Presentation to the Yountville Town Council on the
LATA Grant Project -
Broadband Engineering Feasibility Study and
Partnership Development Opportunities Report
April 1, 2025
Presented by:
Tom Robinson, President & CEO
Dick Nielsen, Senior Engineer
CBG Communications, Inc.
36 Bryan Avenue
Malvern, PA 19355
P: 445-245-4618
Introductions
CBG Communications Project Team:
Tom Robinson, President & CEO
Dick Nielsen, Senior Engineer
Krystene Rivers, Senior Research
Associate
Andrew Entrikin, GIS Specialist
2 Two Key Components of the Project
Broadband Engineering Feasibility
Study
Partnership Development Review and
Analysis
3 Broadband Engineering Feasibility
Study
The Study was designed to ensure that broadband
infrastructure and services were available
throughout the Town, and if not, design
infrastructure to “fill in the gaps”.
Broadband is defined as 100 megabits per second
(Mbps) download/20 Mbps upload, and the Federal and
State goal is to have it be scalable to symmetrical 100 Mbps download/upload.
4 Broadband Engineering Feasibility
Study
Broadband system design and service review, review
of the Federal Communications Commission’s
(FCC’s) broadband maps, discussions with
broadband providers and a walkout of the available
broadband infrastructure in the Town showed that
wireline broadband service is available to all
residents and businesses within the Town.
That wireline service is planned to be increased to above symmetrical 100 Mbps by the end of 2026.
5 Broadband
Engineering
Feasibility
Study
6 Broadband Engineering Feasibility
Study
The Study then shifted to reviewing where public
access to the Internet should be provided at key
public gathering spots (for both residents and
visitors/tourists) in the Town.
Areas identified included: the largest, most utilized public parks; public facilities and campuses; and the
Washington Street business corridor.
7 Broadband Engineering Feasibility
Study
Multiple designs were made, evaluated and reviewed.
The final recommended design is proposed to be built,
based on available funding and contributions by
partners, in three phases.
It would provide no cost to the public, wireless symmetrical 100 Mbps download/upload in all the proposed locations. It would include multiple wireless broadband access points (APs), high-capacity wireless backhaul, fiber optic
interconnects, and access to up to a 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), fiber optic-based, Internet access backhaul network. 8 Phase 1
of the
Public Access
Network
9 Phase 2
of the
Public Access
Network
10 Phase 3
of the
Public Access
Network
11 Total Design of
the
Public Access
Network
Project
(all 3 Phases)
12 Potential Cost of the Project
Total Costs, By Phase
Phase 1 Total $133,075
Phase 2 Total $222,075
Phase 3 Total $145,500
Total Cost of the Three Phases $500,650
13 Partnership Development Opportunities
Multiple potential partnerships were explored to help develop and implement the proposed broadband
network, including with organizations that serve key
populations in the Town (i.e., seniors, veterans, etc.). Discussions were held with Broadband providers and
system vendors, including Comcast, wireless provider
Valley Internet and others.
Discussions were held with the Chamber of Commerce,
concerning the positive impact that enhanced
broadband can have on economic and workforce
development.
14 Partnership Development Opportunities
A Survey was then developed and sent out to
approximately 60 members of the Chamber, with 14
businesses responding (23% response rate). Some key
findings from the Survey included:
Approximately half of the respondents indicated their broadband service/Internet access did not meet their current needs, indicating that the service was too slow and/or was unreliable.
Eight of thirteen survey respondents indicated that a highcapacity wireless broadband system in the Washington Street corridor and other business areas established by the Town would be beneficial to them.
15 Partnership Development Opportunities
Eight of eleven survey respondents indicated that a highcapacity wireless broadband system covering public places would be beneficial to them, their customers and clients. The majority of the survey respondents indicated that they weren’t sure yet how willing they would be to help financially support initial development and sustainability of such a system until they knew more about what the cost would be and how they would be asked to support it (e.g., sponsorship, advertising placement on splash pages, etc.).
Overall, business community involvement in development and sustainability of the network will require more detailed discussions.
16 Partnership Development Opportunities
Discussions were held with potential public partners
including the Napa County Library and the Veterans Home of California - Yountville.
The Napa County Library presents the best opportunity for partnership, because of a current project underway to expand public Wi-Fi at the Yountville Library, that could be further expanded into the Town Center complex and
would leverage the Library’s high-capacity Internet
backhaul.
There would need to be a detailed partnership
agreement, in a form such as a Memorandum of
Understanding.
17 Overall Conclusions and Recommendations
Depending on available funding and contributions by
partners, the Town should:
Develop a Memorandum of Understanding with the Napa
County Library to develop and deploy, at a minimum, the first phase of the public broadband Wi-Fi system.
Work with the Library through the established MOU or a private vendor/provider partner to develop and deploy
the second phase of the system implementation -- public broadband Wi-Fi Internet access in the four designated
parks.
18 Overall Conclusions and Recommendations
Work with the Library or a private vendor/provider
partner in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce to
develop and deploy the third phase of the public
broadband Wi-Fi Internet access system to the Washington Street and other business corridors.
Leverage the public broadband Wi-Fi Internet access
system for broadband Internet adoption-spurring efforts. Such efforts should focus on:
Affordable access to the Internet by the public.
Enabling the public to gain access to digital skills training while utilizing the system.
19 Q & A
20 Thank you!
21