DATE: October 13, 2026
CATEGORY: Unfinished Business
DEPT.: City Manager’s Office
TITLE: Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber
Network
RECOMMENDATION
1. Receive a report on the Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network.
2. Adopt Phase 1a of the report and direct staff to return to Council during the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget process for project funding, and direct staff to establish a Technology Upgrade Reserve for future implementation of Phase 1b and other strategic technology investments as budget permits.
BACKGROUND
As part of the Fiscal Years 2023-25 Council Work Plan, Council maintained the exploration of expanding broadband access under the Community for All strategic priority. Given the complexity of the issue, on May 9, 2023, Council received a staff report recommending an initial broadband needs assessment and gap analysis.
In February 2024, after issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) and thoroughly reviewing and evaluating proposals, the City entered into an agreement with Entrust Solutions (Entrust) to conduct a broadband needs assessment and gap analysis to assist the City in evaluating policy options for broadband infrastructure improvement going forward.
The study was conducted from March 2024 through August 2024 and culminated in a Summary Report presented to the City Council at a Study Session on February 25, 2025. The scope of work was organized into four technical memoranda covering an Asset Inventory, a Broadband Market Assessment, a Broadband Needs Assessment, and a Gap Analysis and SWOT Matrix, resulting in seven findings. One of the key findings was:
The City Would Benefit from a City Fiber Network Conceptual Design — A fiber backbone can connect City facilities and anchor institutions, expand the traffic communication network, and address underserved neighborhoods.
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Council directed the development of a Fiber Network Conceptual Design.
ANALYSIS
Given the Council direction, this project was subsequently carried forward into the Fiscal Years 2025-27 Council Work Plan, with the stated goal to "Develop the conceptual design for a citywide fiber network."
The City again contracted with ENTRUST to conduct a City of Mountain View Fiber Network Study (Attachment 1), building on their prior work on the Broadband Assessment and Gap Analysis. The study presents the conceptual fiber network design, a phased implementation approach, construction cost estimates, and a theoretical Internet Service Provider (ISP) business model and financial analysis for City Council consideration.
The City Conceptual Design was drafted using the following factors to determine route mapping and phasing sequences:
• Existing City infrastructure
• City prioritized sites, facilities, and locations
• Network resilience and redundancy; and
• Fiscal responsibility and strategic investment
Existing City Infrastructure
The City of Mountain View currently maintains approximately 3.7 miles of conduit infrastructure within the public right-of-way. These conduit assets provide potential pathways that could support the installation of future fiber optic infrastructure without requiring additional trenching or roadway excavation and help inform the design mapping.
In addition, the City currently uses INET, a Comcast-owned and maintained fiber network, to support all City communication needs and services, including interconnection between City sites.
The INET network itself has evolved and aged over time, and it can no longer meet all the City’s communication needs, primarily because the assets are old, are no longer maintained by Comcast, and simply cannot provide the speeds and connectivity required for the future of the City’s critical sites.
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
City-Prioritized Sites, Facilities, and Locations
Staff provided Entrust with an initial list of 291 prioritized sites, facilities, and locations to guide potential network design expansion. Each location was subsequently assigned a priority level from one (1) to three (3), reflecting its relative importance to City operations and community services. The list included a broad range of identifiable locations such as parking facilities, parks and recreation locations, civic buildings, schools, medical facilities, and other public-serving sites.
Notably, some identified sites are either private entities or separate public agencies but are important community assets. Their inclusion would ultimately be determined by the entity or agency seeking inclusion and by the successful negotiation of their inclusion.
The prioritization framework guided the phasing of the network expansion plan. Higher-priority sites were addressed earlier in the design process to ensure that critical services and infrastructure are supported first, with path-redundant routes. Lower-priority sites were incorporated in later phases, allowing the City to align deployment with operational needs, available budget resources, and potential partnerships. This phased approach ensures that the network delivers the greatest value and impact from the outset.
Because not all locations require direct fiber connectivity in the initial deployment phases, the list was refined to focus on sites that best support logical network routing and near-term operational needs. Through this process, the original list of 291 locations was narrowed to a manageable set of 82 sites, which were ultimately incorporated into the final conceptual design.
Priority 1 sites − include 21 locations identified as the most essential City facilities, such as administrative buildings like City Hall, fire and police locations, and public works facilities.
Prioritizing these locations ensures that core government operations and critical public safety functions receive secure, high-capacity connectivity first, establishing the foundational network needed to support broader City services.
Priority 2 sites − include 19 locations that, while not core-critical, provide strong public service value and have direct City involvement, such as other community facilities like the Library, Downtown Transit Center, and Center for Performing Arts, among others. It also includes medical facilities and Mountain View High School.
Priority 3 sites − include 42 additional sites, such as community facilities like transit stations, medical facilities, mobile home parks, other public administration facilities, and school facilities.
These locations offer long-term value and can be integrated opportunistically, supported by inter-agency or public-private partnerships and engagement with Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
A breakdown of sites by category and priority is provided below.
Table 1: Number of Sites by Category and Priority
Category Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Total
Administration Buildings 3 2 5
Civic/Community Facilities 5 8 6 19
Fire and Police 8 8
City Works 5 1 6
Medical Facilities 2 1 3
Recreation 8 8
Schools 1 26 27
Mobile Home Parks 6 6
Total 21 19 42 82
Network Resilience and Redundancy
The conceptual fiber network design emphasizes a resilient architecture with redundant routing paths throughout each phase of implementation, with particular focus on Priority 1 sites to ensure path diversity and full redundancy, so that no single fiber cut can interrupt services.
Rather than concentrating redundancy in a single stage, the phased plan intentionally includes segments in every phase that either establish new looped routes or reinforce existing backbone corridors. This layered approach reduces reliance on single-path connectivity and helps ensure that critical facilities can remain connected via alternate routes if individual fiber segments are disrupted by construction, maintenance, or unforeseen events.
The conceptual fiber network design is illustrated on the following page.
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
The following phased implementation plan outlines how the backbone and lateral routes connect priority facilities and reinforce network resilience. It’s important to note that construction phasing and site prioritization serve different purposes and do not necessarily align. A Phase 1 route may pass a Priority 3 site that could be efficiently connected if the City chooses to do so.
Inclusion along an early-phase route does not change a site’s assigned priority or commit the City to provide connectivity.
Phase 1a Civic Center Loop – This phase (Table 2 below, and Attachment 2 – Figure 1 Phase 1a) is designed to mark the City’s initial transition from reliance on the legacy INET system to a Cityowned fiber backbone. It represents the smallest capital investment in the overall implementation plan at $1,096,128 and serves as the starting point for moving municipal communications onto infrastructure owned and controlled by the City.
By focusing on a compact loop within the Civic Center area and connecting several high-priority facilities, the City can begin migrating critical communications services while limiting the initial construction scope and cost. This early deployment also provides an opportunity to establish construction standards and operational procedures that will guide future network expansion.
Table 2: Phase 1a Civic Center Loop
Phase 1a Sites Segment Priority
City Hall Civic Center Loop 1
Fire Station 1 Civic Center Loop 1
Police-Fire Administration Building Civic Center Loop 1 City Parking Lot 11 Civic Center Loop 1
Library Civic Center Loop 2
Performing Arts Center Civic Center Loop 2
City Parking Garage 1 Civic Center Loop 2
Eagle Swimming Pool Complex Civic Center Loop 2
Mountain View Medical Offices Civic Center Loop 2
Mountain View Chamber of Commerce Civic Center Loop 3
Mountain View Academy Civic Center Loop 3
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
Phase 1b Redundant Citywide Backbone Expansion - Phase 1b represents the first major expansion of the City’s fiber backbone beyond the Civic Center area established in Phase 1a. With an estimated construction cost of $6,836,544 and approximately 10.79 miles of new fiber infrastructure, this phase would extend the network along key corridors to reach additional critical facilities and operational centers across the City, as shown in Table 3 below and Attachment 3 – Figure 2 Phase 1b. Although significantly larger in scale than the initial deployment, the design builds directly on the backbone architecture established in Phase 1a by expanding redundant connectivity across multiple areas of the City.
Table 3: Phase 1b Redundant Citywide Backbone Expansion Phase 1b Sites Segment Priority
Fire Station 4 Operations Center Loop 1
Municipal Operations Center Administration Operations Center Loop 1 PD Women’s Dorm Operations Center Loop 1
PD Men’s Dorm Operations Center Loop 1
City Warehouse Operations Center Loop 1
Fleet Services Operations Center Loop 1
Mountain View Transit Center Operations Center Loop 2
Jose Vargas Elementary Operations Center Loop 3
Yew Chung International School Operations Center Loop 3 Whisman Elementary School Operations Center Loop 3
Moffet Mobile Home Park Operations Center Loop 3
Adobe Building Operations Center Loop 3
VTA Bus Terminal Operations Center Loop 3
Fire Station 5 Northern Shoreline Extension 1
Shoreline Maintenance Facility Northern Shoreline Extension 1 Fuel Station Northern Shoreline Extension 1
Shoreline Amphitheatre Northern Shoreline Extension 1
Flare Station Northern Shoreline Extension 1
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
Phase 1b Sites Segment Priority
Immigrant House North Rengstorff Extension 1
Fire Station 3 North Rengstorff Extension 1
Community Center North Rengstorff Extension 1
Mountain View Senior Center North Rengstorff Extension 1 Administrative Offices, CSD Recreation Division North Rengstorff Extension 1 The View Teen Center North Rengstorff Extension 2
Rengstorff Pool House North Rengstorff Extension 2
Shoreline Gate House North Rengstorff Extension 2
Waldorf School of the Peninsula North Rengstorff Extension 3 Learning Links Preschool North Rengstorff Extension 3
Avenidas Rose Kleiner Center -Senior Day Care North Rengstorff Extension 3 Fire Station 2 Fire Station 2 Extension 1
Mountain View Sports Pavilion Fire Station 2 Extension 2 Grahm Middle School Fore Station 2 Extension 3
Phase 2 Community Facilities - Phase 2 (Table 4 below and Attachment 4 – Figure 3 Phase 2) continues the expansion of the City’s fiber backbone by extending connectivity to 12 additional civic, transportation, and recreational facilities within the City. With an estimated construction cost of $3,624,192 and approximately 5.72 miles of new fiber infrastructure, this phase focuses on connecting additional municipal and community facilities and strengthening redundancy along several existing backbone corridors.
Table 4: Phase 2 Community Facilities
Phase 2 Sites Segment Priority
Mountain View High School Grant Road Connector 2
Sutter Health Mountain View Center Grant Road Connector 2 School District Admin Building Grant Road Connector 3
Maintenance Building Grant Road Connector 3
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
Phase 2 Sites Segment Priority
Sunset Estates Mobile Home Park Grant Road Connector 3
New Frontier Mobile Home Park Grant Road Connector 3
San Antonio Transit Center San Antonio Connector 2
San Antonio Cal Train Station San Antonio Connector 2
Michaels Restaurant Shoreline Recreational Lateral 2
Shoreline Golf Pro Shop Shoreline Recreational Lateral 2 Rengstorff House Shoreline Recreational Lateral 2
Shoreline Boathouse & American Bistro Shoreline Recreational Lateral 2 Phase 3 Network Access Laterals – Phase 3 focuses on extending the City’s fiber network through a series of shorter lateral connections designed to reach additional community-serving facilities throughout the City (Table 5 below and Attachment 5 – Figure 4 Phase 3). Because most of these sites were Priority 3, many of these laterals are single routes extending to a site without providing the redundant path that mission-critical sites require. With an estimated construction cost of $5,100,480 and approximately 8.1 miles of new fiber infrastructure, this phase connects a total of 26 facilities, many of which are non-City sites, such as educational, childcare, and other community-oriented sites that were not directly served by the backbone routes established in earlier phases. However, it remains to be seen whether these non-City agencies would seek to join the network and fund the associated costs.
Table 5: Phase 3 Network Access Laterals
Phase 3 Sites Segment Priority
Alta Vista High School Eunice Connector 3
Action Day Primary Plus School Eunice Connector 3
El Camino Hospital Miramonte Connector 3
St Francis High School Miramonte Connector 3
Community School of Music & Arts California Connector 3 Springer Elementary Lateral Connection 3
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
Phase 3 Sites Segment Priority
Middlefield Station Lateral Connection 3
Whisman Sports Complex Lateral Connection 2
Crittenden Middle School Lateral Connection 3
Whisman Station Lateral Connection 3
Stevenson Elementary Lateral Connection 3
Theuerkauf Elementary Lateral Connection 3
Tiny Einstein Child Development Center Lateral Connection 3 Palo Alto Preparatory Lateral Connection 3
St Stephen Lutheran School Lateral Connection 3
Moorpark Mobile Home Park Lateral Connection 3
Gabriela Mistral Elementary Lateral Connection 3
Mariano Castro Elementary Lateral Connection 3
Amy Imai Elementary Lateral Connection 3
Sahara Mobile Village Lateral Connection 3
Benjamin Bubb Elementary Lateral Connection 3
Edith Landels Elementary Lateral Connection 3
Post Office Lateral Connection 3
Monta Loma Elementary Lateral Connection 3
Santiago Villa Mobile Home Park Lateral Connection 3
St. Joseph’s Catholic School Lateral Connection 3
Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
Fiscal Responsibility and Strategic Investment
The plan is designed to divide implementation into phases, sub-phases, or individual segments, aligning investment with available budgets, grant opportunities, and shifting operational priorities. Coordination with Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects, utilities, and other construction partners can reduce excavation costs and enable the City to build incrementally.
Later phases can be adjusted as new development occurs or opportunities emerge, while maintaining priority for critical City facilities. Table 6 provides the total estimated costs for each phase of the plan and the total for all phases.
Table 6: Total Estimated Costs for Each Phase of the Conceptual Design Plan Component Linear Feet Unit Cost Total Cost
Phase 1a Civic Center 9,134 $120 $1,096,128
Phase 1b Redundant Network Expansion 56,971 $120 $6,836,544 Phase 2 Community Facilities 30,201 $120 $3,624,192
Phase 3 Network Access Laterals 42,504 $120 $5,100,480
TOTAL 138,810 $120 $16,657,344
In addition to the estimated costs associated with the phasing of the fiber network design, staff asked Entrust to evaluate theoretical models for potential revenue derived from the provision of ISP services. The models are intended to inform whether there are any opportunities for the City to potentially monetize the development of the fiber backbone phases.
Under this framework, service would be introduced incrementally in alignment with backbone construction, rather than as a full systemwide deployment. For example, following completion of an initial backbone phase (Phase 1), the City could launch service within the areas served by that phase to assess operational performance, customer demand, and financial outcomes.
Subsequent backbone expansions would enable additional service-area launches (Phases 2 and 3). This approach is intended to illustrate a practical theoretical implementation pathway for a retail model, while allowing results to be evaluated at each stage before underwriting further investment.
The financial analysisshows that none of the three modeled municipal retail broadband scenarios covers its operating costs as a stand-alone enterprise, even before accounting for debt service on any retail startup capital. The scenarios assume that the City backbone is independently funded and constructed. They evaluate the additional capital and operating requirements to provide theoretical retail service to residents and businesses within 175 feet of the proposed Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
routes. At a modeled 30 percent take rate (subscribers), the annual Year 10 operating losses range from approximately $943,000 for Scenario 1 to $494,000 for Scenario 3. Retail network launch capital ranges from approximately $3.37 million to $6.31 million and is separate from initial backbone construction costs.
For additional information on the retail scenario analysis, refer to the Appendix in the Summary Report (Attachment 1).
California Environmental Quality Act
Phase 1a of the Project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act as the operation and installation of mechanical equipment or electrical conveyances (Section 15301). On a separate and independent basis Phase 1a of the Project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act as the replacement or reconstruction of existing facilities (Section 15302). On a separate independent basis Phase 1a is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act as a minor alteration to land (Section 15304).
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no immediate fiscal impact associated with receiving the Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network or adopting Phase 1a. Funding for implementation of Phase 1a will be evaluated as part of the upcoming CIP budget process and staff will return to Council with a recommendation.
The recommendation also directs staff to establish a Technology Upgrade Reserve to support the potential future implementation of Phase 1b and other critical citywide technology upgrades, security needs, and investments. Funding for this reserve will be considered as part of the City’s forthcoming budget process and will be subject to available resources and Council approval. No funding for Phase 1b is requested at this time.
LEVINE ACT
California Government Code Section 84308 (also known as the Levine Act) prohibits city officials from participating in any proceeding involving a “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” if the official has received a campaign contribution exceeding $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant within the last 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-toplay-limits-and-prohibitions.html Conceptual Design for a Citywide Fiber Network
October 13, 2026
Please see below for information about whether the recommended action for this agenda item is subject to or exempt from the Levine Act.
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
☒ General policy and legislative actions
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not approve the recommendation and provide staff with alternative direction.
PUBLIC NOTICING
Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Arn Andrews
Assistant City Manager
Christina Gilmore
Intergovernmental Relations Manager
Approved by:
Kimbra McCarthy
City Manager
Attachments: 1. City of Mountain View Fiber Network Study Report
2. Figure 1 – Phase 1a
3. Figure 2 – Phase 1b
4. Figure 3 – Phase 2
5. Figure 4 – Phase 3