Category Archives: FTTH

EVENT Oct 24: Minneapolis Regional Fiber Connect

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Happening next Tuesday, the Fiber Broadband Association is hosting a conference in Minneapolis. Here’s the agenda…

7:15 – 8:00 am Networking Breakfast with Exhibitors  
8:00 – 8:07 am Welcome & Introduction  
8:07 – 8:10 am Sponsor Welcome & Introductions  
8:10 – 8:45 am Fireside Chat  
8:45 – 9:30 am Session #1 – Building and Sustaining Customer Experience: Measurements that Matter  
9:30 – 10:00 am Networking Break with Exhibitors  
10:00 – 10:40 am Session #2 – The Community Connection: How Fiber Impacts Economics and Opportunity  
10:40 – 11:20 am Session #3 – Workforce Development: Building Teams or Outsourcing Smartly  
11:20 – 11:30 am Chairman Remarks  
11:30 – 12:00 pm Fireside Chat  
12:00 – 12:45 pm Networking Lunch  
12:45 – 1:15 pm Networking Dessert with Exhibitors  
1:15 – 1:50 pm Session #4 – Tribal Broadband Opportunities and Challenges  
1:50 – 2:30 pm Session #5 – Deployment Challenges and Opportunities: Pros and Cons of Deployment Options  
2:30 – 3:00 pm Networking Break with Exhibitors  
3:00 – 3:35 pm Fireside Chat  
3:35 – 4:15 pm Session #6 – Industry Trends & Technology Best Practices – Architecting for Growth  
4:15 – 4:35 pm Closing Remarks  
4:35 – 5:15 pm Networking Reception

 

Intrepid Fiber Networks expands FTTH service to Bloomington MN

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Business Wire reports…

Intrepid Fiber Networks, a national fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) provider, is proud to announce its expansion into Bloomington, Minnesota. This strategic investment aims to provide over 40,000 households and businesses with access to symmetrical multi-gigabit Internet speeds. Intrepid Fiber will continue its valued partnerships with leading Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to deliver best-in-class FTTP services through its wholesale open-access model.

Construction began in July 2023, with Minnesotans expected to enjoy ultra-fast Internet as early as December 2023. Multi-gigabit speeds will elevate the quality of life and economic prospects of residents and boost efficiency, foster innovation, and expand the market reach of businesses.
This is a significant milestone for Intrepid Fiber as it expands beyond its inaugural markets in Pueblo and Northglenn, Colorado.

Willmar City Council approves Hometown Fiber contract to build open access network

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Willmar Radio reports…

The Willmar City Council this week approved a service contract with Home Town Fiber of Maple Grove. Willmar Operations Director Kyle Box says the company will be working on engineering plans for an open access fiber network that they want to begin installing in every home and business in Willmar for high-speed internet…

…Box says the project will be paid for by Home Town Fiber and customers who use the open access fiber network. If built, Willmar would be the first city in Minnesota with an open access fiber network…

…One the lines are laid, any internet service provider will be able to use the open access fiber network and charge customers for service. Hometown Fiber hopes to begin laying down the lines next spring.

WOW Internet building a fiber network in Anoka and Ramsey Counties

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PRNewswire reports…

 WOW! Internet, TV & Phone (NYSE: WOW), a leading broadband services provider, today announced its entrance into Minnesota where it will begin construction of its fast, reliable, all-IP fiber network in Anoka and Ramsey Counties over the coming months. The company expects to add more than 85,000 new homes in Minnesota, increasing the number of targeted homes passed as part of the Greenfield expansion initiative to a total of 345,000 homes passed, reflecting progress toward the company’s goal of reaching 400,000 new homes by 2027 and increasing its footprint by 21%.

WOW!’s expansion into Minnesota builds off the company’s announcement earlier this month to bring its services to new communities in Michigan. These new service area expansions are part of the company’s larger Greenfield initiative, with new build-outs underway in Central Florida and Greenville County, South Carolina, and early indicators pointing to impressive growth and penetration in Central Florida communities where WOW!’s service is now available.

The Minnesota communities that will benefit from WOW!’s all-fiber network expansion include Andover, Anoka, Centerville, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Lexington, Lino Lakes, Ramsey, Roseville, Shoreview and White Bear Lake. WOW! has begun preliminary work in these areas to bring its state-of-the-art services and exceptional customer service to community members seeking more flexible and reliable broadband access.  …

Once services are launched, these communities will experience WOW!’s all-fiber network and can subscribe to fiber services, including residential symmetrical Internet speeds up to 5 Gbps. Subscribers will receive the necessary equipment upfront to get started on WOW!’s reliable, high-speed network along with WiFi at no extra cost, unlimited data, and no annual contracts. Among its suite of products, WOW! will also offer YouTube TV, reliable home phone plans, WOW! mobile powered by Reach, and flexible, comprehensive solutions for businesses.

To learn more about WOW!, and to find out if its services are available in your area, please visit www.wowway.com.

Arvig upgrades to 400 Gbps-capable routes in parts of its Minnesota backbone

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Telecompetitor reports…

Fiber broadband provider Arvig has announced completion of  the construction of its first 400 Gbps-capable routes in parts of its Minnesota backbone.

The routes, located in the  Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, offer the potential for four times as much capacity as the former 100 Gbps network. They also reach into central and north central Minnesota, going into major regional hubs that include St. Cloud. The upgraded portions of the backbone can scale to 1 Tbps.

Their mode of growth has been diverse…

Arvig is using a variety of growth strategies in its expansion. In January of this year, the company acquired a fiber network from ALP Utilities that serves about 130 businesses in the city of Alexandria, MN.

In July 2022, the company entered a $4.4 million public–private partnership with Redwood County, MN, to bring 1 Gbps connectivity to residential customers and 10 Gbps service to businesses in Belview, Clements, Morgan, Seaforth, Vesta, Wabasso, Walnut Grove and Wanda.

The partnership is partially funded by a $1.3 million grant Arvig received in December 2022 from Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant program. In addition, Arvig will contribute $1.2 million to the project and the county will add $1.9 million through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). It is expected to be completed in June 2025.

Arvig’s Minnesota network currently has 27 data centers and more than 15,500 route miles and is growing by at least 1,000 miles per year. The company offers internet, television and telephone services to more than 54,000 residential and business customers in Minnesota.

 

Carlos MN gets FTTH through Spectrum (Douglas County)

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Charter Communications reports…

Spectrum recently celebrated completion of a network expansion project to bring its advanced fiber-optic network to more than 350 homes and small businesses in the Town of Carlos, Minnesota.

The project was supported by a $1.1 million investment from Spectrum.

“Our partnership with the City of Carlos allows us to bring gigabit broadband and Spectrum services to more residential and small business customers residing in rural areas,” said Mike Jorgensen, Spectrum Area Vice President in Minnesota. “With construction complete, we can now provide high-value broadband, mobile, TV and voice services to City of Carlos residents.” …

Spectrum Internet delivers speeds up to 1 Gbps and Advanced WiFi for both residential customers and small business clients, featuring starting speeds of 300 Mbps, with no modem fees, data caps or contracts. Spectrum Business Internet offers its clients plans with starting download speeds of 300 Mbps, with 600 Mbps and 1 Gbps options.

Metronet is building FTTH in Le Center (Le Sueur County)

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Telecompetitor shares a press release from Metronet…

Metronet today announced that Le Center’s residents and businesses located in initial construction areas now have access to 100% fiber optic internet. As Metronet’s service becomes available throughout the city, residents will have access to multi-gigabit speeds up to 2 gigabits; and businesses may access speeds up to 10 gigabits.

With access to 100% fiber optic internet, customers will experience ultra-high-speed service that connects directly to their home or business, bringing symmetrical upload and download speeds right to your device, free of buffering. Customers located in Metronet’s initial construction areas may now sign up for service installation online at metronet.com.

Gateway Fiber coming to Blaine and Coon Rapids

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Telecompetitor reports…

New high-speed internet is coming to Minnesota. Gateway Fiber, a leading provider of ultra-fast and reliable internet services, announced today its expansion to the state, offering internet solutions in Blaine and Coon Rapids. The launch of Gateway Fiber in these communities will deliver lightning-fast internet speeds, ensuring residents have access to the latest technological advancements and enhancements for their digital lifestyles.

Construction will begin this fall on Gateway Fiber’s new 100% fiber optic internet service. By spring 2024, many residents and businesses will have the fastest internet in the area. Customers in Blaine and Coon Rapids can order now at no cost until their service is activated.

Updates on Lumen and Consolidated Communications via FTTH Top 100 list

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Broadband Communities creates a list of FTTH Top 100 as defined by…

In selecting the FTTH Top 100, the editors looked for organizations that advance the cause of fiber-based broadband by

  • Deploying large or ambitious networks that have innovative business plans or intend to transform local economies or improve communities’ quality of life

  • Supplying critical hardware, software or services to deployers

  • Introducing innovative technologies with game-changing potential, even if they have not yet been commercially deployed

  • Providing critical conditions for fiber builds, such as advocacy or demand aggregation

The list is interesting but seen through a Minnesota lens, the list may be too general, to be worth poring over too much but in the small print there’s some information on providers that serve Minnesota, or are planning to serve MN. (That’s not to say that getting listed isn’t a big deal and congrats to the MN companies that do – but rather than compiled an incomplete list, I’ll just share highlights from the list makers.)

An update on Lumen (aka CenturyLink)…

Also entering the mix in a big way is Brightspeed. The company, now the fifth-largest ILEC, was formed when Apollo Global Management purchased ILEC assets and associated operations across 20 states from Lumen Technologies for $7.5 billion. Its service territory encompasses more than 6.5 million locations in mainly rural and suburban communities across the Midwest, Southeast and parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Serving more than 1 million customers in these areas, primarily through its existing broadband network, the provider plans to serve 3 million homes and businesses over the next five years.

Info on Consolidated Communications…

Smaller telcos, such as Consolidated Communications and Lumos, continue progressing with FTTH. Consolidated is expanding its FTTH presence throughout California, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont. Lumos services more than 200,000 homes and businesses across North Carolina and Virginia.

EVENT July 20: Gig Town celebration in Nicollet

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Telecompetitor reports…

Nicollet’s residents and businesses can now access multi-gig internet speeds from Fidium, the new fiber internet service from Consolidated Communications, and all the economic, educational, employment and entertainment benefits that go along with it.

In recognition of this remarkable milestone, Mayor Fred Froehlich, members of the city council, business leaders and community members will celebrate Nicollet’s new status as a “Gig Town” during a brief ribbon cutting ceremony on July 20.

Event:  Nicollet Gig Town Reveal and Ribbon Cutting
Date: Thursday, July 20, 2023
Time: 4 p.m.
Location:  in front of City Hall, 401 Pine St., Nicollet, Minn.

Nuvera – Prior Lake gig network is expanding

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From the City of Prior Lake…

Nuvera’s Gig Cities Fiber infrastructure project is beginning its second year of building and connecting customers in Prior Lake. Nuvera’s infrastructure investment in Prior Lake is estimated at around $14 million, and expects to reach 6,400 Prior Lake customers by the fall. The multi-year project will expand into more neighborhoods next year.

Crews are currently working across the community to install main fiber lines and then connect the network directly to customers homes in several areas including The Wilds and Willows neighborhoods, and also the Sand Point and Fairlawn areas. Nuvera’s new fiber network runs through the community and is buried underground, connecting directly to the customer’s home.

When Nuvera work reaches your neighborhood, you’ll notice the company has marked rights-of-way areas where work is occurring with flags or paint. This indicates where fiber lines will be placed. All flags and paint will be removed once work is complete.

Nuvera is communicating directly with its customers to connect the fiber network to their home. As part of the active construction process, once a customer’s yard is marked by Nuvera with rights-of-way flags or paint, the company requests the customer mark additional areas including underground sprinklers, invisible fencing, irrigation or private power. Once work to bury and connect fiber lines is complete, restoration of property is a key priority for Nuvera. Restoration is a two-step process:

  • Step one: Ensure the construction area is safe, by filling holes with sand. This allows time for settling before final restoration.
  • Step two: Work crews return and complete the site restoration after construction is complete. This will take up to one week. The final restoration includes filling the impacted areas with black dirt/topsoil and grass seed.

Nuvera is only connecting its network to existing customers homes. New customers interested in switching to Nuvera, need to sign-up for presale service to be included in the build plan and to secure the placement of fiber facilities at no charge. To sign up for new services, visit NuveraGigCities.com or contact Nuvera at 952-226-7000.

Comcast brings Gig access to Wayzata

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Yahoo Finance reports…

Comcast today announced the company completed its expansion to bring its smart, fast and reliable fiber-rich network to more than 2,300 homes and businesses in the City of Wayzata, including residential broadband speeds faster than 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) and business speeds up to 100 Gbps. The completion is part of Comcast’s ongoing expansion in the Midwest, where the company will invest more than $20.2 million to bring broadband into homes across the region. Before the end of 2024, Comcast will also expand into Cologne, and, with funding support from the State of Minnesota’s Border to Border Broadband program, Comcast will also extend its network into Rogers and Corcoran.

New fiber can transmit 1.7 Petabits – time to change definitions of broadband?

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SCI News reports…

Researchers have set a new speed record for an industry standard optical fiber, achieving 1.7 Petabits over a 67 km length of fiber. The fiber, which contains 19 cores that can each carry a signal, meets the global standards for fiber size ensuring that it can be adopted without massive infrastructure change.

I saw someone compare that to downloading 2,650 4K movies (80GB each) in one second. That’s a big leap from what was possible…

Back in 1988, the first subsea fiber-optic cable across the Atlantic had a capacity of 20 Megabits or 40,000 telephone calls, in two pairs of fibers. Known as TAT 8, it came just in time to support the development of the World Wide Web. But it was soon at capacity.

The latest generation of subsea cables such as the Grace Hopper cable, which went into service in 2022, carries 22 Terabits in each of 16 fiber pairs. That’s a million times more capacity than TAT 8.

But it’s still not enough to meet the demand for streaming TV, video conferencing and all our other global communication.

Here’s how they improved it…

To meet the exponentially growing demand for movement of data, telecommunication companies need technologies that offer greater data flow for reduced cost.

The newly-developed fiber contains 19 cores that can each carry a signal.

“We’ve created a compact glass chip with a wave guide pattern etched into it by a 3D laser printing technology,” Dr. Gross said.

“It allows feeding of signals into the 19 individual cores of the fiber simultaneously with uniform low losses.”

And what’s the current definition of broadband? Very often I see unserved defined as less than 25 Mbps down and 3 up (25/3), anyone with less than 100/20 is underserved and served is better than that. Maybe it’s time to revisit.

More details on Meeker (County) Cooperative ReConnect fiber project in Litchfield

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I reported on the funding for the Meeker Cooperative fiber buildout to Litchfield in May (2023), KWLM provides a few more details…

An area broadband project is getting federal funding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Minnesota Colleen Landkamer announces $48.5 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural residents, farmers and business owners in rural Minnesota to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. …

In additions to projects in Cass and Fillmore Counties, Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association will connect nearly 500 people, 124 farms, 16 businesses, and one educational facility to high-speed internet in Kandiyohi, Meeker and Stearns counties.

Lumen (aka CenturyLink) expands Fiber service in 18 cities including Minneapolis

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Fierce Telecom reports…

Lumen on Monday revealed it expanded its Quantum Fiber availability, which touts gig and multi-gig speeds, in 18 cities.

Service is now available for more consumers in Boise, Idaho, four Florida markets (Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples and Orlando), Colorado Spring and Denver, Des Moines, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Omaha, Nebraska, two Arizona cities (Phoenix and Tucson), Portland, Salt Lake City and three cities in Washington state (Seattle, Spokane and Vancouver).

A Lumen rep told Fierce Quantum Fiber’s 1-gig tier has already been available in these cities, but the operator has turned up service for more homes and businesses and increased multi-gig coverage.