Columbus, IN June 14, 2023 – Mayor Jim Lienhoop, fiber internet service provider GigabitNow and Meridiam’s Hoosier Fiber Networks today announced that Columbus’ first homes are ready for fiber internet home connections and order availability for GigabitNow fiber internet service.
More than 450 homes in the “Big Block” downtown Columbus area are ready for connection to Columbus’ new fiber internet network, with an additional 1200 homes expected ready for connection by the end of summer. Since the project began, nearly 175,000 feet of fiber optic conduit has been laid throughout Columbus.
“Columbus residents require state-of-the-art fiber internet to live, work and learn in the 21st century,” said Mayor Lienhoop. “With the first homes ready for fiber internet service, we are progressing on our goal of serving every member of our community with the highest-speed and quality internet regardless of income level.”
Only fiber is robust enough to deliver the stability and symmetrical upload and download speeds needed for remote work, education, and healthcare. It is less prone to outages than traditional cable, and it is a generational solution with nearly unlimited scalability and adaptability to future applications.
“Everyone at GigabitNow is excited to be bringing fast, reliable fiber Internet to Columbus, Indiana,” said Stephen Milton, CEO of GigabitNow. “We are pleased to invite residents of Columbus to sign up now to ensure they are the first to receive fiber Internet service in their neighborhood and take advantage of network launch special pricing.”
Designed to be accessible to Columbus residents regardless of income level, the City and Hoosier Fiber Networks are collaborating on one of the country’s most comprehensive and innovative public-private partnerships to help low-income and digitally marginalized households access top-quality fiber internet service.
“Columbus’ digital access program will bring the power of fiber internet connectivity to Columbus residents regardless of income level,” said Dion Newton, Digital Equity Manager, Hoosier Fiber Networks. “In addition to laying fiber in communities throughout Columbus, the City and Hoosier Fiber Networks will connect qualifying low-income residents to service and equipment subsidies and with digital literacy programs to facilitate online work and job searches, education and healthcare.”
Eligible low-income residents may qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Plan (ACP) to receive at least a symmetrical 250 megabits per second (Mpbs) plan at no cost to the user if ACP is applied. The City and Hoosier Fiber Networks will together provide the “drop” connection to qualifying households.
Residents can find more information about low-income qualifications by visiting GigabitNow’s website at: https://www.gigabitnow.com/columbus.
Residents can also receive real-time construction and registration updates via a new dashboard and learn more about the network at https://www.gigabitnow.com/columbus/.
Media Contacts:
Jody Coffman
Communications and Event Coordinator, City of Columbus
(812) 669-5302
jcoffman@columbus.in.gov
Dan Sivils
Chief Operating Officer, GigabitNow
(206) 905-8060
dan@isofusion.com
Jennifer Cohan
Hoosier Fiber Networks
(917) 239-9905
communications@meridiam.com
About GigabitNow
GigabitNow offers communities of all sizes fast, reliable, and affordable fiber Internet without bandwidth caps and free from privacy worries or service constraints. GigabitNow focuses on providing the very best Internet experience and genuine customer support to every customer. Builder-operator of multiple Fiber-To-The Home (FTTH) community networks, GigabitNow concentrates on providing gigabit-class networks and services to unserved and underserved municipalities, multi-tenant buildings, and private communities. Experience the Internet How It Is Meant To Be. Learn more at http://www.gigabitnow.com.
GigabitNow is a division of IsoFusion, one of Washington state’s largest privately held full-service ISP and colocation providers founded in 1991. For further information, please contact: info@gigabitnow.com, or 1-866-748-8066
About Hoosier Fiber Networks
Developing a fiber internet network in partnership with the cities of Bloomington, Columbus, Shelbyville and with Bartholomew County to meet their communities’ specific needs, Hoosier Fiber Networks is a Bloomington, Indiana based company that aspires to serve every Central Indiana resident and business with a high-speed, high-quality fiber internet network regardless of income level.
Delivering accessible and affordable fiber internet is central to Hoosier Fiber Networks’ operation. The company is laying fiber in communities throughout Central Indiana and collaborating with its partners to connect residents with service and equipment subsidies, expand access in hard-to-reach communities, and increase digital literacy.
Hoosier Fiber Networks is owned and financed by Meridiam, a global leader in long-term sustainable infrastructure investment. In 2022, the company committed $1.5b to fiber internet projects around the world.
