After getting the go-ahead for a fiber optic infrastructure in the City of Rushville, the $179,000 cost of phase one of the project is underway, and on schedule, according to contractor Randy Frye. The Rushville City Council gave its nod to the project in early August, and since that time, Frye’s crews from Blue River Telecom have been diligent in getting phase one complete by Christmas.

Thus far, conduit pipes have been laid for the downtown network; the next step will be to run the actual fiber optic cable through and completely connect the downtown network.

“We started two weeks ago, and despite a few delays, we are pleased with the progress,” Frye said, adding that although his company has completed network jobs, this project will actually be the first major network job for the city and county.

Phase one of the project includes a network linked between the Rush County Courthouse, the Rush County Sheriff’s Department, the Rushville Fire Department and City Hall. It is a monumental step in the direction of advanced technology for both city and county, according to Frye.

“All of the offices that will be on this network will also have access to the fiber optic cable that’s being brought to town (for residential use),” Frye said. “This means that eventually, everyone can get large amounts of band width - that equals speed. So by having access to the cable from RushShelby Energy, city and county offices will have access all over the state, with other agencies. The possibilities are literally endless. This is a tremendous jump in technological advances for this community, and I believe it will serve as a model for other communities - mainly for their willingness to install this type of high-speed network.”

The two-part plan that is now underway is still in need of adjustments, according to Frye. As phase one is completed, it is likely the City Council and County Commissioners will be asked to make a decision on phase two.

The initial $179,000 cost of phase one has been divided evenly between city and county; phase two has been given a rough estimate price tag of $750,000. Frye said that it is likely the project will pay for itself in five years or less.

Initially the city, along with Rush County and RushShelby Energy, had agreed to spend $100,000 towards a fiber loop project; that plan has since been altered to use only RushShelby funds, which left both the city and county with money set aside for such a project.

Phase one includes:

n Install a 12-strand fiber optic cable from the Rush County Courthouse to the mayor’s office.

n Install a 12-strand fiber optic cable from the courthouse to the Rush County Sheriff’s Department.

n Use two strands of an existing six-strand fiber optic cable from the RCSD to the Rushville Fire Department.

n Install a 24-strand fiber optic cable from the courthouse to RushShelby Energy to provide high speed bandwidth to serve as a feed to the outside world.

n Install a load-sharing server in the courthouse to serve both the city and county.

n Install Cicso equipment in the mayor’s office, the RCSD office, the RFD and the courthouse.

n Install eight-hour UPS equipment to serve as a battery back-up for the LAN (fiber optic network.)

According to BRT, the phase one network will build a foundation for future expansion and the groundwork for phase two. Phase two will start with the installation of a fiber optic distribution hub downtown, then thread throughout the industrial park on Conrad Harcourt Way.

The expansions that BRT has in mind include wireless downtown with connection to the fiber backbone, voice-over IP communications for both city and county, video conferencing and network cameras for public safety, mobile data communications for public safety departments and finally, according to Frye, “energize business development and attract new industry.”

“We have a lot of homework to do before we are ready for phase two, but we are definitely looking forward to that part of the completed product,” Frye said. “As technology continues to advance, new opportunities will continue to open up, and hopefully, we can keep this community on the edge of those advances.”



Rushville Republican Staff Writer Starr Shuppert can be contacted at (765) 932-2222; at P.O. Box 189, Rushville, IN 46173; or at starr.shuppert@cnhimedia.com.