By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Metronet has officially declared St. Joseph as a Certified Gigabit City.
Craig Zimmerman, Metronet Government Affairs Manager, says to be eligible to be classified as a gigabit city at least half the residents and businesses have to have access to a fiber network.
“Which we have surpassed at this point,” Zimmerman tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We’ve got still some work left to do to continue our build throughout the city, but over half of the residents and businesses now have access to our fiber network.”
St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale says the honor of being named a gigabit city is exciting when you think about how just two years ago, no fiber internet was available in the city.
“I guess it really came to light during the pandemic and being able to see that speed matters when it comes to the internet,” Josendale says. “So, whether its business or personal, I mean it’s really important and it’s exciting for us, because as people see it then it becomes more of a real event for them.”
Metronet began the $30 million project in 2022 and to date has installed more than 240 miles of fiber-optic internet throughout the city.
Zimmerman also recalls when the project began, they were the only ones working to bring fiber internet to the city.
“Shortly thereafter a competitor has joined us, which is great for this city right?” Zimmerman explains. “I mean there’s going to be so much choice, they can decide speeds, pricing, who serves them the best, and we’re hopeful that Metronet is the provider of choice in that journey.”
Construction on Metronet fiber cables is estimated to be completed by summer next year.
