A Minnesota community is considering the feasibility and potential of...

costs could be matched by revenues generated, whether by the private sector or public sector, over any reasonable period of time,” said a brief presented this week at the St. Louis Park City Council study session. The council debated its agenda for Nov. 5 and 13 meetings and looked at the new fiber study authorized in September 2011 to determine next steps. St. Louis Park is a city of about 45,000 residents west of Minneapolis. The report finds St. Louis Park has “largely met its own broadband needs through its systematic and concerted efforts” but outlines several steps for expanded deployment and introduction of fiber. The city’s schools and most municipal buildings are served via fiber but the residential and business consumers lack state-of-the-art fiber, the report said. The city’s telecom and cable providers are focusing on wireless and DSL efforts rather than bringing a better wired fiber connection, it said. The report suggests incrementally expanding fiber to different parts of St. Louis Park as well as steps and strategies it should take if it wants to begin fiber-to-the-premises projects. The council’s telecom advisory commission unanimously approved CTC’s recommendations in the draft version of this report Oct. 10. The study cost about $50,000, according to the brief.