Photo by Theresa Stanley
City officials joined representatives from MetroNet on Tuesday to officially open the company’s new retail location on West Tiverton Way, and to ceremonially flip-the-switch on a 100-percent fiber-optic network that, upon its completion, will provide gigabit internet, television and phone services to homes and businesses within Lexington’s Urban Services Boundary.
The citywide fiber-optic network makes good on a 2014 promise by Mayor Jim Gray to establish the nation’s best infrastructure for phone, television and internet services in Lexington, a development he said is essential in spurring economic growth, establishing new jobs, increasing competition and opening up new opportunities for the city.
“Lexington marks our biggest growth effort, made possible by the synergy in working with the mayor and this progressive city in understanding value," said Keith Leonhardt, Metronet vice president of marketing and residential sales. "Additionally, the city council is engaged and accountable in their districts. We don’t see this level of engagement elsewhere.”
During his remarks, the mayor said that delays and unforeseen issues are to be expected with a project of this scale, which is expected to take two years to complete, but that his office and MetroNet are meeting monthly to ensure that “neighborhood by neighborhood … issues are addressed immediately and efficiently,” he said.
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Lexington Mayor Jim Gray / Photo by Theresa Stanley
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Metronet Executive Vice President and General Manager Kevin Stelmach / Photo by Theresa Stanley
The fiber-optic network can carry an unlimited amount of data across glass-fiber cables, with upload and download speeds of as much as a gigabit. A gigabit speed connection—or 1,000 megabits per second—is capable of downloading a 90-minute high definition movie in approximately 30 seconds, as opposed to 30 minutes over a cable-wire connection.
When asked what the network means for Lexington's business community, Kevin Stelmach, Metronet executive vice president and general manager, responded "choice."
"The business community now has a choice of another provider than can bring equal services to what are being offered and beyond," he said. "Our businesses in town can get at a minimum 10 gig of symmetrical speed, and we can go well beyond that to customize solutions to meet business needs."
In addition to MetroNet’s fiber-optic internet service, the company will offer landline phone services and an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) service that carries as many as 240 channels. The projected cost of the project, which MetroNet is covering, is between $70 and $100 million.
"Speed is king." — Bob Quick
Lexington will be the nation’s largest gigabit city upon completion of the network. Chattanooga is the only current gigabit city in the country, and Huntsville, Alabama, is on track to become the second.
“Speed is king," said Commerce Lexington President and CEO Bob Quick. "If you talk to consumers all the way to business people, the competitive advantage any community has is infrastructure. When we as a community have this speed wired to every home, that also gives us global recognition outside of our marketplace."