Bluepeak has reached a franchise agreement with the city of Norman, Okla., to build a high-speed fiber network, the carrier announced today.
The nearly $55 million expansion effort, the largest the company has made outside of South Dakota, will bring Bluepeak service to just under 55,000 residences and businesses in Norman. The carrier currently offers service in South Dakota, North Dakota, southwest Minnesota, Wyoming and Oklahoma.
Highspeed internet service is sorely needed in Oklahoma, according to Bluepeak. A press release cites Broadbandnow.com research showing that the state ranks 46th in the nation in internet coverage, speed and availability. A Kansas City Federal Reserve study estimated 30% of Oklahomans have access to fewer than two wired internet providers.
Additionally the 2020 Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond report, “Bringing Broadband to Rural America” determined that broadband access and adoption is linked to increased job and population growth, higher rates of new business formation and home values, and lower unemployment rates.
Bluepeak features all-in pricing, with a minimum service tier of 1 Gbps for $50 per month. Homes can get up to 5 Gbps, while businesses can get 10 Gbps and beyond. Each package includes eero Secure, which protects devices from online threats, ads and allows for customized content filtering.
Bluepeak already provides service for residents in other Oklahoma communities with service available in Stillwater, Enid, Lawton and many others.
Bluepeak is the branded service from fiber-based service provider Clarity Telecom LLC, which has done business as Vast Broadband in some areas. The company has done franchise deals similar to the one with Norman with several other Oklahoma cities.
“Our fiber-to-the-home network is built to enhance growth, spur economic development and meet the needs of consumers in Norman well into the future,” Rich Fish, Bluespeak CEO, said in a prepared statement. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the partnership we’ve struck with the city of Norman to provide better options for internet connectivity here.”
Bluepeak provides fiber services in larger cities and towns in Oklahoma, not smaller communities. Lots of smaller cities and towns are currently being wired for fiber by the local land-line telephone companies at a rapid pace as people have cancelled their old telephone service in favor of cellphones. Our small town of 400 people in Oklahoma is now served by two fiber providers and one fixed-wireless internet service provider, and the neighboring towns are being wired as well.