Aurora Council to Decide Fate of City Fiber Network
Aurora, Illinois, leaders are weighing whether to end the city’s relationship with OnLight Aurora, the organization that manages its 60-mile underground fiber network. OnLight has roughly $1 million in debt and has faced financial difficulties, and the City Council is set to vote on shifting its customers to the city. If the resolution passes, Aurora would have 180 days to negotiate new contracts and would acquire OnLight’s equipment.
Aurora’s underground fiber system spans about 60 miles and serves roughly 19 users, among them municipal offices, schools, medical providers and data centers. OnLight Aurora, created to run it, was close to collapse and carried about $1 million in debt before volunteer Austin FitzCorbett began assisting last summer, officials said.
The council resolution would end Aurora’s arrangement with OnLight, give the city 180 days to renegotiate customer contracts, and transfer OnLight’s equipment to municipal ownership. City legal counsel estimated those negotiations could add about $100,000 in fees over a year. A planned West Side smart neighborhood, Habitat Green Freedom, is expected to connect 17 homes by 2028.
The proposed shift could affect Aurora schools, health providers, data centers, future smart-neighborhood residents, and city taxpayers. A city-run model may offer clearer oversight, but negotiations and aging equipment could create service uncertainty or new costs. The outcome may shape how local governments approach broadband infrastructure when partner organizations face financial strain.