Midco and Switch are partnering to provide broadband infrastructure to support AI demand in Ellendale, North Dakota.
The five-year agreement between the two companies is designed to enable a 200-terabit network with more than 500 individual 400 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) circuits delivered across two geographically diverse routes between Ellendale, North Dakota, and Chicago, Illinois.
The long-haul routes will connect business customers to major points of presence sites like Minneapolis, Omaha, Chicago, and Denver, enabling transmission of massive volumes of voice, video, and data at reliable 400G speeds, Midco said in its announcement.
“This partnership marks a powerful milestone for North Dakota’s digital‑infrastructure future,” said North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, in a prepared statement about the Midco-Switch partnership. “When a major data center operator chooses to expand with a provider like Midco, it sends a clear signal: North Dakota is rapidly becoming one of the most competitive locations in the nation for high‑performance connectivity, cloud growth and AI‑driven industries.”
“The capacity, speed and scalability unlocked by this new fiber deployment not only strengthens our statewide technology ecosystem but also positions North Dakota for the next generation of data center and hyperscale investment,” added North Dakota Department of Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken in a prepared statement. “This is exactly the kind of forward‑looking infrastructure that fuels innovation, attracts world‑class partners and drives long‑term economic opportunity for our state.”
Midco recently announced that at least part of its $500 million Fiber Forward Investment will bring multi-gigabit connectivity to subscribers on the Midco network via Harmonic’s AI-enabled cOS virtualized broadband platform. “Harmonic’s virtualized broadband platform supports DOCSIS and fiber from the same solution, while offering outstanding uptime and proven performance — making them the clear choice,” Midco Senior Vice President of Technology Bill Chatwell said in a press release about the network upgrade.
