Lightning-fast internet is coming to many areas of Indiana backed by an assortment of multimillion-dollar investments. Many of these projects are going to be connecting underserved areas of the state to some of the fastest internet speeds available – more than doubling the download/upload speeds of cable with no performance loss during peak hours. This is going to be a huge asset for business.

Check out some of the notable projects that have been getting hooked up in our state lately.

 

156-Mile Fiber Line

Digital Crossroad and Vivacity Networks announced partnership to activate and connect a 156-mile line of fiber that runs beneath the Indiana Toll Road. The Digital Crossroads Fiber Network will serve as a wholesale, open-access facility that will enable local entities to have easier and more cost-effective connection to the fastest fiber networks available.

Vivacity Networks will be investing about $18 million to activate the fiber and conduit line. Digital Crossroad will be investing about $7 million to complete the line’s connection to the data center at 350 E. Cermak Road in Chicago, which has been referred to as “the backbone of the internet.”

The Indiana Toll Road begins at the state’s border with Illinois in the west and runs to the state’s border with Ohio in the east, passing through seven Indiana counties.

 

Columbia City Expansion

Surf Broadband Solutions will begin construction of a 100% fiber optic network throughout Columbia City. The $5 million project is completely funded via private investment and will take about two years to complete.

Surf is actively engaged with many community stakeholders in Columbia City to fast-track fiber optic network growth and adoption. These partnerships have helped the growth of Surf’s fiber network in Columbia City and helped Surf to target resources into areas most in need of service.

 

Jasper’s Mega-Fast Internet

Smithville, an Ellettsville-based company, activated its new $15 million fiber system in the city of Jasper last summer. The citywide project brings symmetrical gigabit connectivity (up to 1,000 Mbps download and upload speed) and the network includes a 100-gigabit core network node. Smithville did not receive any taxpayer funds or TIF district funding for the Jasper project.

Today, the new fiber system is available to more than 7,500 homes, businesses, and facilities in Jasper, and more than 3,000 residents have subscribed.

 

Facebook’s 150-Mile Line

Facebook recently concluded a two-phase project to establish a fiber line that stretches 150 miles from the Ohio border to the Illinois border. Phase one involved 80 miles of fiber lines running along I-70 to Indianapolis. Phase two extended that line another 70 miles along Highway 40.

Total costs were not disclosed, but the project was entirely funded by Facebook. The company partnered with its subsidiary Middle Mile Infrastructure for phase one and worked with infrastructure provider Zayo on phase two. The fiber route now spans through Wayne, Henry, Hancock, Marion, Hendricks, Putnam, Clay and Vigo counties.

 

Industrial Connections

Comcast Business added seven miles of fiber infrastructure will reach hundreds of businesses in the north and northwest regions of the state. Projects were completed in industrial and commercial spaces in the cities of Hammond, Portage, Schererville, Middlebury, Wakarusa, and Warsaw. Comcast can now provide businesses in these areas access to Internet speeds of up to 100 Gigabits per second (Gbps).

 

Linking 150 Businesses

Mainstream Fiber Networks, a Nashville-based firm, has begun construction on an 80-mile stretch of fiber optic internet cable in Crawford County. $3 million in grant funds from Next Level Connections helped to support the project. Once complete, the new cable will connect about 1,000 homes, 150 businesses, several schools, and other institutions. Phase 1 of this project is expected to be complete in December of next year.

 

High-Speed Commerce

All of these high-dollar fiber internet projects are going to be outstanding for Indiana companies. Greater connectivity is a greater opportunity to reach new markets and bring the hard work of Hoosiers to the entire world. Soon, many areas of the state are going to have access to one of the fastest business resources in the world. And with that, growth is sure to follow.