During its second meeting in July, the Communications and Information Technology Committee recommended an agreement with COS Systems to make the connection among the city's infrastructure, Internet service providers and customers of the Superior broadband utility.
COS Systems would provide the business engine software that allows consumers to connect to Internet service providers for service.
"It's the main puzzle piece that helps everything talk to each other," said Stephanie Becken, broadband manager.
ConnectSuperior will provide an open-access network that will allow Internet service providers to offer connections to the city's fiber optic network, giving consumers a choice among service providers.
While that open-access system is still relatively new in the United States, Becken said it's not new in Europe. COS Systems started in Sweden.
"They are very well-respected in their market and there are several markets in the U.S. they are working with," Becken said.
"It's fairly new, so they are the player that's doing this right now," said Dan Shea, Superior's information technology director.
Under the three-year agreement councilors will consider, COS Systems would create the platform where consumers could choose a provider and sign up for service. The initial cost is $48,000 with a monthly fixed subscription cost of $1,900 over the three-year term. With an endpoint fee of $1.45 based on the number of customers, the overall cost for the three-year contract is estimated at $159,000.
All costs for building the network and getting it running will be paid by the Superior broadband utility.
"There's nothing hardware dependent on this with the interfacing," Shea said. "If we're not happy with this, we could simply move onto something else."
Under the agreement, Becken said the city would have to provide six months' notice if ConnectSuperior decides to make a change, but COS Systems would have to provide one year's notice if it would no longer provide the business engine software.
The software is kind of the glue to connect customers to providers, said Councilor Tylor Elm, chairman of the Communications and Information Technology Committee.
"If you don't have this, it's going to be a manual process for billing," Elm said. "It's going to be like the old operators plugging things in ... from a marketing standpoint, you can choose the ISPs (Internet service providers) and the packages that are available."
Becken said it will take time to build the website, but the goal is to work on that while the network is being laid in the pilot project area. Once available, Shea said access to the site software platform will be available through the ConnectSuperior and city websites.
The committee took no action on agreements still being finalized with MCA Lightspeed Technologies Inc. for IP and fixed-network equipment, professional services and maintenance for hardware needed to connect the city's network to the Internet.
"This is the tech in the data room," Becken said. "This is the brain."
Becken said she hopes to have the finalized agreements available for the council to consider when it meets Tuesday.
Elm suggested sending the agreements to committee members so they could review them, and questions or concerns could be addressed during council deliberations.
"When I look at you gentleman, you are more familiar with than I am ... I really would like your eyes on these agreements," said Councilor Ruth Ludwig, a member of the committee.
The City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Room 201 of the Government Center.
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