BY LUCIE KRISMAN
Eudora will soon have additional internet services after the City Commission approved an agreement Monday night with KwiKom Communications.
Per the agreement, Kansas internet provider KwiKom Communications will pay a leasing price of $1,800 per month.
The company will use its occupancy in Eudora to provide services to surrounding areas in town City staff and KwiKom Communications have agreed to use funds received from the CARES Act to add fixed Wi-Fi antennas to three of the city’s water towers.
This agreement follows a previous proposal from KwiKom Communications in 2018 to bring services to Eudora, which was later terminated. While the original agreement included a leasing price of $2,000 per month, the new agreement offered a price of $1,500 and was ultimately negotiated to its final monthly price of $1,800.
Jacques Fluker of KwiKom Communications told commissioners the company ideally would be finished with installation on the towers in four months, in time for students to have improved internet services by the beginning of the new school year.
“As the project goes on, we will interact with the city to make sure we are doing everything correctly,” Fluker said.
City Manager Barack Matite said the city will be compensated through revenue for KwiKom’s use of power and electricity in town while they provide service to the surrounding areas.
“There are some folks in very close proximity to the city that don’t have anything, so something that they will have from KwiKom is better than nothing,” Matite said. “And the city will be able to get some revenue.”
Commissioners were willing to move forward with the agreement.
“I could see the value of having this in our city,” Commissioner Ruth Hughs said. “More people now use internet than they did in ‘18 just because of the need. People that didn’t have a need (then) do have a need now.”
Commissioner Roberta Lehmann said she had some concerns about dropping the leasing price from the original $2,000.
“But if this is what is best for the community, then I’m willing to move forward and know that in five years we can renegotiate this fee,” she said.
KwiKom’s website advertises wireless internet plans ranging from $55 to $105 a month.
The City Commission will next meet at 7 p.m. March 8. Instructions on how to attend remotely will be posted to the city's website.
Reach reporter Lucie Krisman at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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