Details of settlement not yet public; it now awaits judge’s approval
The West Des Moines City Council on Tuesday approved a settlement agreement between Mediacom and the city of West Des Moines resolving a lawsuit over the Des Moines suburb’s partnership with Google Fiber on a citywide broadband network.
Details of the settlement are not yet available, but the city of West Des Moines said in a statement that the project will move forward.
The settlement was approved by a vote of 4-0, with one council member abstaining due to a potential conflict of interest. It now goes to a judge for approval.
“The City of West Des Moines and Mediacom are pleased we were able to address each other’s concerns and come to a resolution that serves the needs of residents and businesses. The good news is that our citywide conduit project continues to move ahead,” the emailed statement from the city said. “Our goal all along has been to encourage and embrace competition in the marketplace, and Mediacom’s interest in using portions of the conduit network to expand its service in West Des Moines furthers that goal.”
Tom Larsen, senior vice president of government and public relations for Mediacom, said, “Mediacom is pleased to have reached a settlement with West Des Moines that will provide huge benefits to our customers by accelerating our transition to the cable industry’s new 10G platform.”
The lawsuit was filed by Mediacom in December 2020, and settlement negotiations began in September 2021.
Related: Mediacom lawsuit over W.D.M. Google Fiber project moves forward