During its successful capital campaign to raise private funding to build the new Billings Public Library building, the Billings Public Library Foundation solicited donations from a large number of community businesses, as well individuals and foundations. Integra Telecom Corporation worked with the Foundation to provide an in-kind donation of 1G of high speed, broadband internet access for the Library for a period of five years. The Foundation has accepted the donation and, via the attached agreement, assigns the donation to the Library, upon City Council approval.

The City Council could:

• accept the donation of 1G of high speed, broadband internet access for the Library for five years, or
• not accept the donation.

Integra Telecom Corporation values the donated services at approximately $270,000 over the five-year period. Integra has indicated an interest in continuing to donate internet services for a longer period, although the agreement is a commitment for five years. If Integra is not able to continue its donation at the end of the five-year period, long-term trends captured in such formulations as Moore's Law, or more specifically, Butters' Law of Photonics, (i.e. the amount of data coming out of an optical fiber doubles every nine months) suggest that the cost for an equal capacity of high speed, broadband access will be significantly lower by then, making it more likely that the Library could afford to pick up the cost of continuing the service.

Staff recommends accepting the assignment from the Billings Public Library Foundation to the Library, of Integra Telecom Corporation's donation of 1G of high speed, broadband internet access.