The Indio City Council made a move that could pave the way for faster internet in the city.
The council approved a fiber optic master plan on Aug. 17, Councilmember Glenn Miller told Coachella Valley Times.
"It's a plan to get fiber optic to the entire city so that everybody has an opportunity for broadband and Wi-Fi services," he said. "We put that master plan in place and it will cost about $18 million over the time frame of doing it. You have to have a master plan to go after state and federal funding that is available."
It will take approximately five to seven years to fully implement the plan, Miller said. Faster internet will help the city recruit new businesses.
"To be able to attract the bigger businesses, you have to have a system in place for fiber optics," he said. "We have to get this in place to be able to compete with some of the other cities."
The COVID-19 pandemic brought home the importance of high-speed internet, the councilman said.
"A lot of people had issues because they were doing things at home but they didn't have good Wi-Fi," he said.
More people using the Internet from home also slowed down the system, Miller said.
"You had a drain on the system that you never had before because kids were at school," he said. "It made a big difference."
Vendors will be able to apply for licenses in September, Miller said.
"We're going to have five permits – that's all," he said.
City staff will review the applications for stores, Miller said.
"They will vet them and come to City Council and the council will say yay or nay," he said.
The applications will be considered based on factors such as the company's experience in the industry, financial strength, and the location of the proposed store, Miller said.
A company could get extra points if the owner lives in Indio, he said.
"We wanted to keep it local, but we also want to have the best," he said.
Miller is an Indio City Councilmember and a well-known community leader and businessman who has called the desert home for more than 30 years, his biography noted. In addition to councilmember, he is the district director for California state Sen. Melissa Melendez (R) for the 28th Senate district.
City Council meetings are currently held once a month on the third Wednesday of the month during summer, according to the city's website. Meetings will resume on the first and third Wednesdays of the month in October. The City Council chamber is open to the public and City Council meetings are conducted in person and remotely through Zoom. The public can participate in meetings through Zoom or view the meetings via live stream on the city’s website, Facebook Live, or YouTube.
The city of Indio, nestled in the 640-square-mile valley, is the largest and oldest city in the Coachella Valley area.