed to. Different frequencies may have different MPE levels.”26 Local authorities
can require compliance with FCC RF standards be demonstrated in evaluating 5G siting
applications. Applicants often make this demonstration part of the application package.
Local authorities may not however deny wireless communications facilities siting
applications based on RF emissions – Congress has preempted local authority on this
subject.
State and Local Policy
The urgency of state and local policy considerations for small wireless facilities stems
from the fact that many carriers consider streetlights and utility poles to be “ideal”
supporting structures for placement of small cell antennas and equipment. Cities and
counties often prefer installation of small cell wireless facilities on streetlights owned
by the local authority based on the positive visual qualities of these facilities when
built in conformance with design standards and guidelines, efficient use of assets and
20 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(A).
21 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(i)(I).
22 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(i)(II).
23 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii).
24 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iv).
25 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7).
26 A Local Government Official’s Guide to Transmitting Antenna RF Emission Safety: Rules, Procedures, and
Practical Guidance; Local and State Government Advisory Committee, Federal Communications Commission, June 2,
2000, at page 3.
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the public rights-of-way, as well as in support of Smart City initiatives as described
throughout this Plan.
Wireless providers are advocating for their preferred form of legislation in state
legislatures as well as at the federal level (especially the FCC), designed to preempt
and limit local authority over matters pertaining to small cell deployment. Specifically,
in California, SB 649 was presented to the State Legislature and passed the State
Senate and Assembly in September 2017. However, it was ultimately vetoed by
Governor Brown. The bill would have significantly reduced local authority over small
cell pole attachments in the public right-of-way, including aesthetics, safety and
revenue. Legislation on this subject has evidently paused while the FCC’s Small Cell
Order is being considered on appeal.
T o achieve a City-specific balance between local authority and federal preemption t he
City adopted a Small Wireless Facilities “Citywide Policy” provision in 2019 in its
Buildings and Construction Code (Section 15.44). This Code provision requires all
small wireless facilities to comply with the “Citywide Policy Regarding Permitting
Requirements and Development Standards for Small Wireless Facilities”. That
“Citywide Policy” was adopted in Resolution No. 2019-3800 and stated that
notwithstanding the FCC’s Small Cell Order, “local agencies retain the ability to
regulate the aesthetics of small wireless facilities, including location, compatibility with
surrounding facilities, spacing, and overall size of the facility, provided the aesthetic
requirements are: (i) "reasonable," i.e., "technically feasible and reasonably directed to
avoiding or remedying the intangible public harm or unsightly or out-of-character
deployments"; (ii) "objective," i.e., they "incorporate clearly-defined and ascertainable
standards, applied in a principled manner"; and (iii) published in advance.” Similarly,
the City also found that “local agencies also retain the ability to regulate small wireless
facilities in the public rights- of-way in order to more fully protect the public health
and safety, ensure continued quality of telecommunications services, and safeguard
the rights of consumers”.
Moorpark’s “Citywide Policy” was adopted in response to the FCC’s Small Cell Order in
April 2019 as a “means to accomplish such compliance (with the FCC’s Order) that can
be quickly amended or repealed in the future without the need to amend the City’s
municipal code.” As permitted by state and federal law, the Citywide Policy is intended
to:
establish reasonable, uniform, and comprehensive standards and
procedures for small wireless facilities deployment, construction,
installation, collocation, modification, operation, relocation and
removal within the City's territorial boundaries
while reflecting and promoting:
the community interest by (1) ensuring that the balance between
public and private interests is maintained; (2) protecting the City's
visual character from potential adverse impacts and/or visual
blight created or exacerbated by small wireless facilities and
related communications infrastructure; (3) protecting and
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preserving the City's environmental resources; (4) protecting and
preserving the City's public rights-of-way and municipal
infrastructure located within the City's public rights-of-way; and
(5) promoting access to high-quality, advanced wireless services
for the City' s residents, businesses and visitors.
The standards and procedures contained in this Policy are intended
to, and should be applied to, protect and promote public health,
safety and welfare, and balance the benefits from advanced
wireless services with local values, which include without limitation
the aesthetic character of the City.27
The Citywide Policy addresses all the requirements and conditions for deployment of
small cell wireless facilities on a detailed basis consistent with “best practices”
emerging in California as cities adopt wireless ordinances and small cell deployment
standards and guidelines. In particular, the Citywide Policy addresses:
1. The requirement for a Small Wireless Facilities Permit, and the Application
requirements for same;
2. Permit application submittal and completeness review process;
3. Required findings for approval;
4. Standard conditions including permit term and renewal, build out period, site
maintenance and landscaping, cost reimbursement, undergrounding and electric
meter upgrades;
5. Location requirements and preferences as an ordered hierarchy; and,
6. Design standards addressing concealment, antenna volume, noise, landscape
features, site security, signage, pole requirements, utility connections and
services, and setbacks.
4.3 POLICIES AND ACTIONS NEEDED FOR 5G DEPLOYMENT
Standards and Guidelines
An emerging best practice for management of small cell deployments by cities and
counties is the use of small cell design standards and guidelines. These Standards and
Guidelines are administered by the relevant Ci ty department (e.g., Public Works and/or
Community Development) under authority included in the wireless ordinance. This best
practice avoids embedding specific terms, guidelines and procedures in ordinances and
allows the City to be more flexible over time in how it administers wireless facilities
placement requirements and adapts to rapid change in technology.
Magellan Advisors provided sample Small Cell Deployment Standards and Guidelines
which have been recently adopted by other cities in California to illustrate the
approach to managing small cell deployments through such practices. The Citywide
Policy adopted by the City addresses most if not all of the subjects addressed in these
Small Cell Deployment Standards and Guidelines. S o the Citywide Policy would
27 Citywide Policy, Section 1.1.(b).
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transition very well to a policy document administered by Public Works at the point the
City was ready to make that transition.
Master License Agreement
Use of Master License Agreements (“MLA”) has emerged as a key practice for cities
and counties to deal with the large number of pole attachments that are associated
with 5G deployment. An MLA establishes the procedures, terms and conditions under
which licensees may request individual pole licenses. The MLA is a comprehensive
document that contains uniform terms and conditions applicable to all wireless facilities
installed on City-owned poles. Individual pole licenses identify the licensed pole and
contain detailed exhibits for the site plans, permits, fee schedules, insurance
documentation, and other materials that are unique to each site. When the Ci ty grants
a pole license, that pole license (together with all the plans, equipment specifications
and fee schedules) become integrated with the MLA.
Use of an MLA framework provides for a level playing field since the MLA format
remains essentially the same regardless of licensees. Each wireless service provider
executes a separate MLA with the Ci ty that entitles them to obtain pole licenses on a
first come, first- served basis for a specific time period. Thus, one set of rules is used
for all wireless service providers which in turn reduces the administrative burden on
the Ci ty and promotes a level playing field among competitive licensees.
The wireless service providers benefit from use of an MLA to license existing Ci ty–
owned infrastructure to install small cell facilities rather than bearing the time and cost
of negotiating individual pole licenses. This more streamlined process accelerates the
deployment of advanced wireless facilities. The Ci ty benefits from use of an MLA as
well by establishing more robust wireless broadband networks available to the Ci ty’s
residents and businesses, maintaining greater control over aesthetics and potential
liability from wireless facilities on Ci ty-owned poles, and earning license revenues
which help defray the costs of managing and administering access to the public rights-
of-way and recognize the value of attaching to City assets.
The City recognizes the importance of the MLA concept, and has been working on such
an agreement with AT&T. Development of an MLA is of heightened importance given
the City’s acquisition of 2,229 streetlights from Southern California Edison. Magellan
Advisors has provided the City with sample MLA drafts as refined and used by other
cities in California for its consideration.
The City is currently drafting an MLA template. At the request of the City, Mage llan
reviewed that draft “Municipal Facilities License Agreement” and compared it to other
MLAs in California with which Magellan is familiar. Magellan identified certain elements
in were missing or addressed differently, and the City has incorporated this feedback
into the ongoing negotiations. Specifically, Magellan found the following:
1. The definition of “municipal facilities” in the draft MLA is all-inclusive and
appears to include some structures that are commonly excluded from being
used for attachment of small cell antennas. Examples include:
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a. “traffic control structures” which many cities exclude from availability for
small cell attachment for safety reasons, and to preserve future
availability for the City’s own “Smart City” or other sensors;
b. Decorative poles;
c. Wood poles, except on a case-by-case basis;
d. A ny pole in an underground district where the Licensee does not propose
undergrounding all non-antenna equipment; or,
e. Any pole in or near a residential district or residential use.
2. The draft MLA at section 2.1 provides for automatic renewal upon expiration of
the initial term. Other MLAs in California address this subject by expiring
a utomatically and allowing renewal absent written notice six months prior to
expiration of intent not to renew. A total maximum term with renewals (e.g.,
25 years) is also set out in other MLAs. The intent is to maximize within reason
the City’s control over its own assets.
3. The process for permitted assignments and “change of control” provisions could
be considered less than adequate since important conditions are omitted such
as the Licensee is in good standing, and information (e.g., financial and
operating) is provided that establishes the proposed assignee is appropriately
qualified to install, operate and maintain equipment under the MLA. Adequate
provisions for change of control and permitted assignments is important given
the general level of sales and acquisitions in the telecommunications industry.
4. The draft MLA appears to provide for above ground electric meters when other
MLAs in California require use of flat rate electric service to the extent offered
by the electric utility for aesthetic and safety reasons.
5. The draft MLA does not contain explicit contractor specifications, qualifications
or requirements as is contained in other MLAs in California. These requirements
require the use of contractors possessing all necessary licenses and the use of
only qualified and trained persons and contractors for work performed in the
license area. Also required prior to commencement of work is schedule of
activities to be performed and listing of contractors, license numbers and
business addresses of those who will do the work.
6. The draft MLA has good provisions regarding “cost of living” adjustments to the
license fees (c 4% annual increase) and “change of law” provisions applicable to
the annual license fee such that an alternate annual fee of $1270 is included in
the event the FCC’s Small Cell Order is reversed by the 9th Circuit Court of
Appeals (which order is sustained under any subsequent appeal).
The City of Moorpark has incorporated Magellan’s findings and recommendations into
its draft MLA and Magellan finds the document to be consistent with best practices and
with other MLAs around California and the US.
Dig Once Practices
“Dig Once” can be defined as policies and/or practices that foster cooperation among
entities (especially utilities) that occupy public rights-of-way, to minimize the number
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and scale of excavations when installing infrastructure (especially
telecommunications 28) in public rights-of-way. Dig Once has numerous substantial
benefits, including promoting and supporting the placement of broadband
infrastructure (e.g., fiber-optic cable and conduit), reducing the consequences and
disruptions of repeated excavations (traffic disruption, road deterioration, service
outages, and wasted resources), and enhancing service reliability and aesthetics.
Dig Once accomplishes the goal of minimizing costs of constructing separate trenches
and facilities – via shared costs of construction. The cost savings are significant. The
Federal Highway Administration estimates it is ten times more expensive to dig up and
then repair an existing road to lay fiber, than to dig support structure for fiber (e.g.,
conduit) when the road is being fixed or built. According to a study by the Government
Accountability Office, “dig once” policies can save from 25-33% in construction costs in
urban areas and approximately 16% in rural areas.29 In addition, development of Dig
Once standards and guidelines for deployment of conduit and fiber will facilitate
economic development and growth, as it enables cost-effective staged or gradual
deployment of broadband infrastructure by local authorities.
Dig Once implementation requires revision to the planning and coordination process for
construction projects in the public rights-of-way. When subsurface utility work occurs,
it presents opportunities for the City to install new fiber in the right-of-way at reduced
costs via coordination of work. Dig once and joint trench policies allow the City to take
advantage of other subsurface utility projects for the installation of fiber. This enables
the Ci ty to expand its ownership of fiber anytime subsurface utility work occurs, at
preferential costs to new construction. Dig Once should be applied with discretion so
as to not hold up project schedules and should be used for projects of a significant
nature as determined by the Public Works Director or his or her designee. Other cities
have chosen to use the practice only in cases of “major” construction, which may be
determined by thresholds of the number of blocks or linear feet of the project area, or
a project’s cost.
The concept can also extend to required placement of conduit for fiber-optic conduits
whenever the ground is opened, as expressed in recent Congressional legislation. This
concept was embodied in the Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2018, which
required the inclusion of broadband conduit during construction of any road receiving
federal funding.30
Magellan Advisors provided sample Dig Once ordinances which have been recently
adopted by California cities for Moorpark’s consideration in implementing such
practices.
4.4 RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
28 Many utilities are “monopolistic” providers (such as gas, water/sewer and electric) but there are a number of
telecommunications providers that seek permission to encroach on public rights-of-way, including cable TV
companies, competitive telecommunications companies, and wireless communications companies.
29 https://eshoo.house.gov/issues/economy/eshoo-walden-introduce-dig-once-broadband-deployment-bill
30 The Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2018, H.R. 4800, January 16, 2018.
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1. Develop Small Cell Deployment Design Standards and Guidelines: Magellan
Advisors recommends that in the event that the FCC’s Small Cell Order is
overturned on appeal, the City should consider transitioning relevant portions of
the Citywide Policy to a “Standards and Guidelines” document administered by
Public Works, with any necessary updates and modifications. This will have the
advantage of providing greater flexibility to deal with market and technological
change, without any appreciable downside given what will have been learned
about small cell technology by that time.
2. Consider and adopt Dig Once Practices: Magellan Advisors recommends further
exploration with relevant departments of the Ci ty’s informal processes for
noticing intent to work on streets, and how it may be extended to a fuller Dig
Once practice which includes coordination of work in public rights of way when
any occupant plans to open the ground for their purposes, regular (e.g.,
quarterly) meetings of occupants of the public rights-of-way to share plans and
coordinate work, and continued enforcement of the City’s 5-year excavation
moratorium on work in the public rights-of-way to minimize public
inconvenience, a chieve efficiencies from coordinated work and protect public
investment in the streets. As stated above, Dig Once practices should be used at
the discretion of the Public Works Director to ensure that project schedules,
budgets, and other considerations are not negatively impacted.
3. Set aside funding to capitalize on joint trench opportunities: In addition to
continuing the use of Dig Once practices, Moorpark should ensure that funds are
available to allow the City to capitalize on joint trench opportunities. These
opportunities may arise both internally (between the City’s departments) and
externally (with other utilities and/or developers working in the public right-of-
way). In order to ready itself for taking advantage of joint trenching, the City
should set aside funds to be available when these opportunities occur.
4. Develop standard Master Licensing Agreement (MLA): Magellan Advisors
recommends prompt finalization of a Master License Agreement along the lines
of the sample documents which have been provided. The MLA will be for the
City’s use in managing an increasing requests for small cell attachments to Ci ty
property. The volume of these attachment requests will depend on the number
of streetlights the Ci ty owns (which is significant), and the suitability of other
Ci ty property for antenna attachment. The MLA should include a “change of
law” provision and alternate rates for use in the event the FCC’s Small Cell
Order is struck down on appeal.
5. Review the Citywide Policy for transition to the municipal code: Magellan
Advisors recommends that in the event that the FCC’s Small Cell Order is
overturned on appeal, the City should consider transitioning relevant portions of
the Citywide Policy into municipal code provisions where appropriate. The
intent would be to strike the right balance and division of the current Citywide
Policy between the Code and a Standards and Guidelines document.
5. S mart City Applications
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Broadband infrastructure such as fiber can accommodate smart and connected
technologies as more municipal and community functions are carried out online. Smart
City technologies and the Internet of Things (“IoT”) are two growing ecosystems of
devices that will change the way that local governments carry out their missions. More
devices, sensors, and people will be interconnected than ever before. IoT uses IP
networking to connect devices other than computers to the Internet. A confluence of
trends allows interconnection of more and smaller devices cheaply and easily:
• Licensed and unlicensed wireless services and technology – everything is
connectable, especially given the deployment of 5G wireless networks
• IP i s dominant networking standard, which is well defined
• Moore’s law 31 is still working
• Manufacturing advances permit miniaturization
• Rise of cloud computing
• New algorithms and rapid increases in computing power, data storage, and
cloud services enable the aggregation, correlation, and analysis of vast
quantities of data.
Figure 5-1 . The Smart City 32
By encouraging a more robust fiber environment in Moorpark, the City will be prepared
to accommodate these emerging trends. The existence of fiber infrastructure puts
communities at the leading edge of innovation and supports a range of municipal,
community, and wireless/broadband applications. Without it, the City cannot consider
the vast majority of Smart City technologies and IoT.
31 Moore’s Law states that the processing speeds of computers will continue to double every two years, resulting
in faster technologies becoming more affordable.
32 Source: Smart Cities Library. www.smartcitieslibrary.com.
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Smart cities capitalize on smart IoT devices to make their organizations more efficient
and effective, while gathering data from devices to make better informed decisions
regarding operations.
The key to Smart City devices is that, rather than deploying
technology just for its own sake, each application used should
be purposefully chosen to solve community issues. Therefore,
b ecoming a Smart City will take on a different meeting for each
unique community.
The City of Moorpark is already on its way to becoming a Smart City. The City has
recently purchased approximately 2,229 streetlight poles from Southern California
Edison and is in the process of retrofitting them. The new Siemens fixtures will include
the ANSI 7-pin receptacle and dimming driver. Siemens will install a standard
photocell, which, according to Siemens, can be upgraded to a “smart” node that
connects to a control system in the future.
This smart lighting system is one of many Smart City applications the City can consider
implementing to enhance services delivered to the community through technology.
Other opportunities range from connected Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA) networks, electric grids, traffic cameras and signalization systems, smart light
pole grids for monitoring and control, smart trash cans, smart park benches, smart
parking and wayfinding, smart irrigation systems, and IoT systems within government
buildings.
As Moorpark becomes more connected, the City should weight the benefits of each of
these technologies and decide which are most important based on their perceived
impact and ability to address community issues. Based on Magellan’s findings, the
following are Smart City applications that the City c ould consider.
5.1 SMART CITY APPLICATIONS FOR MOORPARK
Traffic Cameras and Signalization: Connecting traffic cameras and allowing for
signalization control can assist municipalities in managing traffic congestion and public
safety issues. Some police, sheriff and fire departments have monitored their roads
with cameras, allowing for preparation when responding to traffic accidents or issues.
Traffic signal controlling and automation aids in managing traffic congestion and
getting public safety officials where they need to be quickly and safely. Public safety
vehicles would have controls on board to allow for light changes in a safe and easy
manner.
T he City of Moorpark is already considering plans to run fiber for traffic signalization to
manage congestion along State Highway 118 (Los Angeles Avenue) in coordination
with Caltrans. Doing so could increase the efficient flow of traffic, reducing travel time
for motorists. Such a project would go a long way in alleviating one of the major
concerns of the community, as well as providing the City opportunities to support
additional Smart City applications along one of its key corridors. Magellan recommends
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that Moorpark continue its conversations with Caltrans about this important Smart City
possibility.
Smart Light Pole Grids: By establishing a grid for smart light poles, municipalities can
automate and control their lighting effectively and efficiently. These streetlights have
LED lighting saving in recurring costs, although by allowing for dimming and
brightening when vehicles and pedestrians come near saves additional cost.
Smart Irrigation Systems: Smart irrigation systems utilize sensors that monitor rainfall
to determine when the landscape needs watering. Most systems allow for scheduling of
irrigation, however, if scheduled and raining or wet the systems will delay or cancel
deployment. This alleviates over-watering of landscapes and saves water, which in
many drought-ridden areas is a precious resource.
IoT Systems Within “Smart Buildings”: In an effort to save energy costs, public
agencies and businesses are installing connected thermostats, lighting controls and
automation, and smart building strategies such as installing intelligent windows and
facades and smarter HVAC systems that save energy by reacting to environmental
conditions in real time with features such as automated tinting, shading and controlling
indoor air conditions. Smart buildings reduce water and energy consumption, increase
positive occupant experience, and create sustainable structures. The City of Moorpark
could consider implementing some of these technologies as a it builds out its new Civic
Center campus.
Public Wi-fi: In response to the connected nature of citizens’ daily liv es, many cities
have begun to provide access to public Wi-Fi in locations such as downtown
commercial and shopping districts, public parks, and other gathering spaces. This
connectivity allows users the convenience of using their mobile devices to find services
near them, connect with others via social media, and even share live video streams of
activities such as youth sporting events. At the same time, public Wi-Fi allows local
businesses opportunities to advertise to the community, promoting “buy local”
campaigns that can be a boon to economic development.
Public parks such as Arroyo Vista are a prime location for providing public Wi-Fi.
Although there is some sentiment that Moor park’s residents should use their time in
parks to put down their devices and connect with nature, providing connectivity for
visitors to rent equipment via online applications, stream video of their children playing
sports, or find a local restaurant might be beneficial to the community.
Smart Parking and Wayfinding: Many cities struggle with location of parking,
especially in particularly dense cities. Through the use of a network of sensors and
applications, drivers can be notified via phone applications or wayfinding signage of
open parking. Cities such as Santa Monica, CA have decreased parking location from
20 minutes to 3 minutes saving motorist time, fuel, frustration and carbon footprint
through implementation of this type of system.
As Moorpark’s downtown area becomes more pedestrian-friendly, the City could
consider using such technologies to allow visitors to easily locate parking and to
navigate their surroundings. These applications could also be considered at high-traffic
parks such as Arroyo Vista.
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Smart P ark B enches: Smart park benches can serve citizen and municipal issues
such as charging stations for electronic devices and sensors designed to count people
(or the number of wireless connected devices) in the vicinity. By understanding the
n umber of people there are in an area, the public agency can communicate this
information to public safety or access historical data to plan for future events. As with
public Wi-Fi and smart parking, smart benches might be desirable at some public
locations such as Arroyo Vista Park.
5.2 CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
Autonomous vehicles could fundamentally revamp our transportation systems and
infrastructure and the way we all get around. Autonomous vehicles or “driverless cars”
technology is present today on the streets in our cities and towns, but the full
functionality is not yet activated. The science and technology is in place for connected
and autonomous vehicles, and large companies (e.g., Intel, Uber, Waymo, auto
manufacturers) are “all in”. Connected vehicles exchange digital information between
vehicle and the world, e.g., another vehicle (V2V) or infrastructure (V2I).
Autonomous vehicles contain systems that influence the lateral or longitudinal
operation – or both – of a vehicle. An SAE International Standard has been defined for
automation levels. Using five levels, this “standard defines vehicle capabilities, how
people can use them, and to what extent they can rely on the technologies.”33 Many
vehicles currently have partial autonomous capabilities such as autonomous cruise
control, brake, and lane control.
Autonomous vehicles clearly are on the horizon, and cities and municipalities need to
be ready to support them, whether through policy and ordinances, technology to
support their functionality, and electric charging stations to keep them running. The
most likely connectivity options are 4G and 5G wireless networks and 5.9 GHz
Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC). DSRC is only in pilot environments,
and 5G is still in development with ongoing standards activity. 4G of course has been
deployed.
While the communications infrastructure is being deployed to support connected and
autonomous vehicles, there are a number of other decisions and actions that need to
be taken beyond communications infrastructure/broadband deployment, including:
Include mobility in the planning process, by including connected and
autonomous vehicle expertise in city departments, using public engagement on
the topic and developing a vision for future mobility, analyzing the impact of
innovative mobility, and using incentive zones to encourage/enable use of
innovative mobility and shared automated vehicles
Provide new or improved transportation services, including partnering with
Innovative Mobility providers and hosting pilot tests
33 Future Cities: Navigating the New Era of Mobility; Center for Automotive Research, 2017.
https://planetm.michiganbusiness.org/globalassets/pdf/future-cities_final-report_30-october-
2017.pdf?rnd=1522511866020
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Update Transportation policies, including development of policies for multimodal
integration, and update parking to capitalize on benefits of innovative mobility
and connected and autonomous vehicles
U pdate and prepare the road infrastructure for innovative mobility, by allocating
right of way for innovative mobility, building infrastructure to enable Innovative
Mobility using Complete Streets design principles 34, maintaining reflective lane
markings and rumble strips, and supporting DSRC based V2I communication
(roadside units, traffic signal controllers, traffic management centers, and
user/vehicle-based equipment).
5.3 SMART CITY POLICY ISSUES
The Internet of Things and Smart City opens the door to a vast array of new
technology applications and opportunities but also creates several issues which must
be considered by policymakers. These issues must be addressed in an environment
where the pace of change is perhaps exceeding our collective ability to fully
understand the changes and implications.
Perhaps first and foremost is that IoT/Smart Cities creates a firehose of data, massive
amounts that must be collected, processed and managed. The data management
issues include where and how is it stored, processed and used – and critically, how are
privacy concerns are addressed.
Another big issue is security. The dispersion of billions of smart devices permits
problems and crimes from poorly protected IoT devices “attacking” infrastructure,
distributed denial of service attacks (DDOS), “Botnet” problems, malware in
interactions with artificial intelligence, and cybercrime including attacks on IoT data in
the cloud.
Further issues include the potential use of IoT data as evidence, pervasiveness of data
monitoring vs. privacy expectations, discriminatory use of IoT data, where in the IoT
system it may be appropriate to place regulation, cross border flows of data, and the
environmental concern over how are these billions of devices disposed of. These issue
areas can be monitored through the various national and international policy groups,
research groups, and businesses that are actively working on them.
5.4 PREPARING MOORPARK FOR SMART CITY
Smart Cities are not exclusively technological; organizational and human factors must
be provided for to foster the necessary collaborations and investment in human capital.
Cities serve communities and Smart Cities must be designed with public benefits in
mind. Additionally, cybersecurity and data privacy are ever more important in
maintaining a healthy Smart City strategy. Ultimately Smart Cities initiatives are
layered, involving network facilities infrastructure, with connected devices (cameras,
sensors, Wi-Fi, etc.), and the data from these devices which allows capabilities to be
embedded in daily practices based on collaboration among organizations and
departments.
34 National Association of City Transportation Officials, https://nacto.org/.
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The Smart Cities Council is a network of leading companies advised by top universities,
laboratories and standards bodies that develops and advocates for Smart City
policies.35 They have published a “Smart Cities Readiness Guide” that includes detailed
information on Smart City drivers and barriers, benefits, beyond “silos,” and City
responsibilities.
Based on these guidelines, some responsibilities and opportunities Moorpark should
consider for its Smart City readiness are outlined as follows:
Built Environment: The City should plan for “smart buildings” powered by Io T,
using sensors, meters, systems and software to monitor and control a wide
range of building functions including lighting, energy, water, HVAC,
communications, video monitoring, intrusion detection, elevator monitoring, and
fire safety.
Digital City Services: Moorpark should consider switching to digital delivery of
C ity services to increase citizen engagement, increase employee productivity,
increase competitiveness, increase citizen satisfaction, and reduce cost. Services
are delivered via the web, smartphones and kiosks, which can require
implementation of new technologies, and attitudes or approaches.
Energy: Smart energy is a priority for Smart Cities, which start with the City
implementing smart energy systems.
Health and Human Services: Moorpark should prioritize Smart City uses that
transform the delivery of essential health and education services including
support for telehealth and remote learning.
Ideas to Action: A “roadmap” linked to Moorpark’s vision document and
comprehensive plan is necessary to turn ideas to action, and make technology
serve the City’s larger goals. The path to a Smart City is not quick, and targets
are needed for clear goals to motivate citizens and permit any required course
corrections.
Mobility and Logistics: Population growth and wasteful congestion make this a
critical area for the Smart City. Traffic congestion is a notable concern in
Moorpark and is wasteful and costly to the economy – both directly and
indirectly. Moorpark should prioritize applications that provide safer, more
efficient transportation, including accommodating electric and autonomous
vehicles and smart parking.
Smart Payments and Finance: Digitalizing both disbursements and collections
generates significant savings and increases operational efficiency. The City
should consider providing these options to residents and businesses across the
board for all City services.
Smart People: Implementing Smart City initiatives requires a collective mindset
at City Hall that is open, transparent and inclusive to build two-way
communications and create stronger initiatives.
35 https://smartcitiescouncil.com/article/about-us-global
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Telecommunications: An adequate telecommunications infrastructure as detailed
in this Plan is vital for business and community development and underlies the
Smart City.
6. Asset Inventory
City a ssets are important in a design for broadband. Existing city owned fiber can be
used as a starting point to for cost effective broadband. Buildings, towers, conduits,
utility poles, and streetlights can be used to mount fiber or fixed wireless equipment
used for expanded broadband service.
Although Moorpark does not currently own any fiber, it recently acquired
approximately 2200 streetlights from Southern California Edison, Moorpark and
Caltrans traffic signals and capital improvement project plans are assets that should be
considered for connecting public safety police and fire locations, C ity buildings, and
underserved business parks as determined the needs assessment and gap analysis.
6.1 VERTICAL ASSETS
City vertical assets should be made available where appropriate under Master License
Agreements (see Policy section of this report) for use as support structures for small
cell wireless facilities. MLAs define the terms, conditions, fees, and assets eligible for
small cell wireless facility attachment. City-owned streetlights and utility poles are
viewed by service providers as valuable assets in the public rights-of-way and
easements for attachment of small wireless facilities. While traffic light poles and
standards are similarly sought by wireless providers for small cell attachments, many
cities do not consider them to be eligible facilities for attachment due to their
importance for public safety and also potential future use by the City for Smart City
applications.
Assets in locations such as along High Street and in Arroyo Vista Community Park could
be particularly useful for deploying these facilities, as well as for the deployment of
Smart City technologies such as public wi-f i, sensors, and cameras. Moorpark should
include these considerations during MLA negotiations with wireless carriers to leverage
the use of City-owned vertical assets for increased broadband deployment. In some
cases, cities have been able to negotiate in-kind considerations such as the ownership
or use of designated fiber strands to connect City facilities and/or carriers providing
community services such as free public wi-fi in commercial corridors in exchange for
carriers having access to City-owned infrastructure to house wireless facilities.
Figure 6-1. City of Moorpark Vertical Assets
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6.2 OTHER ASSETS
Other broadband assets to consider include water and gas lines, which are
underground and can, when abandoned, be used to deploy fiber. The use of these
lines is not recommended in Moorpark since all known water and gas lines are still
active and may be pressurized.
Additionally, Moorpark’s schools and college are served by existing broadband
infrastructure. However, these institutions are served by the FCC’s E-Rate Universal
Service Program, whose guidelines dictate that only schools and libraries may use the
networks. Similarly, public safety agencies in Moorpark have their own communications
networks that operate through Ventura County. Due to the critical nature of these
networks, they may not be used for the purposes of expanding broadband to the
community at large.
Ventura County is currently engaged in developing a Countywide middle-mile backbone
network to connect County facilities and cities. Although the County project is still in
the early planning phases, it is likely that the network will include design
considerations that could enable shared use of network assets with Moorpark. The City
should continue to watch the Ventura County project evolve and staff should play a
role in development of this middle mile network that will bring wholesale broadband
into the City. Moorpark should be prepared to build out last mile connections that
serve the community from the County’s network by using recommendations in this
report.
6.3 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
In addition to existing assets, the City of Moorpark’s planned projects should be
leveraged to deploy additional broadband assets including conduit and fiber. Magellan
reviewed the City of Moorpark’s Fiscal Year 2020-21 – 2024-25 Capital Improvement
Projects (CIP) plan as approved by Council on June 17, 2020 to identify projects that
presented opportunities to install additional infrastructure. Our team also evaluated
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Ventura County’s planned projects that are anticipated to occur within the City.
Projects that constitute major work in the public right-of-way including roads,
sidewalks, and bike or pedestrian paths, as well as those that involve underground
activities such as drainage and water projects and the ungrounding of power poles at
Science Drive and State Highway 118, were considered. The selected projects were
also vetted with the City of Moorpark’s team to gain an understanding of the
anticipated scheduling and likelihood that they will proceed as planned.
As marked by the green lines on the map below, there are several projects planned
along key corridors over the coming years that present opportunities to install
broadband infrastructure, many of which at least partially overlap with the gaps in
broadband availability, especially the central business park and the connection
between the Civic Center campus, PD, and Arroyo Vista Community Park.
Figure 6-2 . Moorpark Capital Improvement Plan Projects for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
For each of these projects, Magellan recommends that the City of Moorpark include the
deployment of conduit and/or fiber along these paths to begin building infrastructure
that the City could use to connect its own facilities and to lease to third parties
interested in using them to deliver internet services across the City. This strategy
would allow the City of Moorpark to invest incrementally and opportunistically, taking
advantage of cost savings afforded by joint build.
The City should set aside funds that would be used to lay two 2” conduits in these
locations while the ground is being excavated for other purposes. Magellan estimates
--- North Hills Parkway (CIP# C0031)
--- Replace Copper w/ Fiber (CIP #M0040)
--- Shasta Drain (Future CIP)
--- Los Angeles Ave Widening (CIP #C0027)
--- Los Angeles Ave Widening (CIP #C0021)
--- Los Angeles Ave to Freeway (CIP #C0026)
--- Spring Rd Widening (CIP #C0022)
--- High St Improvements (CIP #C0009)
--- Princeton Widening (CIP #C0020)
--- Moorpark Ave Widening (CIP #C0004)
New Civic Center/Library
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that the total length of conduit and/fiber that could be deployed in correspondence
with these CIP projects is 37,335 f eet. The current estimate for laying fiber and
conduit in California is between $30-40 per linear foot. Therefore, we estimate that
running fiber and conduit through the entire set of projects would cost the City
between $1.1 and 1.5 million. However, because the ground is already being excavated
in these locations, costs could be reduced by up to 33%, bringing costs closer to
$739k-985k.
Note that the estimates are high-level in nature and should be further explored once
detailed design engineering is done.
Table 6-1. CIP Projects Estimated Lengths for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
PROJECT CITY OR COUNTY LENG TH (FEET)
C0004: Moorpark Avenue Widening City 3,359
C0009: High Street Improvements City 2,120
C0020: Princeton Drive Widening City 3,970
C0021: Los Angeles Avenue Widening City 2,250
C0022: Spring Road Widening City 1,395
C0027: Los Angeles Avenue Widening City 3,860
C0031: North Hills Parkway City 4,090
C0035: Arroyo Drive Overlay City 3,322
M0040: Replace Conduit w Fiber County 11,470
Shasta Drain (Future) City 1,499
TOTAL 37,335
6.4 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
In addition to CIP projects, the City has many proposed development agreements
underway. As the developers plan to build residentially and commercially, the City
should consider including mitigations in development agreements to allow for the
installation of conduit and/or fiber infrastructure.
To the west of the current Civic Center location, for example, the Hitch Ranch
Development is proposed. The City could request that the developer of this area install
at least two 2” conduits to along the mapped portions of North Hills Parkway, Gabbert
Road, and Casey Road and at least two 4” conduits at the southern end of that
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development, between West High Street and either the newly built north-south road or
Gabbert Road, and over the rail crossing to Poindexter. These areas will be key to
creating a redundant citywide fiber network, as well as equipping those locations with
a broadband utility that can be used for future development.
Below is a map indicating the recommended location for placing this infrastructure,
followed by a table detailing their estimated lengths, totaling 11,622 feet. Applying the
estimate of $30-40 per linear foot to deploy fiber and conduit, the approximate cost is
$349k-465k. Much of this cost could be negotiated during development agreements.
The costs associated with integration of fiber into the project must be considered as
part of the larger strategy for community benefits to be provided in conjunction with
this project, as many competing priorities likely exist.
Figure 6-3. Development Projects for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Table 6-2. Development Projects with Estimated Lengths for Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
PROJECT LENGTH (FEET)
North Hills Parkway East of Gabbert 3,359
Casey Road to Meridian Hills 5,682
West High Street to Shasta (along rail alignment) 2,581
TOTAL 11,622
--- North Hills Parkway (CIP# C0031)
--- Replace Copper w/ Fiber (CIP #M0040)
--- Shasta Drain (Future CIP)
--- Los Angeles Ave Widening (CIP #C0027)
--- Los Angeles Ave Widening (CIP #C0021)
--- Los Angeles Ave to Freeway (CIP #C0026)
--- Spring Rd Widening (CIP #C0022)
--- High St Improvements (CIP #C0009)
--- Princeton Widening (CIP #C0020)
--- Moorpark Ave Widening (CIP #C0004)
--- Developer Area (Hitch Ranch Development)
New Civic Center/Library
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6.5 IDENTIFICATION OF ANCHORS
Magellan conducted a survey which included businesses and anchor institutions,
especially targeted toward org anizations in the City’s three business parks. Results of
the survey do not directly identify anchors that were unserved or underserved.
Moorpark’s schools and Moorpark College are served by E-R ate, securing them
sufficient bandwidth at wholesale pricing. Public s afety is connected and served by the
County’s communications systems, except for Moorpark’s Police Department, which is
included as a City facility and accounted for in the recommended design of the
network.
6.6 BUILDING ADDITIONAL ASSETS INCREMENTALLY &
OPPORTUNISTICALLY
In addition to placing conduit and/or fiber in coordination with these CIP and
development projects, the City of Moorpark should make incremental investments in
additional segments to create a resilient backbone network that connects all City
facilities and passes all three business parks. These short segments would connect the
conduit and/or fiber assets along the CIP project routes to develop a network that
would be capable of connecting all City facilities, serving all three business parks, and
supporting Smart City applications along major corridors including High Street, the
middle section of Spring Road, and Los Angeles Avenue.
The map below displays these additional segments using blue lines, as well as their
proximity to City facilities and the three business parks. These additional segments
constitute a total of approximately 10,726 linear feet, as detailed in the table below
the map. Using the estimated $30-40 per foot estimate to install fiber, the cost would
likely be between $321,780 and $429,040. As previously stated, both the design and
the estimates are high-level and conceptual; detailed low-level design engineering
would need to be performed to properly vet both the network’s design and its cost.
As with the yellow segments that correspond with CIP projects and the orange
segments that correspond with development projects, conduit and/or fiber along these
routes could be leased by a third party to connect businesses in the commercial areas.
City-owned conduit could be leased at an average of between $2.00 and $2.20 per
foot, or, if there is room for more than one occupant, could be shared among many
entities at an average of $.45 to $.50 per foot each. Lease rates for dark fiber vary
widely, but the City could expect between $225-300 per fiber from entities leasing less
than three miles of fiber or between $70 and $90 per fiber mile from entities leasing
more than three miles of fiber 36. The connections between City facilities could either be
managed by the City itself or could be contracted out to a third party.
36 Based on dark fiber lease rates from nearby City of Anaheim.
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Figure 6-4 . Conceptual Citywide Network
Table 6-3 . Additional Segments to Build a Resilient Network w Corresponding Estimates
PROJECT LENG TH
(FEET)
South on Spring from High Street 878
West on Princeton from High Street 1458
Los Angeles Ave from Gabbert to N Hills Pkwy 2920
Gabbert from LA Ave to N Hills Pkwy 1725
South on Tierra Rejada Road from LA Ave to Arroyo Vista Park 3745
TOTAL FEET 10,726
6.7 C ONDUIT CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS
During all planned CIP projects that call for excavation at a depth of at least 24”, the
City of Moorpark should install, at minimum, two 2 ” conduits. Magellan estimates the
cost of installing conduits at approximately $39 per linear foot. Should the City elect to
install a meet-me room in the library, 4” conduits should be used to make connections
from the building’s entries to carrier locations on Poindexter (see figure below).
Additional detail about the types of conduit that should be installed are specified
below. All conduit turns should be made with 45-degree bends or sweeps.
Directional Boring/Plowing: Conduit for directional boring should be HDPE with a
minimum rating of SDR 11 type.
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Trenching: Conduit type for open trench should be PVC with a minimum rating of
Schedule 40.
6.8 CITY CIVIC CENTER DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Moorpark’s location along the rail alignment and at the center of Ventura County make
it an ideal location for a meet-me room (MMR) in which carriers can connect to one
another to share data, interconnect fiber and deploy metro based fiber services to
businesses and institutions. Placing an MMR in Moorpark would be a strategy for
encouraging more providers to bring fiber into the area. Because the City of Moorpark
is currently in the process of designing its new Civic Center and Library campus, the
timing is also ideal; an MMR could be built in the new library building.
Figure 6-5 . Civic Center Design with Conduit and Vaults
The map above displays a recommeded conceptual design for a conduit network that
would branch off the backbone network along Moorpark Avenue and High Street. To
ensure redundant connections, dual entry routes were designed for both the library
and for City Hall. 4” conduits would only be put in if MMR is put into the library.
Otherwise, 2” conduit can be used and the redundant connection to the library could
be eliminated.
Should the City decide to house an MMR, connections to the carriers will need to be
made at a connection point slightly southwest of the campus along Poindexter Avenue.
The most feasible route to get there is to follow Moorpark Avenue south and turn west
on Poindexter. Ideally, a second connection could be made by traveling west along
High Street and crossing over the rail alignment north of Shasta Avenue. It appears
that some development is taking place in this area, including a possible new road that
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would allow that connection. If that route becomes a possibility, Magellan recommends
that the City pursue the option to have two diverse connections to the carriers.
The City of Moorpark should have discussions with each carrier about their willingness
to use the City’s MMR. These conversations may reveal that the carriers are willing to
come to the library rather than the City having to come to them. Other requirements
may also be specified during these conversations. The City should also consider
releasing an RFI or RFP to gain a better understanding of the feasibility and return on
investment for the MMR.
Below are some additional considerations for housing a MMR within the City’s new
Library and Civic Center campus.
Dimensions: The dimensions required for an MMR vary based on how many
carriers’ equipment will be housed, but Magellan recommends a minimum of 400
square f eet. Generally, each carrier will need at least two 2 four-post, 84" (45U)
high cabinets. The more space that can be made available for equipment, the
more opportunity for expansion as new carriers request space. Ideal dimensions
should be approximately 800 square feet.
Below Grade: Most MMRs are below grade, often in a basement. Whether at
ground level or below grade, the room must be waterproof.
Dual Route: C onduits should be installed in at least two entries, creating dual
routes for entry to the building. The diagram above suggests entries on the
north side of the building through the parking lot and on the south side of the
building along High Street.
Conduit: At least two 4” conduits, each with innerduct, should be constructed to
the MMR in order to house multiple cables from carriers.
Power: The MMR should have dual routes for power connectivity and should be
located near the utility room for ease of access to power sources. It will require
backup power and an uninterruptable power supply. Ideally, the MMR should
offer both AC and DC power options to carriers. If only AC power is offered, the
carriers will require more space to house additional equipment such as rectifiers
and batteries.
Structured Cabling: Should be placed above server cabinets and away from
power sources.
Cooling: The room should be air conditioned and high-performance cooling
equipment will be needed to ensure an appropriate climate. The basic principle
behind the cooling system design must ensure that the proper amount of air is
delivered to every device in the server cabinet. The cooling air must be drawn in
the front and discharged out the back of the equipment mounted in the server
cabinet. A design with air intakes or exhausts that is either lateral (side to side)
or vertical (bottom to top or top to bottom) is not acceptable. The cooling
system design must be scalable, adaptable, and fail-safe.
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Fire Suppression: The fire suppression system design should meet the
requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the City’s
building and safety codes. The proposed system must be both environmentally
and people safe.
Security: The MMR should be access-controlled and in a secure part of the
building.
7. Recommendations & Next Steps
7.1 INCORPORATING BROADBAND AND SMART CITY INTO PLANNING
PROCESSES
Becoming a Smart City means much more than just connecting a network of devices. A
fundamental aspect of cities that the most successful in broadband planning is that the
City itself demonstrates its commitment to connectivity by incorporating the use of
technology into its existing processes. The City of Moorpark should come to think of
broadband as another utility, as necessary to its businesses and residents as gas,
water, or sewer.
In that spirit, broadband, and Smart City should be championed in all of Moorpark’s
planning processes including the City’s Design Review Committee. The City could
consider implementing a Broadband Task Force with representatives from Public
Works, IT, Planning, and the City Manager’s Office to perform such reviews.
Moorpark’s 2050 General Plan should also include considerations for broadband.
Magellan recommends that the General Plan include a goals and policies section that
deals specifically with technology. The section may include findings and
recommendations directly from this report and other pertinent information about the
deployment and use cases of broadband and Smart City in the years to come.
7.2 BUILDING AND OPERATING A CITYWIDE NETWORK
As detailed in S ection 6, the City of Moorpark should incrementally invest in expanding
its broadband assets including conduit and fiber. The conceptual routing provided by
Magellan is based on incrementally, opportunistically deploying assets as CIPs are
executed and on strategically connecting all City facilities and providing opportunities
for expanded service into Moorpark’s commercial areas.
Using current estimate for laying fiber and conduit in California of between $30-40 per
linear foot, we estimate the total cost of building such a network at between $1.80
million and $2.39 million, not including any costs for engineering, permitting, or other
considerations. This is only provided as a high-level estimate; detailed engineering
would need to be performed to create a more accurate cost analysis. It should also be
noted that these costs may be reduced by requiring developers to install infrastructure
in the locations indicated by the map in Figure 6-3 and by using joint trench strategies
in the locations where CIP projects are already planned.
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The connections between Moorpark’s City facilities could be handled by the City’s staff
if desired. Alternatively, a third-party ISP could be engaged to manage and maintain
operations of the network.
Additionally, the network’s design passes all three of Moorpark’s business parks, which
would allow for additional broadband options to be provided in those areas. The Los
Angeles Avenue bridge over the Arroyo Simi is the most critical for connectivity. We
recommend that the City of Moorpark partner with an experienced ISP to offer services
using City-owned infrastructure. An agreement could be made between the City and
one or multiple parties to lease assets or to pass through a portion of the revenue to
the City in exchange for the use of conduit and/or fiber. This scenario would be
beneficial to all parties:
1. the businesses in these locations would have more options for service, driving
competition
2. the internet service providers get access to a new market without having to
spend capital to build additional assets
3. the City owns a valuable asset for which it receives compensation from the
partner or partners.
The terms of such agreements would need to be negotiated with each prospective
partner, likely through Request for Information (“RFI”) or Request for Proposals
(“RFP”) process as deemed appropriate by City procurement policies.
7.3 PROVIDER INVESTMENT/PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
A key objective for ensuring widespread access to affordable, reliable broadband in
Moorpark is for the City to attract investment from ISPs. To achieve this, strategic
partnerships such as agreements for use of City owned conduit, fiber, light poles and
public rights-of-way are key. Several internet service providers, including incumbents
that already have a presence in Moorpark, were engaged to understand other
partnership opportunities that could enhance the City’s broadband environment. The
findings from each of these conversations are detailed below and should be used as
background for the City to continue exploring how to attract investment and build
partnerships.
AT&T
AT&T has been engaged in ongoing conversations with the Moorpark team about their
current network and any plans to expand assets and services in the City, primarily
focused on the wireless and mobility aspects of their services.
The City and AT&T have been working on an MLA regarding pole attachments and
streetlights. Availability of infrastructure is a consideration for how AT&T plans its
network expansion and upgrades, so until that agreement is resolved, AT&T states it
has not planned expansion in Moorpark.
AT&T expressed openness to connecting Moorpark with its wireline team to discuss
current availability to service business parks. Discussions arose about wireline working
with the City’s Economic Development team to ensure they had accurate and up to
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date understanding of where fiber is available, so site selectors and businesses are
aware able to connect where they need to.
AT&T and Moorpark are continuing discussions around the MLA and questions were
submitted to the Moorpark team for review in hopes to wrap up an agreement.
CenturyLink
CenturyLink is a nationwide internet service provider that delivers last mile services to
residents and businesses in the City of Moorpark. CenturyLink representatives have
been following the broadband planning in the region and have been engaged in the
Ventura County Broadband Consortium meetings, and therefore understand the goals
of the region to expand broadband and fiber infrastructure to attract new tech-based
employers and develop a tech ecosystem. They noted that their fiber in the region is
mostly is long-haul.
CenturyLink believes they can assist the city with the right business model and ability
to bring in last mile partners that can “Smartify” the C ity. The question was asked on
what it would take to get CenturyLink to invest in Moorpark. Discussions included
bringing together the entire team from the education and government side, to business
development and commercial and building a strong business case that encourages
participation and even expansion as regional and countywide.
GeoLinks
Geolinks is a Southern California based Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC),
GeoLinks delivers Enterprise-Grade Internet, Digital Voice, SD-WAN, Cloud On-
ramping, Layer 2 Transport, and both Public and Private Turnkey Network Construction
expertly tailored for businesses and Anchor Institutions nationwide.37 GeoLinks
maintains a local presence as Ventura C ounty is where the company originated. Their
service now expands from the Mexican border to the Oregon border. GeoLinks serves
layer 2 transport to a few neighborhoods to anchor institutions including schools and
some healthcare organizations where they have launched multi gigabit networks to
some of these organizations.
Geolinks maintains a 50/50 split of leased towers to owned towers. They use solar
panels, battery backup and small wind turbines and relay wireless signals down into
valleys. The company emphasizes it to specify and craft solutions for last mile delivery
that provides redundancy, low latency, and symmetrical fiber quality circuits. The
company focuses on line-of-sight solutions and does not express interest in
deployment of 5G.
Geolinks has partnership agreements with long-haul fiber companies including C rown
C astle and states that they have at least one c ustomer in Moorpark via an AT&T circuit
that connects to the POP at O ne Wilshire in Los Angeles. It also has lease
37 https://geolinks.com/innovative-telecom-solutions/
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arrangements in locations throughout the state with Southern California Edison, A T&T,
and Frontier, which range from 10G to dark fiber.
GeoLinks emphasized the importance of Moorpark adopting a dig once policy to reduce
overall project costs. They emphasized that permitting processes can be the most
expensive and time consuming parts of a project. For example, even if the company
has a CUP on file for an overall structure, they are required to obtain a new permit for
the col location, which creates permit costs and extends time lines and delays
connecting customers. The company stated they are able to build in two days but it
can take 45-60 days for permitting even when there’s already a tower.
GeoLinks did not state any immediate opportunities in the City of Moorpark or
opportunities to leverage assets for a partnership.
Spectrum/Charter
Spectrum/Charter currently has an agreement with the City of Moorpark to provide the
City fiber connections between five facilities for its internal use. The company reports
that it has invested millions of dollars in capital to its fiber-based broadband
infrastructure throughout all residential areas of the City. Services offered include
Sp ectrum Internet Gig, video, internet, and phone services. The company states that
only in rare exceptions does the company not currently offer services.
Spectrum/Charter is working closely with developers and neighborhoods to address
new-build developments and any reports of unavailable service. It is in the process of
expanding service areas, especially to small and medium sized businesses and states
that in addition to the 1Gbps business offering, more tailored solutions can be
arranged for faster speeds as required by businesses.
The company expressed a willingness to discuss opportunities to streamline regulatory
processes that would allow Spectrum/Charter and other providers to e xpand service
areas by providing faster, less expensive access to public rights-of-way.
Spectrum/Charter states that the City could best encourage investment through
transparent review and permit approval processes that treat all providers equally. The
City of Moorpark previously provided a letter of support for Spectrum/Charter to
pursue grant funding through the CPUC to expand service to an area within the City.
They are open to continued partnership opportunities with the City and are open to
signing a non-disclosure agreement (“N DA”) to share network maps and further plans
for expansion.
Zayo
The Zayo Group is a nationwide fiber infrastructure company with long haul, middle
mile and last mile fiber infrastructure throughout the US and the state of California.
Zayo provides communications infrastructure services, including fiber and bandwidth
connectivity, coll ocation and cloud infrastructure to its customers. Zayo considers
themselves a “Tier 1 ISP.” Their customers or “partners” range from large
communications companies such as Verizon and AT&T, to community stakeholders,
local governments and large bandwidth consumption businesses.
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Representatives from Zayo were engaged and interested in the goals of the City and
how they might be able to meet them, longer term. Zayo’s infrastructure does not
reach to Moorpark today and is more concentrated around the LA metropolitan area.
Based on two sample addresses in the underserved areas, Zayo will work with their
outside plant team to get an understanding of what the costs may be to build from
their nearest splice points. Zayo, like most ISP’s, will need to build a business case in
order to deploy new infrastructure into Moorpark, to prepare to make investment
recommendations internally. To develop a business case, the first step is to gather
initial cost estimates based on two addresses in the central business parks as a
possible starting point for negotiations.
The conversations concluded with the plan that Zayo would go back to their outside
plant team and build cost estimates to the business park addresses of 200 Science
Park Drive and 14501 Princeton Avenue. Zayo will also provide the City with dark fiber
leasing rates per mile, and cost estimates for offering lit bandwidth services.
Partnership Recommendations
The City should continue discussions with each of these potential partners as the
network develops. In particular, Moorpark should follow up with Spectrum/Charter
about entering a non-disclosure agreement to obtain maps of their current assets and
plans for deployment. The City should also follow up on Zayo’s willingness to provide
pricing to serve Science Drive and estimates for dark fiber and lit service offerings.
7.4 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Moorpark should consider pursuing state and federal funding to leverage its capital
expenditures to build out additional broadband assets. Generally, the Ci ty should be
monitoring broadband funding opportunities and be prepared to apply for them quickly
by having staff available to review notices of funding opportunities (“NOFOs”) and to
participate in grant writing.
The City should also track regional opportunities through continued participation
organizations such as the Broadband Consortium of the Pacific Coast (“BCPC”), as well
as closely monitoring the County’s broadband project. Moorpark should continue
engaging with the County’s project team about possible grant funding sources for the
MMR. Although the MMR is unlikely to meet funding requirements on its own, the
project may be eligible for funding through organizations such as the California Public
Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) as a part of the larger middle mile network.
Several funding programs are being defined now for next year. We expect new sources
of public funding to develop relatively often, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has
emphasized the need for broadband for economic development, telehealth, remote
learning, and a digital workforce.
Below are some key grant funding opportunities that Moorpark should consider
exploring to help fund broadband expansion within the City.
Rural Development Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Grant
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The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) offers subsidies to telecommunications
companies throughout the U.S. to upgrade and expand their networks as required to
provision broadband service at a minimum speed of 25 /3Mbps. This program is open to
eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) and primarily geared toward rural areas,
although there are some regions of Moorpark that are eligible, as shown in the map
below. Moorpark should track the results of RDOF auctions.
Regions that are outlined in blue are currently eligible.
Figure 7-1 . Moorpark RDOF Map
The Phase I auction is scheduled to begin on October 22, 2020 and will target over six
million homes and businesses in census blocks that are entirely unserved by voice and
broadband with download speeds of at least 25 Mbps. Phase II will cover locations in
census blocks that are partially served, as well as locations not funded in Phase I.
Wireline and wireless telephone companies seeking to participate in any of the High
Cost Program support components must be designated an eligible telecommunications
carrier and meet ongoing requirements by the applicable state or, in cases in which the
state does not have jurisdiction over a particular type of provider, the Federal
Communications Commission. Therefore, to seek this funding, Moorpark would need to
partner with an eligible telecommunications provider.
Economic Development Agency Grants
The Department of Commerce Economic Development Agency’s (“EDA”) Economic
Adjustment Assistance and Public Works programs help distressed communities
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revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure. This program enables
communities to attract new industry, encourage business expansion, diversify local
economies, and generate or retain long-term, private-sector jobs and investment
through the acquisition or development of land and infrastructure improvements
needed for the successful establishment or expansion of industrial or commercial
enterprises.
EDA Public Works program investments help facilitate the transition of communities
from being distressed to becoming competitive by developing key public infrastructure,
such as technology-based facilities that utilize distance learning networks, smart
rooms, and smart buildings, multi-tenant manufacturing and other facilities, business
and industrial parks with fiber-optic cable, and telecommunications and development
facilities.
In addition, EDA invests in traditional public works projects, including water and sewer
systems improvements, industrial parks, business incubator facilities, expansion of port
and harbor facilities, skill-training facilities, and brownfields redevelopment. EDA
grants are ongoing and range from $100,000 to $3 million.
To qualify, projects must demonstrate:
A lignment with at least one of EDA’s current investment priorities as published
on EDA’s website at www.eda.gov.
P otential to increase the capacity of the community or region to promote job
creation and private investment in the regional economy.
The likelihood that the project will achieve its projected outcomes.
Ability of the applicant to successfully implement the proposed project, including
the applicant’s financial and management capacity and the applicant’s capacity
to secure the support of key public and private sector stakeholders.
The CARES Act was passed in 2020 to assist communities with the COVID-19 crisis and
appropriated additional funding to the tune of $1.5B for the Federal Economic
Development Agencies Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, distributed by
region. The funding bill is not an infrastructure bill but includes support and additions
to funding for broadband, education, telehealth and tribal entities. No funding deadline
exists, and the funding will be highly competitive to local governments and
universities. Although this specific program is a short-term opportunity, Moorpark
should continue to monitor EDA funding by contacting its regional representative.
Additional opportunities may become available pending further action at the Federal
level.
California Advanced Services Fund Grant
California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) administers California Advanced
Services Fund (“CASF”) to provide broadband access to no less than 98% of California
households in each broadband consortium region by 2022. CASF is funded by a
surcharge rate on revenues collected by telecommunications carriers by end users for
intrastate telecommunications services. Both private telecommunications companies
and local government agencies are eligible to apply for funding.
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As of the time of this report, areas where no providers offer 6/1Mbps are eligible for
funding. However, a proposed senate bill in the State of California (SB-1130) w ould
make sweeping changes to the definition and funding of broadband infrastructure
throughout the state. The proposed legislation deletes the old 6/1 Mbps proposes that
now an area that lacks 25/25 M bps low latency broadband is eligible for funding and
only projects that provide future proofed infrastructure at a minimum of 100/100 M bps
low latency can receive state financing. It also would undo the ban on middle mile
open access projects receiving funding.
Moorpark should continue to track the status of SB-1130 and whether sections of the
City might be eligible for funding.
Impact Fees and Mitigations in Development Agreements
With the new development that is taking place in Moorpark, the City may have an
opportunity to fund broadband infrastructure projects by collecting impact fees. Just as
these fees can offset costs to manage water and sewer infrastructure, impact fees may
be used to support the costs of broadband infrastructure. These fees would be charged
to developers as terms of development agreements. The City may also want to
consider developing impact fees for construction in the public right-of-way that
reduces the longevity of the assets.
Specifically, the City should ask the developers of the area to the west of the current
Civic Center location where the Hitch Ranch Development is currently being planned to
install conduit as the development is built. To connect the network, North Hills
Parkway, Gabbert Road, and Casey Road are key; therefore, the City should request
that the developer install at least two 2” conduits in these locations. Additionally,
should the City decide to place an MMR in the library as recommended, two 4”
conduits should be placed on the southern end of that development, between West
High Street and either the newly built north-south road or Gabbert, and then south
over the rail crossing to Poindexter.
Moorpark’s legal counsel (City Attorney) should be consulted further about how to
most effectively implement such fees and mitigations.
7.5 VENTURA COUNTY BROADBAND PROJECT
Ventura County has recently begun efforts to plan for a countywide fiber network that
will bring increased connectivity to the entire region. In addition to connecting key
county facilities, public safety agencies, and other anchor institutions such as
healthcare facilities and schools, the Ventura County network will also interconnect
municipal networks, bringing options for wholesale bandwidth. Cities such as Moorpark
that participate in the project will be able to use the County’s network to connect back
to internet points-of-presence (POP), which could save the City the cost of having to
lease these connections from a private telecommunications carrier.
Should Moorpark decide to proceed with the recommendation to install an MMR in the
new Civic Center and Library campus, that location could play a key role in the
development of Ventura County’s networks. Regional collaboration with the County and
other cities would also provide Moorpark with more leverage for bringing in additional
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telecommunications investors. Such collateral efforts are often much more effective
means of approaching broadband strategy than are unilateral approaches.
For these reasons, it is vital that the City of Moorpark continue to actively participate
in the Ventura County project.
7.6 N EXT STEPS FOR MOORPARK’S BROADBAND STRATEGY
1. Incorporate broadband and technology into all planning considerations, especially
the City’s 2050 General Plan update. As it looks toward the future, the City of
Moorpark should collectively think of broadband as a utility that is necessary for
residents, businesses, and the City itself. Moorpark’s forthcoming General Plan
should include considerations for the broadband infrastructure and Smart City
applications addressed in this report, as well as other solutions that address
community needs. Magellan recommends that someone represent Smart City
devices and broadband networks during the development of the General Plan, as
well as on an ongoing basis in other planning and daily permitting and
construction approval activities, by assigning a member of the City’s Development
Review Committee to review projects and write conditions of approval for the
purposes of broadband deployment.
2. Implement policies related to the deployment of small cell telecommunications
facilities including an MLA, Small Cell Design and Deployment Standards, an
updated telecommunications ordinance, and a Dig Once ordinance and practice.
Moorpark should develop a Dig Once policy or ordinance, design standards and
guidelines for wireless facilities, and a template for future master license
agreements. These agreements should all strike a balance between maintaining
local control and partnering with providers to lower their barriers to entry in cases
where it is beneficial to the community. The City should also track the status of
current FCC rulemaking and adjust its policies as appropriate.
3. Include broadband in development agreements with considerations for impact
fees and mitigations for the placement of conduit. All development agreements
should be reviewed to ensure that the City is not missing opportunities to
encourage robust broadband. Requirements for placing conduit and mitigations
for deploying infrastructure should be considered on a case by case basis. Most
immediately, the City should request the developer of the Hitch Ranch area to
install conduit infrastructure according to the map contained in this plan. This
could save Moorpark a considerable amount of the costs to deploy broadband
infrastructure to complete buildout of a citywide fiber network. Moorpark’s legal
counsel should be further engaged to discuss how to most effectively implement
such fees.
4. Set aside funds to install conduit and/or fiber infrastructure during CIP projects.
Magellan recommends setting aside $100-150k to take advantage of opportunities
to install infrastructure such as joint build or CIP, keeping the marginal costs low.
Adding a conduit in coordination with another project can reduce costs by as
much as 33%. Moorpark may consider setting up an enterprise fund that is
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funded by fees such as the small cell or conduit lease revenues or the impact fees
mentioned above as a reserve for this.
5. Incrementally and opportunistically build connections for a Citywide fiber network.
As funds become available, close connections to create a redundant, resilient loop
of infrastructure that connect City facilities and that can be used to offer
additional services to businesses. These assets can be used for the City to provide
its own connections to replace the current Spectrum/Charter connections,
lowering telecommunications expenditures. The network assets can also be leased
to third party ISPs to provision services to businesses and new developments for
economic development.
6. Engage with potential partners about agreements to use City assets for increasing
service offerings. The City should continue discussions with incumbents AT&T and
Spectrum/Charter as well as other ISPs interested in entering the market to
understand how to best attract investment and leverage City assets. If desired,
the City could consider issuing an RFP to solicit responses from parties interested
in using assets such as conduit and/or fiber once they are built.
7. Track and participate in the Ventura County broadband project and other local
initiatives to promote a regional broadband vision and increase interest in the
region. M oorpark already plays an active role in participating with other cities in
the region on broadband initiatives. The City should continue to track the Ventura
County broadband project, as well as any other broadband initiatives occurring
within the region. Like many other initiatives, broadband planning is often the
most productive when it is approached as a regional effort, and Moorpark’s
location in the center of Ventura County and along Highway 118 makes its
participation in such efforts extremely beneficial for both the City and other
stakeholders.
8. Provide space for a meet-me room in the design plans for the new Civic Center.
Moorpark should consider releasing an RFI or RFP to determine the feasibility of
building an MMR. This meeting point could unlock not only additional investment
from broadband providers, but a thriving tech ecosystem that attracts an array of
new businesses. Before finalizing the construction plans, ensure that
considerations for space, power conditioning, air conditioning, and dual route
entry are noted.
9. Continue tracking grant opportunities for funding expansion of broadband assets
including EDA, RDOF, and CASF. Be ready to pursue funding opportunities that
may have short windows. Working closely with organizations such as the County,
other cities, EDA, and the Broadband Consortium of the Pacific Coast will be
helpful in keeping track of what is available and how to seek funding.
10. Should the City desire to further understand the cost and revenue potential of the
network identified in this Plan, it should perform a full financial analysis based on
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further outreach to the business community. Because a full ROI analysis was not
performed, detailed revenue projections are not available. For additional financial
estimates, Moorpark should conduct detailed design engineering to better
understand the cost of building the network and perform additional outreach to
businesses and potential partners in order to generate take rate estimates and
other key metrics that could input into a pro-forma to provide more detailed
return on investment estimates.
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