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.
Verizon Expands Rural Maryland Fios Reach
Verizon will light up nearly 4,000 homes with fiber-based internet in Maryland. According to the service provider, new households and businesses in Charles, Garrett, Cecil, Howard, St. Mary’s and Washington counties will have access to Verizon’s Fios network as part of one of the most significant upgrades in our history. This rural broadband project is built in partnership with the state of Maryland and the FCC to deliver fast, fiber broadband service to residents in rural parts of the state. The $26 million project includes $11 million in funding as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and more than $14 million in investment from Verizon. Over 500 miles of fiber will be deployed in connection with the build.
Loveland Pulse Enhances Symmetrical Speed Fiber Broadband Options
Northern Colorado Loveland Pulse, a community-owned internet and communications provider, is now offering multi-gigabit symmetrical fiber internet speeds and residential smart home Wi-Fi service. Pulse offers five plans: Starter (100 Mbps), Connect (350 Mbps), My Gig (1 Gbps), Ultimate (3 Gbps) and Pro (10 Gbps). The Starter plan has increased from 30 Mbps to 100 Mbps at no additional cost and the Connect 120 Mbps plan has been replaced with a Connect 350 Mbps plan for only $4 more. The My Gig plan remains unchanged. For those that require multi-gigabit high-speed internet, Pulse added the Ultimate 3 Gigs plan and reduced the Pro 10 Gigs program by $100. Pulse also introduced Adaptive WiFi+ — an intelligent home services suite. The suite includes the HomePass mobile app, powered by Plume, two SuperPods with next-gen Wi-Fi 6 coverage to ensure there are no blind spots anywhere in the home, a considerable speed boost, more than 55 TiVo+ HD channels and free installation.
Adaptive WiFi+ delivers the maximum speed for the selected internet plan for just $25 additional. The system uses multiple SuperPods — sleek pods that plug into electrical outlets throughout the home, to create a “mesh” of connections for a powerful, whole-home, intelligent self-optimizing Wi-Fi. Paired with the HomePass mobile app that includes features such as parental controls, device prioritization, guest access and over 55 channels of TiVo+ TV, Pulse provides a unique service to community members seeking value offerings. By adding Adaptive WiFi+ to Pulse’s Starter, Connect, or My Gig plan, subscribers will receive a speed boost from 100 to 250 Mbps, 350 to 500 Mbps and 1 Gig to 2 Gigs, respectively—pulse services Loveland and surrounding areas.
Windstream’s Kinetic to Break Ground on $20.5M Fiber Network in Union County, Georgia
Windstream’s Kinetic has established a $20.5 million public-private partnership with Union County, Georgia, enabling it to bring fiber internet to more rural parts of the state. This ends a long battle to get faster internet to rural areas outside Blairsville. Starting this summer, Windstream will begin installing over 500 miles of fiber cable throughout the county. More than half of the money for this project comes from ARPA funds, $8 million is being put up by Kinetic, and Upton Counties contributed $1 million.
TDS Begins Building Out Fiber in Manitowoc, Wis.
TDS Telecommunications has begun construction on an all-fiber internet network that will bring lightning-fast speeds and a new option for TV service to Manitowoc. When completed, the web will serve more than 15,000 homes and businesses with internet speeds up to 8 Gbps. In addition, TDS participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). With the company’s TDS Connect product, qualified ACP customers can receive symmetrical speeds up to 200 Mbps at no cost.   Construction of the network will be done in phases, with customers able to connect once work in their neighborhood is completed. Residents will be notified of the building in several ways, including signage and by postcard, letter, and door hanger. Contractors will work to minimize disruptions and restore any areas impacted by the burying of fiber.
Ritter Communications Lights Fiber Internet in Dyersburg, Tenn.
Ritter Communications has expanded its fiber services and cloud solutions to Dyersburg. This $2.5 million expansion project benefits businesses and schools in the community. The service provider is the first to bring XGS-PON technology to the Dyersburg area. Additionally, customers have access to the Ritter Communications Data Technology Center, a highly secure facility equipped with local customer support teams, offering advanced business cloud-based storage and security solutions.
St. Kitts-Nevis Cable Communications Transitions HFC Network to Fiber
St. Kitts-Nevis Cable Communications Ltd. (The Cable), a local provider of internet and television services, is leveraging DZS Velocity Optical Line Terminals (OLTs) and DZS Helix Optical Networking Terminals (ONTs) to replace its existing legacy Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) cable network with an all-fiber GPON network. Longtime DZS partner Lucas Telecom is enabling this network and services transformation. It will result in significantly increased broadband speeds, service turn-up agility and improved reliability for The Cable’s residential and business customers, which include financial services, hospitality, small-to-medium-sized enterprise, and educational and governmental institutions. The new in-ground fiber infrastructure, currently being deployed across the island, consists of an initial deployment completed within six weeks. St. Kitts-Nevis Cable Communications Ltd. has worked closely with the local government and other key stakeholders to ensure that its new fiber-to-the-x (fiber-to-the-home for residential customers and fiber-to-the-premises for business customers) broadband network will meet the unique needs of the island’s residential and business subscribers, including the essential local hospitality industry.
i3 Broadband Expands Fiber Network to Greater Rockford, Illinois Area
i3 Broadband plans to expand its fiber network to residences and businesses in Greater Rockford, Illinois. As part of the provider’s investment, i3 will make broadband service available to the Greater Rockford area communities starting in Machesney Park, Rockford, Roscoe, and Winnebago County. As part of its investment in the Greater Rockford region, the company plans to increase its local workforce as new communities are added and plans for local office, retail, and warehousing are underway. In keeping with its commitment to the communities it serves, i3 looks forward to partnering with local organizations as part of its community outreach and engagement efforts.
STELLAR Broadband Brings Fiber Internet to Michigan State University Incubator
STELLAR Broadband and Spartan Innovations, a subsidiary of the Michigan State University (MSU) Research Foundation, and Rockford Construction have created a pact to deliver broadband fiber Internet for the tenants of a new office incubator space for high-tech, high-growth startups. The service provider engineered an enterprise-grade network to optimize security and performance for 24 unique businesses and shared common areas. Every company operates within its network, serving its needs to secure its data, communications, and individual network devices. While this build is new, STELLAR and MSU have a long history. Beginning in 2001, STELLAR connected to MSU’s network to extend the fiber network to students living in off-campus housing. The Bridge spans more than 19,400 square feet and is on the fourth floor of the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building within the MSU Grand Rapids Innovation Park. In addition to advanced network connectivity, tenants at The Bridge can expect many amenities, including SmartZone grant funding for qualifying startups, comprehensive startup services and programming, Spartan Innovations’ Entrepreneur in Residence training program, and multiple options for office sizes and collaborative spaces.
GoNetspeed Targets Lewiston, Auburn, Maine as Next Fiber Internet Destination
GoNetspeed equips the Twin Cities of Lewiston and Auburn, Maine, with its fiber internet service. Through GoNetspeed’s $3.2 million investment in Lewiston and Auburn, more than 6,300 locations will have fiber internet by this fall, with construction beginning this spring. Residents and businesses are interested in GoNetspeed services may visit gonetspeed.com to indicate interest and receive construction updates. The service provider has been extending its fiber internet reach to several Maine communities. Bangor, Bath, Biddeford, Brewer, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Falmouth, Gorham, Gray, New Gloucester, Old Orchard Beach, Old Town, Orono, Saco, Scarborough, Topsham, Westbrook, Windham, and Yarmouth have access to GoNetspeed’s service. The service provider indicated in a press release that it is in the process of bringing fiber internet service to several other Maine communities.
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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