In 2007, the city of Westerville began planning for expansion of its fiber optic network. Originally the primary purpose was to meet the city’s own internal needs for disaster recovery, enhanced public safety operations, shared regional services and the foundational infrastructure for Advanced Metering and Smart Grid systems.  While assessing its own needs, the City reached out to its businesses and community partners. The investigation identified a lack of affordable choices for broadband and data center services within Westerville, thus launching a deeper look into fiber as a 4th utility, as well as critical to the City’s economic and social development strategies.