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City project

Palo Alto Fiber Expansion

Municipal fiber-network rebuild and fiber-to-the-premises rollout intended to provide City fiber internet service while modernizing backbone capacity.

Current status
Early-adopter installations underway; a fiber hut was completed earlier in 2026.
Location
Colorado Substation, Palo Alto, CA
Street view near Colorado Substation, Palo Alto, CA
Map of Colorado Substation, Palo Alto, CA
  1. August 5, 2026 update

    Staff reported capacity to ultimately serve up to 850 customers, with about a dozen early adopters participating in installation and startup work.

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  2. May 11, 2026 informational update

    The agenda describes a status update on the expansion plan and its relationship to the Fiber-to-the-Premises pilot.

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  3. January 7, 2026: Pilot implementation and Phase 1 strategy update

    Staff reported that the pilot passed about 1,200 homes, of which approximately 845 were serviceable. Staff planned to finalize promotional rates, install the fiber hut and pilot-area cable by the end of January 2026 if weather permitted, and target subscriber launch in March 2026. Staff also said it was decoupling FTTP deployment from grid modernization and exploring new developments and other opportunity sites.

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  4. October 1, 2025 update: Fiber hut permits and mobilization

    Recent permits approved the fiber hut within the secured Colorado Substation perimeter. Contractor MP Next Level was scheduled to begin pre-construction mobilization during the week of October 6, 2025.

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  5. September 3, 2025 fiber-to-the-premises update

    Staff reported approval of the permit for the centralized fiber hut, to be located within the secured perimeter of an unspecified substation. A fuller update is planned for October.

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  6. April 2, 2025 work-plan update

    The commission added a standing fiber-utility topic requiring review of pilot progress, outcomes, business model, and metrics affecting a full-city rollout decision.

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