Clinton municipal buildings bringing fiber-optic route

Selectmen awarded installation contracts to FiberTech Networks, of Rochester, N.Y., and Total Communications of Milford totaling $492,765 to run fiber-optics lines to all municipal buildings, and the computer equipment to use them.

Other than the greater speed of fiber-optic lines, First Selectman William Fritz said the system will allow the town and schools to use “voice over Internet protocol” for telephone service.

The town has Internet service provided by Comcast, which owns all the connections to town buildings.

In adopting the FiberTech/Total Communications system, the town will lease the lines and equipment and pay the two companies to maintain the system, at an annual cost of $15,900 for FiberTech and $6,800 for Total Communications, Fritz said.

That $22,700 annually will save the town, which pays $44,233 annually for maintenance, nearly $22,000 a year, Fritz said. If the school system is switched to voice over Internet protocol telephone service, another $43,533 can be saved, he said.

Pointing to the infrastructure difficulties created last year by Tropical Storm Irene, Fritz said FiberTech officials assured selectmen that they can restore downed lines within four hours. The company serves 169 municipalities.

“So it’s a home run,” he said of the proposal, in terms of cost, speed of service, and maintenance.

The only town building not included in the system is the Henry Carter Hull Library, which would have to use the town’s network, email, Internet, and finance system if it joins.

John Crovo and Chuck Venter, supervisors of the school and town technology departments, told selectmen 85 percent of the fiber-optic lines already have been installed in town.