FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sparklight Completes $29 Million Project to Bring High-Speed Internet to Gila County Schools, Libraries
August 15, 2023 – Phoenix – Sparklight®, a leading broadband communications provider, recently completed a $29 million expansion project in Gila County, Arizona. Part of a larger E-Rate initiative, this project will help bridge the digital divide for nine county schools and school districts and eight county libraries.
Utilizing funding from three agencies, Sparklight Business extended its fiber network from the town of Show Low to provide high-speed internet to communities throughout Gila County. At more than 200 route miles and nearly 29,000 fiber miles, much of it through solid granite, this is one of the largest, single-fiber, E-Rate construction projects executed by Sparklight.
Expansion project details:
- Through a $2 million grant from the MHA Foundation, Sparklight Business built out its fiber backbone to extend from Show Low into Payson and Star Valley. This build is approximately 80 miles in length.
- A $1 million grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) enabled Sparklight Business to build an all-fiber network to reach more than 600 commercial customers in Payson and Star Valley. Utilizing an all-fiber ePON technology capable of 5 Gigabit symmetrical speeds, the network offers the fastest internet speeds in the area and the ability to handle the needs of small and medium-sized enterprise customers – now and in the future.
- With $1.9 million in funding from Arizona state matching grants and an additional $17.5 million for construction from the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) E-Rate program, Sparklight Business has built fiber optic internet connections to 17 sites throughout Gila County, including libraries as well as public, charter and private schools.
“Access to fast and reliable connectivity is critical for schools and libraries and we are thrilled to help make that happen in Gila County,” said Chris Boone, Senior Vice President of Businesses Services and Emerging Markets. “We look forward to continuing to fulfill our purpose of connecting customers and communities to what matters most and eliminating the digital divide for students and schools in rural areas throughout our footprint.”
Sparklight currently offers speeds up to 1 Gigabit for residential customers and up to 5 Gigabits for business customers over its fiber-powered network. With investments of more than $1 billion over the past three years, the company is laying the groundwork to launch speeds as fast as 10 Gigabits (10G) and beyond. Delivering speed 10 times faster than today’s networks, 10G will transform the customer experience, creating new possibilities for smart cities, connected homes, virtual and augmented reality and business.
For more information about Sparklight, visit www.sparklight.com.
About Sparklight
Sparklight® is a leading broadband communications provider and part of the Cable One family of brands, which serves more than one million residential and business customers across 24 states. Powered by a fiber-rich network, Sparklight provides consumers with a wide array of connectivity and entertainment services, including high-speed internet and advanced Wi-Fi solutions, cable television and phone service. Sparklight Business provides scalable and cost-effective products for businesses ranging in size from small to mid-market, in addition to enterprise, wholesale and carrier customers.
CONTACT:
Aaron Scherle
External Communications Manager