The Winnebago Tribe is working to bring high-speed internet to our community. Please check this website for more information
The Winnebago Tribe is working to bring high-speed internet to our community. Please check this website for more information
A community forum was held to share information about the design and
construction of the fiber broadband network. Use the buttons to view the
presentation materials.
This project will provide access to high-speed broadband service to more than 600 households, 40 businesses, and 16 tribal institutions in the rural reservation community of the Winnebago Tribe, which is currently unserved by high-speed internet. The project will also connect the Nebraska communities of Thurston, Wakefield, Emerson, Homer and Winnebago to this new service. Funding for this project is provided by a $35.2 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) office.
The Winnebago Tribe will continue to develop the business that will serve as the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to the new fiber network while design and construction are underway.
Preliminary network design and environmental impact study (NEPA)
Final design of the fiber network
Construction project out for bid
Award contract;
construction begins
Construction continues
Please reach us at if you cannot find an answer to your question.
We do our best to inform communities by mail of the entire construction process prior to the arrival of our construction team. However, the City and contractors will access the utility easement area of your property to mark existing utilities and communication lines before construction can begin. They are not required to provide notice of their flags or markings ahead of time.
The flags or markings on your property were placed there by the local utility companies and help our team identify where the lines are underground. When fiber construction begins, we will use these markings to protect against damage to your property and utilities. Please see the list below for an explanation of utility color associations.
White: proposed excavation
Pink: temporary survey markings
Red: electric power lines, lighting cables or conduit
Yellow: gal, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials
Orange: communication cables and conduit, alarm and signal lines
Blue: potable water
Purple: reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines
Green: sewer and drain lines
Utility flags or markings are good for 17 business days in Nebraska. If construction has not been completed in that time, the area will need to be re-marked. Please do not remove flags, as this will prolong the construction process.
The main line in the easements and rights-of-way are buried between two and four feet deep. The fiber drop to the house or pedestal may vary between 12 and 18 inches deep.
The conduit ranges in size from ¾ inch to 1¼ inch. ¾ is the standard size for a drop to the home. Conduit standards in an easement is 1¼ inch.
This is a temporary fiber drop. Our team will return soon to establish a permanent and less intrusive location for the cable. Weather can sometimes play a role in this process. If delays occur, go to the Winnebago Broadband Construction website for an updated timeframe on permanent drop construction. If your fiber is installed during winter months when the ground is frozen, you may have a temporary drop until the spring. If your existing utilities are underground, construction will follow the same path.
We are placing pedestals in the easement in your yard. The pedestal, weather permitting, is installed shortly after the ground is prepared and a fence is placed around the hole for safety. The pedestal houses the equipment to provide service to several homes and businesses in your area. Our intent is to leave your property the way we found it.
A utility easement allows a utility company the right to use and access a specific area of your property for constructing, operating and maintaining gas, electric, water, and sewer lines. We will work with the Tribal Council/City/Villages to access these areas as we build our fiber network. The easement is often a permanent restriction on the property so that it transfers ownership with the home or property when sold. Having an easement gives the utility company the right to use the land, but they do not own it.
A right-of-way is the space above and below any property in the Tribal Council/City/Villages in which the City has an interest as an owner or trustee as it relates to public travel. This includes public streets, highways, roads, alleys, easements, sidewalks, tunnels, viaducts, and bridges.
There are a few ways to determine the easement area of your property:
1. Review the deed to the property, which can be obtained from the county clerk or recorder. The easements will be explained in the legal description of the property.
2. Contact the zoning or mapping department of your county or city. These departments are in charge of keeping records of surveys and plot maps and can help provide information about an easement on your property.
3. Reach out to the utility company — or any entity with easement rights — to request the easement information regarding a certain property.
4. Hire a title insurance company or private title searcher to perform a search for easements. They are often able to provide a comprehensive report for a fee.
During the design phase, the engineering team determines the most efficient way to provide service. They select the least intrusive intersecting rear property point, which is often in the center of four property corners. From that point, the pedestal location is identified based on the following factors:
Marking sprinklers in advance of construction is certainly helpful but not mandatory. If your sprinkler is damaged, please complete the Construction Form on our website to ensure the issue is corrected.
Residents should always have access to their driveways during construction, though there may be times when equipment is being moved that access is impeded for a short time.
The public right-of-way is the grassy area located between the curb and approximately one foot behind the sidewalk. This area is owned by the Tribal Council/City/Village and is where much of the construction will take place, underground.
This will be specific to each location. Construction will be maintained within easement boundary lines. If items need to be moved, a Tribal contact will reach out to the resident or property owner.
The seed variety is fescue blend, which has proven to be the most successful for this particular climate zone.
The contractor is required to repair all disturbed areas once work is completed. Seeding and mulch will also be used in the right-of-way. If permanent seeding can’t be completed within the seeding dates specified in the contract, then temporary erosion control measures (hydromulch) will be used until permanent seeding can be completed. Permanent seeding dates are scheduled to take place city/village wide during two separate intervals: April 15 - June 15 and August 10 - October 15.
No, you will be able to set your garbage out just as you normally would. Mail delivery should not be affected.
This depends on the weather and unexpected natural obstacles, as well as on the layout and design of your neighborhood. Some areas are built with easier access to utilities and easements, while others have more complex designs and natural obstructions that can cause delays. We recommend checking our interactive website map for the most up-to-date information on your neighborhood.
Tribal Council/City/Villages will reach out to you regarding construction in the form of direct mail notices, emails, door tags, and in-person visits from our quality assurance construction team. Community forums will also be used to communicate approximate start and completion dates. Continue to visit this website for updates.
Except in the case of an emergency, no work will be permitted outside of Tribal Council/City/Village zoning and codes, except for instances when the Public Works Department deems it necessary to expedite construction and/or minimize traffic disruption. Contractors will verify the hours of ordinance per Tribal Council/City/Villages.
Please complete this Construction Form.
Inspectors are hired to manage the subcontractors who help build the infrastructure needed for the Winnebago Broadband Fiber Network. They will take care of any damage.
The contractor is required by law to use a locating service to locate all other utilities in the area before digging. With construction, there is always a possibility that service lines could be damaged and a temporary disruption could occur. The contractor is required to have a licensed plumber on site for any water service disruptions during construction. For all other utilities, the contractor would notify the company if a utility is damaged and needs immediate repair.
Any damage claims will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the City. If after reviewing, it is determined that the contractor was responsible for the damage, the contractor will make repairs at their own expense.
Please reach us at if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The Winnebago Tribe is funding this project through grant from the National Telecom and Information Administration (NTIA).
Each internet provider in our conduit network will determine their installation and service charges, so please consult with them to learn more about potential charges for connecting to the network.
This will be determined by the Internet Service Provider, the company that will provide service to the new fiber network. The pricing will be in accordance with the NTIA grant guidelines.
This is to be determined. The Winnebago Tribe is working through the business development plan and creating the Internet Service Provider (ISP).
After the Winnebago Tribe completes the work, it will still be a few months before the Internet Service Provider can begin utilizing the conduit network.
Not at this time as the phone service will require the same equipment and connection point as the internet service and cannot be separated.
Brandon Stout
Director of IT - Fiber Optic Project Manager
205 North Bluff Street, Winnebago, Nebraska 68071, United States
P: 402-878-2272 F: 402-878-2963 brandon.stout@winnebagotribe.com
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