Business Development Updates

Mark Mrla - September

Opportunities

Triangle Communications – Engineering for FTTP

Essentia, Inc. – FTTP Engineering for Housing Developments

PDI Communications – Fiber Engineering between buildings in MDU Complexes

Maquoketa, IA – Feasibility Study for Broadband

Glenwood Springs, CO – Phase 1 is a Feasibility Study, Phase 2 is a System Design for FTTP

Cortez, CO – RFP for feasibility study

Projects Won

Pope County, MN – Feasibility Study for Broadband

City of Davis, CA – Feasibility Study for Broadband

SW Regional Dev. Commission, MN (6 counties in MN) – Feasibility Studies for Broadband

Muscatine Power & Water, IA – Construction Management for FTTP

Ottertail County, MN – Feasibility Study for Broadband - contract should be signed by early Oct.

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa – Sub surveys, staking, inspections, as-builts, etc. – Contract signed 9/15/17

Lead Activity

Jo-Carroll Energy, IL (REC) – FTTP [Vantage Point did 500 of 26,000 subs, but they may switch engineering firms] – Waiting for them to send us maps and requirements. They still want to build out to the remaining 25,500 subs but may only spend in the range of $1M+ per year

Alpine Communications, IA – FTTP (slowly converting exchanges) [Using VP, but may switch engineering firms] – Still having meetings with them. They still need to build out 2 towns and the rural areas around 7 towns.

Rockport, ME – Feasibility Study for Broadband

Redwood County, MN – Feasibility Study for Broadband (may wait until 2018)
Idaho Falls, ID – FTTP (Funding arrangements are being made and making progress – we have 50% chance of being the engineering firm used, if the project is a GO – Internal city discussions are the holdup)


Industry Highlights & Observations

Broadband Grant Programs – the state of Ohio is hoping to pass a bill soon to offer a broadband grant program that is based on Minnesota’s program. As a result of this, Finley is preparing in the areas of: making state contacts, gathering details of the program, identifying potential applicants throughout the state, and initiating a marketing initiative toward that effort. Doug Dawson’s company is already plugged in with most of the ILECs in Ohio and is planning to inform them of our state grant application successes in MN, when the time is right.

Organizations in the state of Missouri are working on their legislators to also offer a grant program, and they have had the MN DEED office come present details on the MN program.

If one or both state’s offer a grant program similar to Minnesota, Finley will hopefully be in a good position to be active in those programs since the Slayton office has been involved in 30 grant applications in MN over the last 4 years. In the first 3 years of the MN program, Finley was involved in 19 applications, and of those that won awards from those 19 applications, approx. 8 used Finley for partial or full engineering.

Fixed Wireless Broadband – It appears that an increasing number of rural buildouts are being performed by providers that are utilizing all or partial wireless solutions.

Budgets and Strategic Planning – September appears to be a good time to have meetings with each client to be used for 2 reasons: 1) open the door to helping each client with their strategic planning; 2) Gather information from them as to how much they plan to use Finley in 2018 for our own forecast and budget purposes.

Fewer activities were performed over the last month partially due to extra involvement in feasibility studies and MN broadband grant application work as well as attendance at NU-Telecom grant project launch gatherings.

Andy Heins - September

Opportunities

City of Clarksville NOC & TAC (CCI has not impressed on their install and they want Finley involved in handoff)

Crown Castle (Central Region)

Alabama Power (Montgomery District potential of 100 miles of work)

Howell Oregon Electric (Fiber Feasibility Study)

City of Booneville MO Broadband Deployment and Strategy Analysis

Peace Valley Telephone Wireless

Grand Telephone IP Services (VisionNet)

Grundy Electric City of Trenton FTTx Project (Design, Engineering, Project Management

Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative (9-11-2017 meeting with MLEC)

Pinnacle Communications New C.O. and Network Migration (Existing Client)

Projects Won

Alabama Power (Southside)

Alabama Power (Elliotsville)

Alabama Power Elliotsville (Construction Observation)

Alabama Power Southside (Construction Observation)

Wheatland Electric (Fiber Feasibility Study)(In Progress)

ARK-O CAD/GIS Mapping (In Progress)

Duck River EMC (Mark Mrla started this one)

Brazoria Telephone (In Progress/Altoona Completing)

Total Highspeed Solutions Stoneshire Network Design

Crown Castle (South Region)

City of Anderson (Existing 115 mile fiber network, looking at options for Pilot Project)

Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Cooperative fiber project. Utility and Broadband related projects.

ShoMe Power (Fiber enabling Wireless Broadband and PT-PT services for distribution member cooperatives)

Le-Ru Telephone FTTH Project

Jackson Energy (KY) Ongoing dialogue regarding a potential project once Wired Kentucky builds thru

City of Westerville Ohio GovWin notice of $140,000 for Feasibility Study in 2018

Chariton Valley/Macon Electric Joint FTTx Project (Chariton Valley is an existing client/Macon Electric uses Toth)

Industry Highlights & Observations

CAF Phase II Auction early in 2018, how does Finley want to represent our capabilities?

Potential for wireless. Wireless is being viewed as an alternative to fiber Missouri projects are gaining more interest at the Governor’s and FCC level.

Finley Project, Initiative Specific and BD Site Visit Work

Good amount of work developing IP Services document for Audit and Finance.

Assisting in City of West Plains and Peace Valley IP Network execution. 

White River Electric asked for Finley to help determine the amount of Grant Funding required to build their network FTTH. They are the largest coop in the State of Missouri. 

Review and submission assistance to Blanca Telephone of a Colorado Broadband Grant.

BD Site visits to Meriwether Lewis Electric, Duck River EMC, City of Clarksville, City of West Plains, Pinnacle Communications, Granby Telephone, WTA Conference in Coeur d’Alene.

Broadband 101 presentation for Barton County MO. (Sept 25th)