It’s too early to tell how Chapel Hill will take advantage of the recent FCC override of a state law that banned municipalities from setting up broadband services.

“I know we haven’t had the time to evaluate, exactly, which direction we’d want to go with that,” said John Bjurman, chief information officer for the Town of Chapel Hill. “I know that it’s a possibility that we could do something to alleviate some issues that we see in town, in the future.”

Chapel Hill started down that road about five years ago, just before the NCGA threw up a roadblock. Now, as Chapel Hill considers the possibilities offered by the recent FCC decision, the town is already testing a wi-fi solution to the digital divide in one neighborhood.

Back in 2010, the town partnered with the N.C. Dept. of Transportation to install fiber optic cable, for the purpose of coordinating traffic signals.

The town’s IT people suggested they take advantage of an opportunity that presented.

“If it’s strung in the air from utility pole to utility pole, we could lash our cable to that cable, and we would do both of them at the same time,” said Bjurman. “That saved a ton in installation labor.”

For $500,000, the town put up 124 strands of cable in a 34-mile ring.

“They got the funds from the federal government to help fund that,” said Bjurman, “and it was put in place.”

At the time, said Bjurman, Chapel Hill’s information experts were exploring various ways the fiber could improve internet accessibility and performance for citizens.

“And then the legislatures in 2011 passed the HB129 bill, which prevented municipalities from doing anything like that,” said Bjurman.”

The bill was backed by Time Warner Cable. The cable giant complained to the legislature that local broadband services presented unfair competition, and most legislators agreed.

Municipalities ultimately prevailed, in the Feb. 26, 2015 FCC decision. But four year ago, a lot of towns, including Chapel Hill, had their hopes quashed.

So, making the best of the situation, Chapel Hill connected all the outlying locations from Town Hall – such as the fire station, the police station, Parks and Recreation and the library – to one network.

Before that, the town was connecting to each of those locations though metro Ethernet lines.

“We’re saving right now, because of the fiber cable – that we’re not having to pay those lines – about $73,000 a year.”

He added that the savings amount may even be higher. The cables should be good for about 50 years of usage life.

In 2013, The General Assembly passed HB44, which mandates a funding transition from physical textbooks to digital sources across the state, beginning in 2017.

Before too long, kids may no longer be bringing textbooks home from school.

“That means that they won’t be able to do work unless they are on the internet,” said Bjurman. “And there’s the digital divide that we all talk about. There’s a gap where there are students that are in places that don’t have the capability, the access.”

Currently, the Town of Chapel Hill is experimenting with a wireless solution in some neighborhoods.

Town techs are evaluating how well it works, as well as how much support would be required to keep it working.

“We can actually piggyback on out fiber-optics cable now, to provide the wi-fi into these neighborhoods that are close to the fiber-optics cable,” said Bjurman. “So, we can provide the internet access, abd then we can put an antenna on the end of the fiber, basically, and then spread that signal throughout the neighborhood.”

The test area is in the town-owned Craig-Gomians neighborhood near Craig and Gomains streets. The signal will originate from a neighborhood building formerly used as a police sub-station.

At the end of the three-month trial period, town techs hope to have solutions for whatever improvements may be needed, as well as a non-profit group or other entity on board, ready to take over some of the duties required.

If you live in an apartment in the Craig-Gomians area and would like to receive equipment to participate in this trial, please call the Chapel Hill Public Housing at 919-968-2850.