Jamestown Board of Public Utilities General Manager Kris Sellstrom discusses with Jamestown City Council the proposed creation of a sixth division at the BPU known as the Digital Infrastructure Division. (September 21, 2026)
The Jamestown Board of Utilities is looking to create a sixth division for its fiber project.
General Manager Kris Sellstrom, speaking before Jamestown City Council Monday, said the new division would become known as the Digital Infrastructure Division. It would join the existing divisions of Electric, Water, Wastewater, District Heating and Solid Waste.
The new division would own, operate and maintain the utility’s open-access fiber network and support future digital infrastructure initiatives. The nine-member BPU board will govern the new division which will be maintained as a financially self-sustaining operation with finances segregated from the BPU’s other utility divisions.
Under the open-access model, the BPU would own and operate the fiber-optic infrastructure while participating Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will offer retail internet service, billing and customer support. Residents and businesses can select from current ISPs FiberSpark and SumoFiber that have various plans and rates offered by the providers.
Sellstrom said the BPU will be working on a change to their Charter to add the division, which will come before the board for approval at its Monday, September 28 voting session. If approved, the BPU then would formally request the Jamestown City Council adopt the new division through a local law.
The fiber network is being constructed through an Empire State Development ConnectALL grant in partnership with EntryPoint and project contractors. Once completed and accepted, the network assets will be transferred from EntryPoint to the BPU for ongoing operation.
Existing BPU personnel and utility divisions may provide administrative, customer service, engineering, purchasing, information technology and field support to the Digital Infrastructure Division on a fee-for-service basis.
The new division is expected to add personnel and assets as its operations and customer base grow. The BPU is not requesting City taxpayer funding to establish the division. Operating costs are intended to be supported by revenues generated through use of the fiber network.
Service is available now or will shortly be available to all customers who have BPU electric service. Customers who sign up before October 1 will receive 90 days of free internet.
The utility was established in 1923 with its Water and Electric Divisions. District Heat was added in 1984, while the Sewer and Solid Waste Divisions joined the BPU in 1993.
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