Fiber Optic Network Public Private Partnership

The City of Pasadena is requesting information on private assets, existing markets, capabilities, investment options, and qualifications from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to begin determining options and alternatives for a public-private partnership that could utilize the City’s existing conduit, fiber cable, and utility pole infrastructure.

The City’s goal is to capitalize on its extensive underground, aerial, and vertical infrastructure to support its vision of ubiquitous fiber services for residents and businesses, improve municipal operations, and establish Pasadena as a leader in community connectivity.

Pasadena manages an extensive network of infrastructure that supports these efforts. Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) maintains the City’s electric grid, conduit system, and utility poles. The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) oversees the municipal fiber network that connects City facilities and supports future broadband expansion. Combined, these assets include approximately 1,570 miles of underground conduit, 8,150 utility poles, and 171 miles of fiber cable, providing a strong foundation for expanding broadband connectivity citywide.

Through this RFI, the City is seeking to understand the private telecom infrastructure within the Pasadena area, the qualifications of those owners/operators, evaluate what private assets and infrastructure can be leveraged to avoid overbuild, and to initiate realistic discussions with ISPs about the benefits, challenges, and requirements to ensure success.

The City of Pasadena, California, covers 23 square miles in the western San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, and bordered by Arcadia, Glendale, La Canada Flintridge, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and unincorporated Altadena, as well as Los Angeles. Pasadena has a population of approximately 138,000 and approximately 56,000 households.

Major industry sectors for Pasadena are technology, healthcare, and education. Notable employers in Pasadena include the Art Center College of Design, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, and Pasadena City College. The historic Old Pasadena area hosts over 200 businesses, including specialty shops, retail stores, boutiques, and restaurants. Pasadena, as part of a larger, economically diverse region, hosts significant clusters in technology, healthcare, and education and is attractive to tech startups and innovation-driven businesses. The City is home to the Rose Bowl and the numerous events hosted at the site. The City's economic indicators, workforce characteristics, and business environment position it as a hub for business for which broadband provides a foundation for future economic development.

The City of Pasadena recognizes that access to high-speed internet is a necessity for its residents, businesses, healthcare providers, schools, and non-profit sector. The City has been focused on making broadband more affordable, reliable, and available to all areas to enhance broadband access, economic development, quality of life, and government innovation. Pasadena developed a Broadband Strategic Plan in 2024 that includes assessments of public and private broadband assets, the local broadband market, and community needs and a conceptual network design to capitalize on the City’s assets, improved connectivity for public services, and expands broadband needs for the unserved and underserved areas of the city.