Building Broadband: Comcast targets unserved Miami County, Ind. residents; Ezee Fiber Expands Multi-Gig Fiber Internet to Washington
In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from Comcast, Ezee Fiber, Fidium, Glo Fiber, GoNetspeed, Lumos and Metronet.
Comcast leverages NLC funding to enhance Miami County, Ind. broadband reach
Thousands of Miami County, Indiana residents, and businesses will soon access faster Internet with a joint investment from Comcast, the Indiana Broadband Office (IBO), and the Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA). The multi-million-dollar joint investment is the latest from Comcast under the fourth round of the Next Level Connections (NLC) broadband grant program. Pre-construction work has kicked off in Miami County to provide more than 2,200 residents and businesses access to the full Xfinity and Comcast Business services. Hoosier households will also access the company’s Internet Essentials program, a low-cost Internet service available to eligible families/residents who qualify for various public assistance programs.
Ezee Fiber taps into Washington’s broadband market
Ezee Fiber is expanding its fiber network into Washington State as part of a multi-state build-out effort. The buildout will deliver Ezee Fiber's multi-gig fiber internet to residential and business customers across the greater Puget Sound region and throughout the state, starting with Kent, WA. Residential and business customer installations are anticipated to begin in spring 2025. Ezee Fiber will create over 350 employment opportunities throughout the region for construction personnel, installation technicians, and sales, marketing, and community engagement associates. Over the past 18 months, Ezee Fiber has announced a $200 million expansion in Houston, a $250 million expansion in New Mexico, and the acquisition of Conterra Networks' fiber network in New Mexico.
Fidium to begin fiber construction in Waldoboro, Maine
Fidium is expanding its fiber internet network in Waldoboro and parts of Nobleboro, bringing symmetrical, multi-gig speed internet to more than 4,400 homes and businesses. Fiber infrastructure construction is scheduled to begin as soon as February 15, with exact start dates varying by location. Fiber expansion is partly funded through a grant from the Maine Connectivity Authority, with additional funding from Lincoln County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants and private investment from Fidium. As a result of this investment, Fidium will increase access to fiber broadband across Lincoln County, with construction already underway for more than 8,300 homes and businesses in Wiscasset, Whitefield, and Edgecomb, as well as parts of Alna and Westport Island. Expansion is also planned for Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, and Southport, as well as Woolwich in Sagadahoc County.
Glo Fiber Brings Fiber Internet to Berryville and Suffolk, VA
Glo Fiber has agreed to deploy fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband services to Berryville and Suffolk, Virginia. Set to begin construction in the summer of 2025, Glo Fiber will deliver fiber service to 1,800 homes and businesses. Glo Fiber opened a new retail store in Suffolk, Virginia, to provide fiber internet service. Its Fiber internet, streaming TV, and voice services are already available to over 17,000 homes and businesses in Suffolk, and construction to over 8,000 additional locations is planned by the end of the year.
GoNetspeed kicks off Springfield, Mass fiber internet build
GoNetspeed has begun constructing a fiber broadband network that will serve 17,400 homes and businesses throughout Springfield, Mass. Through GoNetspeed’s fully funded $8.3 million investment, homes and businesses can tap into fiber internet with access to multi-gigabit speeds as early as this spring. As construction expands throughout the area, the first customers will be eligible for service installation by this spring.
Lumos deepens Ohio fiber reach with a 100K location build in Franklin County
Lumos has expanded its fiber broadband reach into Franklin County, Ohio, its fourth large-scale build in the state. This expansion will lay over 1,000 miles of fiber, providing internet to residents and businesses throughout the Columbus Metro. It will be the first fiber provider for households and businesses in portions of the Franklin County market. By installing infrastructure, Lumos will deliver fiber internet to key cities and communities, including the City of Columbus, the City of Westerville, Blendon Township, Mifflin Township, Clinton Township, Minerva Park, Linden, Arlington Park, Bridgeview, Somerset, and Argyle Park. Engineering work for the expansion is underway, and construction will begin in the first half of 2025.
Metronet’s lights fiber internet for Elwood, Indiana
Metronet plans to bring fiber internet to Elwood, Indiana, through a private, fully funded multimillion-dollar investment. This infrastructure will connect thousands of homes and businesses to multigigabit service, offering up to 5 Gbps for residents and 10 Gbps for businesses. The provider said it plans to start network construction soon, with the first customers expected to receive service by spring. Metronet continues to invest heavily in Indiana, with fiber-optic networks in Carmel, Fishers, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Lafayette, Noblesville, Westfield, and more than 40 other cities across the state.
Lightwave+BTR is tracking service providers' ongoing efforts to extend broadband to more homes and businesses via our Building Broadband series. If you want to share a new broadband build, contact Lightwave+BTR’s Editor in Chief Sean Buckley at [email protected].
Sean Buckley
Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategies of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report across their websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products.