Lackawanna County's wireless network remains on schedule for a late-summer debut.
Equipment for the $2.8 million carrier-grade network that county officials expect to enhance government efficiency and become a catalyst for economic development has been arriving, chief information officer Jeff Mando said.
"We are in the phase of putting everything together," he said.
The "we" Mr. Mando referred to is the county and Conxx Pennsylvania Inc., the Johnstown company awarded the contract to engineer and build the network that will replace the county's existing fiber-optic and copper-wire telecommunications systems.
Under its contract, Conxx will deliver to the county a "turnkey product," which should happen sometime between late July and late August, Mr. Mando said.
"It could be earlier; it could be later," he said. "It's a major project. It's a complex project, and it takes time to develop like any other complex project."
County officials have said Lackawanna will be the first county in the Northeast United States to install its own advanced wireless network. In addition to improving communications among county offices, the network is intended to boost public safety by filling gaps in emergency 911 service coverage.
Majority Commissioners Corey O'Brien and Jim Wansacz also see it as an economic development tool to attract employers in need of redundant, secure and reliable networking services.
George Kelly, the county's economic development director, sees the wireless initiative as an exciting project with a lot of potential.
But he and Mr. Mando agree it needs to be constructed before it can be promoted.
"You need to build it and you need to put it in place," Mr. Kelly said. "Right now, we hear the words. We hear a lot of theory, but the real proof of concept is making it work."
Mr. Mando said the county is not "putting the cart before the horse."
"We want to build a solid network. We want to move the county over, and then we want to reach out to the community and tell them it is out there for them."
Earlier this year, the county borrowed $2.8 million to pay for the network. According to county officials, the payments on the loan will be less than the $480,000 the county now spends annually on the telecommunications system the network will replace.
Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com