On November 10, the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas’ fifth largest city, and Ritter Communications, the largest privately-held telecommunications provider exclusively serving the Mid-South U.S. with broadband fiber, telecom, video, cloud and data center services, announced a historic partnership to create a long-overdue option for internet and television service for residents citywide.
According to a press release, as the city’s official broadband partner, Ritter Communications is investing $45 million in infrastructure and two in-person customer care centers to create a competitive option for service in all parts of the city.
The new commitment comes in response to a request issued by the City of Jonesboro seeking a broadband partnership to assist with an estimated $60 million project.
Ritter will partner with the city to seek an additional $10-15 million from state and federal sources that will be required to complete the citywide build-out.
The entire fiber build is expected to be complete within three years, aiming to provide every household an opportunity for broadband speeds up to 1 gigabit.
Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver commented:
“When I became mayor last year, I began researching what we could do to make sure Jonesboro residents had choices for service. I believe competition will result in a better product and better customer service for Jonesboro residents. Internet and TV service issues are probably the most common complaints we receive. Around the state we have seen multiple cities fund this type of investment themselves, and the idea that Ritter is willing to bring this magnitude of an offer to make Jonesboro a true Gig City is exciting to see. I cannot thank Alan Morse and the entire Ritter Communications team enough for their commitment.”
Ritter Communications CEO Alan Morse remarked that the company is uniquely suited to meet the needs of the Jonesboro community with its new RightFiber high-speed broadband and telecommunications services.
Morse noted that Ritter’s experience and track record of building successful private-public partnerships that work will prove strategically advantageous for the city in bringing unprecedented access to high-quality connectivity. He continued:
“As the home to our corporate offices and the majority of our employees, we have a long-standing investment in this community — financially, culturally, professionally and personally. Ritter Communications is ready, with our unique RightFiber internet product and our unwavering "Right by You" pledge, to make game-changing gig-speed internet accessible across Jonesboro — and to position Jonesboro as the most connected city in the Northeast Arkansas region. We are gratified that the City has recognized our capabilities with this award. We look forward to working with Mayor Copenhaver and his team in this partnership.”
Headquartered in Jonesboro, Ritter Communications has grown rapidly over recent years, investing millions recently in technology infrastructure, and is now serving 113 communities and more than 45,000 customers in Arkansas, Texas, Missouri and Tennessee.