MetroNet and the City of Ankeny, Iowa, said they are partnering on a gigabit buildout in the city. When the MetroNet Ankeny project is completed, residents and businesses will have access to MetroNet internet, TV and phone service.
Details about the agreement were slim, but a press release indicates that MetroNet will invest more than $15 million in fiber infrastructure and that the buildout will not cost the taxpayers anything.
Construction is expected to start this summer, with installations available in the months that follow, according to Metronet. The entire project is expected to take up to two years.
MetroNet plans to hire local residents for the project, with jobs to include management positions, sales and customer service professionals, as well as service technicians.
“The demand for high-speed fiber optic internet continues to be strong in Ankeny and adding MetroNet to the mix of providers gives residents another option,” said City Manager David Jones, in a prepared statement. “MetroNet is pursuing an aggressive schedule for building its network in Ankeny, which will require coordination with city staff.”
“We are excited to be adding Ankeny to our growing list of Gigabit cities across the United States,” said MetroNet President John Cinelli in a prepared statement. “We appreciate the opportunity to serve even more Iowa residents and business owners and we are grateful that Mayor Lorenz and the Ankeny Council saw the value that MetroNet’s 100 percent fiber optic network can provide for the growth of their communities.”
MetroNet has been expanding quite rapidly, in part through buildouts such as the one in Ankeny and in part through acquisitions. Last year, the company acquired Jaguar Communications, a provider serving several Minnesota markets, and LightSpeed Fiber Communications, a provider serving several Michigan markets.
MetroNet just announced bringing its service to Hickory, North Carolina.
