Service providers are rapidly building broadband in communities nationwide via fiber, existing coax and wireless. The Great Broadband Build is a weekly roundup of the latest broadband network deployments.
You can send news directly to Sean Buckley, Editor in Chief of Broadband Communities, at sean@bbcmag.com. Stay abreast of each installment of The Great Broadband Build here.
Ziply Completes 100th Fiber Build
Ziply Fiber announced that it has begun constructing a new, ultra-high-speed, 100-percent fiber-optic network in Yakima, Washington. Yakima becomes the 100th new fiber build across the company’s four-state footprint of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. When network construction is complete, tens of thousands of addresses in Yakima will have access to Ziply’s popular “Gig-speed” service and its 5-gig and 2-gig residential services. Fiber internet service is available today for the first residents and businesses in Yakima, with additional neighborhoods becoming available in the coming weeks. Residents and business owners can check for fiber availability at Ziplyfiber.com and sign up to be alerted when service is available at their location. With multi-gig services being built, Yakima will be among the fastest cities in the nation for household internet speeds, on par with, if not faster than, most major metropolitan areas.
Surf Internet Begins Construction on 250-mile Rural Indiana Fiber Network
Surf Internet has started constructing over 250 miles of fiber internet to rural homes throughout northern Indiana, leveraging over $6 million awarded by Indiana’s Next Level Connections (NLC) Broadband Grant Program and its private investment of $3.6 million. This is northern Indiana's largest fiber-optic infrastructure project to address underserved communities specifically. Surf will begin construction in Elkhart County in late March, with La Porte and Newton County projects to follow later in the year. NLC Grant and Surf Internet matching funds are earmarked for fiber-optic broadband projects in Elkhart, La Porte, and Newton counties. In Elkhart County, where construction is set to begin, the grant will create a redundant loop to Wakarusa from Goshen, explicitly addressing an underserved population southwest of Goshen. A fiber network will also b.e constructed along a rural stretch of County Road 28 from County Road 27 in Goshen to just past State Road 13 in Middlebury. In total, 478 households and 25 businesses and anchor institutions in Elkhart County that would otherwise be without internet connectivity will have access to high-speed broadband.
Permits and network design are being finalized for NLC Grant projects in La Porte and Newton counties. In LaPorte County, the communities of Westville, Wanatah, Union Mills, Rolling Prairie, and Hanna will be interconnected, covering 953 homes. In Newton County, service will be provided to 88 rural households and two businesses near Lake Village. Construction in all three counties will be complete by April 2024. The NLC Broadband Grant Program has awarded $268 million for broadband infrastructure to more than 74,800 homes and commercial locations. Combined with private and local investment, over $580 million has been leveraged since 2018. Projects will have been completed in 83 of Indiana’s 92 counties through the three rounds of the awards. Click here for a map showing the coverage area of all three rounds.
GigNet to Provide Broadband Connectivity to Mexico’s NIZUC Resort & Spa
GigNet, a Digital Transformation company that provides high-speed broadband and advanced value-added services to enterprise clients and residential communities based on its fiber network from Cancun to Tulum, provides broadband connectivity to NIZUC Resort & Spa in Cancún. NIZUC Resort & Spa is a luxury hotel located on a 29-acre nature preserve at Punta Nizuc, 15 minutes from Cancún International Airport. NIZUC Resort & Spa, once a Presidential retreat for world leaders, overlooks two secluded white sand beaches. The exclusive resort features 274 luxurious suites and villas, five main swimming pools, six world-class restaurants, a lavish 30,000 sq. ft. spa by ESPA and MedSpa, an expansive conference and events center, and Winik's Kids Club for children ages four to twelve.
Element8 Secures $200M from Digital Alpha; Acquires AtLink Services
Element8 (E8), an ISP focused on rural communities, has secured a $200 million strategic investment from Digital Alpha, an investment firm focused on digital infrastructure, and moved to acquire Oklahoma City-based high-speed internet provider AtLink Services for an undisclosed sum. E8 and Digital Alpha will execute a growth strategy, including organic growth, strategic acquisitions, and greenfield network infrastructure expansion. E8 anticipates scaling its investment beyond $200 million in the coming years. E8's initial platform acquisition of AtLink Services marks a significant milestone on the company's path to national expansion. The completion of E8's acquisition of AtLink Services remains subject to regulatory approvals and certain other customary closing conditions.
LiveOak Fiber Launches Service in Shalimar, Florida
LiveOak Fiber, a regional service provider building and operating a world-class broadband network, has lit its fiber service in Shalimar, Florida. This is the first community in Okaloosa County, Florida, to go live with the company’s fiber broadband network, bringing competitive Internet services to the market. As promised, this new fiber network bolsters the coastal community, empowering businesses and residents with highly reliable and lightning-fast Internet services. Shalimar, Florida, businesses and residents can now request services, starting from 500Mbps and going up to 5 Gbps. High-speed internet services include premium managed Wi-Fi, no contracts, and no data caps. This comes on the heels of the company’s announcement that it will acquire. This company built high-speed fiber network services for medical and business communities throughout Glynn and Camden Counties in Georgia. In February, LiveOak welcomed local officials and community members to celebrate the company’s ribbon-cutting ceremonies at their Okaloosa County, Florida, regional offices and Glynn County, Georgia.
Kinetic Brings Fiber Broadband to New London, NC
Kinetic is bringing fiber internet to New London, NC. At a ribbon cutting celebrating the company's latest investment in North Carolina, officials announced that 2,200 customer locations, or approximately 50 percent of New London, now have access to Kinetic’s fiber service. Since 2018, Kinetic has Invested $21 million to bring gig speed to 75,000 locations across the Tar Heel State. The project is part of a $2 billion multiyear capital investment strategy to expand gigabit internet service across Kinetic’s 18-state footprint dramatically. Working to close communication gaps that many Americans in rural communities face, the reliable fiber ensures customers can conduct work and school from home, all while streaming their favorite movies and television shows and gaming with no lag times.
LS Networks, PocketiNet Expand Fiber in Waitsburg, Washington
LS Networks and PocketiNet are expanding their fiber networks to Waitsburg, Washington. By combining their resources and expertise, the two companies will be able to provide high-speed internet connections of up to 2 Gbps to over 500 homes in rural Washington. LS Networks planned acquisition of PocketiNet, announced in October 2022, is expected to close later this year. As of this date, LS Networks became a minority owner of the company and immediately joined forces with PocketiNet to expand its footprint. Starting in April, Waitsburg residents will have access to high-speed internet with more capacity for on-demand upgrades, allowing customers to experience the network's full capabilities from day one.
Pavlov Media Makes Fiber Broadband Available in Lavon, TX
Pavlov Media has launched its fiber installation in Lavon, TX. Initially servicing approximately 1,900 homes, this project will soon expand its reach beyond 2,500 households as new construction in the community continues. Residents and businesses will now be able to access Pavlov Media’s 1 Gbps internet services.
Glo Fiber Extends Fiber Network to Centre County, Pennsylvania
Glo Fiber has agreed with municipal officials to deploy fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband services to State College Borough and Ferguson Township in Centre County, Pennsylvania. Construction is slated to begin in 2024. Throughout the 18 to the 24-month construction process, Glo Fiber will bring a fiber network to more than 13,000 homes and businesses in both State College Borough and Ferguson Township. Glo Fiber enables multi-gigabit internet access with symmetrical upload and download speeds. Using Shentel's 8,300-mile regional fiber network, Glo Fiber can ensure high rates, low latency, and increased reliability. State College Borough and Ferguson Township residents will receive communications approximately 30 days before construction activity in their neighborhood.
Empire Access to Introduce Fiber Internet to Cortland, NY
Empire Access plans to build its fiber services in Cortland, New York. With expected completion in the fall of 2023, Empire Access will offer residents and businesses internet, TV, phone, and security solutions. This expansion will provide internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps with a local customer service solution. Empire Access pairs its high-speed fiber optic internet with a complete array of telecommunication and security services: video streaming, home and business phone, IoT-based security, and home monitoring and business services such as Wi-Fi, dark fiber and metro Ethernet.
Highline Completes Fiber Build in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Thumb Areas
Highline has completed construction for over 13,500 Upper Peninsula and Thumb residential households. Highline is fulfilling its mission to address unserved, underserved residents. Highline’s symmetrical Gigabit Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) or Home (FTTH) service has been life-changing to customers.
GoNetspeed Lights Fiber Broadband Service to South End, New Britain, Conn. Residents, Businesses
GoNetspeed and the City of New Britain announced that 5,576 addresses throughout the city’s South End are now eligible to sign up for high-speed fiber internet service through GoNetspeed. Residents interested may visit gonetspeed.com to confirm service availability for their location and to sign up for service installation. GoNetspeed is continuing construction throughout the South West section of the city, and service is expected to be available to residents in the coming weeks. The $10 million project is funded by GoNetspeed and the City of New Britain’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, coming at no cost to the New Britain taxpayer. This infrastructure will ensure that residents can access affordable, high-speed internet service and that all municipal buildings and traffic points will be interconnected on their private fiber network. Through this unique strategic partnership, city departments and public safety personnel will soon be able to provide service to New Britain residents better.
TDS Begins Englewood, Tennessee Fiber Network Upgrade
TDS Telecommunications began installing up to 1 Gbps symmetrical internet to the first 700+ customers included in its fiber network upgrade project in Englewood, Tennessee. The company broke ground in November last year and is making high-speed services available to residents as sections of the project are completed. TDS will host a ribbon-cutting community celebration on April 4 at the Englewood Community Center from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. TDS’ fiber internet products are symmetrical, with equal upload and download speeds. The top speed will be 1 Gbps—with other options also available. Businesses in the building footprint can choose dedicated connections of up to 10 Gbps, backed by a service level agreement.
The company expects to finish the project before the end of the year and connect more than 1,200 residential and business locations. Beyond the standard service options, TDS also offers a low-cost service called TDS Connect that includes up to 200/200Mbps internet speeds for qualifying customers. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) benefit fully covers the monthly cost of TDS Connect. TDS is funding the Englewood project entirely through private capital investment. In addition, the company is leveraging a Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund – American Rescue Plan grant of nearly $13 million to build fiber networks in Ball Play, Coker Creek, and Tellico Plains in Monroe County.
Related: The Great Broadband Build
Sean Buckley, Editor in Chief of Broadband Communities and the host of the Broadband Ripple Podcast.
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