Meeting between fiber-optic firm, Quincy canceled

A meeting between i3 America and officials from the city of Quincy was canceled Thursday without explanation.

The fiber-optic company headquartered in the United Kingdom has been seeking permission to install fiber-optic cables that could provide cable television, Internet and phone service at speeds that are 10 times faster than current services provided in the city.

"The meeting is canceled. I don't want to say anything about why that happened," said Chuck Bevelheimer, director of the Quincy Department of Planning and Development.

In 2010, i3 America won permission to install 1,300 feet of fiber-optic cable in municipal sewer lines along South 46th Street. The project was abandoned in May 2011 after i3 America asked for permission to lay cable under streets instead of in the sewer lines.

Bevelheimer said at that time that the city's goal was to avoid micro-trenching as much as possible. He said i3 officials had previously said they would install lines behind curbs to avoid tearing up streets.

The city has an ordinance that prevents cutting up streets for five years after they are repaved.

April 26, 2012

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