Oakland, NJ: Leading the Way in Fiber Infrastructure

by John Morley, Independent Producer

If you don’t know me, I’m John C. Morley, a serial entrepreneur, engineer, video producer, and certified journalist. I’m excited to introduce my new monthly feature: Tech Trends Unplugged

In today’s digital age, connectivity and communication are essential for the vitality of municipalities. Oakland, NJ, is taking significant strides to establish a robust standard for future growth while reducing costs. In this article, I’ll explore how, why, and specific locations where Oakland has unleashed this innovative flexibility. Additionally, I’ll explore the unique advantages that give Oakland the edge to accomplish this ambitious undertaking.

No great ballpark—now referred to as a stadium—has ever come to fruition without countless hours of planning, engineering, and fundraising initiated well in advance. Crucially, these projects also require a dedicated team of individuals who not only grasp the intricacies of the endeavor, but are also committed to delivering the best possible outcome at the lowest achievable cost without compromising on quality.

Like many successful projects, Oakland, NJ’s project journey started early in the late teens to give it a head start that would ultimately benefit the borough. The town’s foresight was spearheaded by Councilman Eric Kulmala, who brought a unique combination of insight and technical expertise. After over a decade of experience in telecommunications and broadcast engineering at Verizon, Kulmala developed a deep understanding of the significance of owning and deploying infrastructure to achieve cost savings.

His early planning and strategic decisions positioned the borough for future growth and economic benefits. Since transitioning to the role of Mayor, Kulmala has worked diligently to ensure that the town’s initial investments continue to yield positive results, fostering an environment conducive to sustainable development and community prosperity. Mayor Kulmala’s leadership has maintained the momentum of those early efforts and introduced innovative initiatives to enhance the success of the Borough of Oakland, NJ.

Mayor Kulmala’s background helped him understand the benefits of installing a fiber infrastructure and how to reduce costs. If your town or borough lacks knowledgeable individuals in this field, don’t let that be a showstopper. Seek experts who can assist you—the cost savings will show a significant ROI within a few years.

About ten years ago, Councilman Kulmala foresaw the potential for future infrastructure improvements when he noticed that the Oakland Recreation Field was digging trenches for new lighting. Recognizing that a significant portion of the investment outlay is in trenching and conduit, they decided to also lay conduit for a future fiber installation, which was later approved by the governing body.

Oakland Borough completed the fiber installation project around the fall of 2024. This initiative stemmed from a recommendation made by Mayor Kulmala in 2022, who urged the council to secure funding to start installing their fiber infrastructure. Recently, they began using the conduits laid years earlier, with plans to connect various municipal buildings, including the Municipal Hall, Library, Department of Public Works (DPW), Police Department, Senior Center, and First Aid Squad.

Even though I have shared why, when, and where Oakland is deploying this cost-effective infrastructure, you may wonder why your town should consider doing the same. First, having fiber connectivity allows for direct network linking of any municipal buildings or resources. This results in significant savings by eliminating the need for separate payments for each building or venue’s internet, phone, and cable utilities.

Additionally, this connectivity facilitates the integration of essential systems directly to many buildings (including within the police station), such as phone services, IP cameras, security systems, and monitoring systems (for pumps, etc). It also enables the installation of broadcast cameras for local access TV stations, which enhances community engagement and improves communications.

Bergen County and many other locations offer programs that allow towns to purchase internet services, helping them cut costs on connectivity. With a simple purchase order (PO), municipalities can secure internet access for essential services, including fire departments, police stations, and other critical operations.

Lastly, I’d like to address how to get started. It’s crucial to stay informed about upcoming construction projects on your town or borough’s property, such as new lighting installations or other initiatives. You can issue a change order to install conduits for fiber, even if you don’t immediately install or activate the fiber. The key is to future-proof your town, enabling growth and potential cost savings when you’re ready.

If you have any further questions about this technology, please don’t hesitate to contact me. As an engineer with expertise in LANs, WANs, and data center implementations, I am currently working on lighting up a business complex to enable fiber access for one of our clients. Fiber is a reliable alternative to cable, which many residents find unsatisfactory, and the potential savings are significant. I encourage you to remain open to this idea. It could be precisely what your town needs to save money.