Broadband Master Plan

Lincoln has many city-owned assets that could help expand broadband, including water and sewer lines, streetlights, utility poles, and traffic signals. These assets create strong opportunities for both underground fiber and wireless service, especially in areas that are currently underserved.

To make this possible, the city would need targeted upgrades and better coordination across existing infrastructure. With strategic investment, these improvements could support faster internet access, strengthen public safety and traffic systems, and help close the digital divide for residents and businesses.

Lincoln can reduce future broadband costs by including broadband planning in capital improvement projects. Work such as road widening and water system upgrades often requires excavation, creating a cost-effective opportunity to install conduit or prepare for future broadband expansion at the same time.

If broadband is not considered during these projects, the city may miss opportunities and face higher construction costs later. Planning ahead through the Capital Improvement Program can help Lincoln improve connectivity, support future technology needs, and make better use of public investment.

Lincoln can support future growth by including broadband planning in its Specific Plans, especially in developing areas within the city’s sphere of influence. Planning for broadband early can help new growth areas, such as Village 5, be better prepared for residents, businesses, schools, and city services.

Reliable high-speed internet is an important part of economic development and quality of life. By adding broadband provisions to planning documents, Lincoln can encourage equitable growth, improve access to digital services, and better position the city for long-term development.

A long-term, phased approach to building city-owned broadband infrastructure could be the most cost-effective option for Lincoln and would give the city more control over critical network assets. A municipal fiber backbone could support public-private partnerships while helping the city expand service in underserved areas and support public safety, smart city technology, and municipal operations.

City-owned infrastructure can also create future flexibility and potential revenue through leasing or shared use agreements. To move forward, Lincoln would need to evaluate feasibility, test pilot projects, and identify funding sources such as grants, partnerships, and city investments.

Public-private partnerships can help Lincoln expand broadband more quickly and reduce funding challenges. By working with broadband providers and wireless carriers, the city can share costs, attract private investment, and make better use of existing city-owned assets such as streetlights and utility poles.

These partnerships could help extend service to underserved areas, support technologies like 5G and fixed wireless access, and create revenue that can be reinvested into infrastructure improvements. A strong partnership approach can help Lincoln advance its broadband goals in a cost-effective and equitable way.

Lincoln is relatively well served by broadband compared with many nearby communities, and fiber internet is available in a significant portion of the city. However, fiber access is still limited in some areas, and many residents and businesses have few provider options, with much of the city relying on a cable monopoly.

This means that while broadband service is generally available, competition and consumer choice remain limited. Expanding fiber options could improve service, increase reliability, and give residents and businesses more choices.

Lincoln’s broadband market is more varied than the typical two-provider model. Multiple companies play important roles across cable, DSL, and fiber service, which creates a different competitive landscape than many communities.

At the same time, provider choice is still limited in some areas. For example, Lincoln Crossing benefits from affordable fiber service included through HOA dues, which helps ensure strong connectivity for residents, but it also means households in that area have limited service options. Overall, Lincoln has a broader mix of providers than usual, but competition and customer choice are not consistent citywide.

While Lincoln has strong wired broadband coverage, 5G wireless coverage is much more limited. Coverage is present near major corridors such as Highway 65, Lincoln Boulevard, and Joiner Parkway, but it becomes weaker farther from those areas and toward the city’s outskirts.

Some eastern residential neighborhoods, including areas near the golf course communities, appear to have little or no 5G coverage. This highlights a gap in wireless connectivity in parts of the city.