News
LiveOak Fiber continues to grow operations in the Southeastern region, a rise that is led in part by the company’s recent accomplishments in Northwest Florida.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
A fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network that will serve almost 200,000 passings in Northwest Florida is almost halfway complete, according to LiveOak Fiber, which announced significant progress with the network’s construction in a release this week.
The fiber deployment in Northwest Florida is part of LiveOak Fiber’s broader regional efforts in the Southeast, where the company has invested over $145 million towards new network construction.
When complete, the Northwest Florida deployment will serve passings in the Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin areas, along with passings in Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, and Santa Rosa counties, the company’s April 4 announcement stated.
Jody Craft, the president and CEO of LiveOak, said she was proud of the company’s progress and reported that customers keep giving positive feedback regarding the installation process and offered services, according to LiveOak’s release.
“Our commitment to the local markets we serve is truly being realized and local supporters see that we deliver on our promises,” Craft said.
The regional provider has made waves in Northwest Florida since their arrival on the local broadband scene, recently being awarded Business of the Year by the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.
In Valparaiso, on the north shore of Choctawhatchee Bay, LiveOak remains in the midst of active network construction after being awarded a grant from the Florida Broadband Opportunity Program last May, according to the company’s announcement.
In addition, the company has recently “leveraged Okaloosa County’s fiber middle mile network to reach thousands of additional homes and businesses,” the release stated.
LiveOak has previously vowed to hire over 100 employees in the Northwest Florida area, a promise the company announced it is in the process of fulfilling.
