NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (December 13, 2022) – Mayor Erin E. Stewart and GoNetspeed, a high-speed fiber internet provider, recently announced that construction of a 175 mile fiber optic internet network spanning throughout New Britain will begin in early January 2023. When completed, the network will have the ability to provide high-speed fiber internet to more than 30,000 families and businesses – reaching more than 70,000 people in the City.
“The City entered into this unique public private partnership with GoNetspeed as a way to alleviate the struggles so many of our residents experienced due to the digital divide, which was exacerbated during the pandemic,” said Erin Stewart, Mayor of New Britain. “This project will bring an affordable high speed internet option to every resident, which is critical to the quality of life for our families and students.”
In June 2022, GoNetspeed won the New Britain City-Wide Fiber Project bid, resulting in Connecticut’s first and most extensive public-private fiber optic internet partnership. This is significant because when completed, not only will residents have access to affordable high speed internet options, but all municipal buildings and traffic points will be interconnected on its own private fiber network. This will improve the services that multiple City departments and public safety personnel are able to provide to New Britain residents.
This over $10 million project is funded through private investment from GoNetspeed and through the City of New Britain’s American Rescue Plan Act funding that was awarded for the specific use of helping residents overcome the challenges that came with the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, this project will come at no cost to the taxpayers. Buildout of the fiber network will begin on January 3rd in the south end of the New Britain and it will take about six months to wire the City so residents can expect to see GoNetspeed trucks in the area hanging fiber on telephone poles.
“We are excited to bring connectivity to the entire City of New Britain,” said GoNetspeed’s Chief Operating Officer, Tom Perrone. “Whether we are providing first-time fiber access to a customer or offering a choice of internet service providers, New Britain residents and businesses win. We look forward to demonstrating our company’s superior performance and unparalleled customer service experience. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to partner with the great City of New Britain.”
GoNetspeed participates in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which means eligible households can receive free 100 Mbps internet or a maximum of $30 per month toward higher speed service costs. For more information on how to sign up for service to a house or business, please visit www.gonetspeed.com.
Mayor Stewart will host a press conference on January 25, 2023, to celebrate the city-wide fiber network buildout, provide more details on the project, and announce future GoNetspeed informational events.
What is Fiber Internet?
Fiber Internet offers symmetrical speeds, meaning that both download and upload are equally fast. The connectivity challenges people experience with video conferencing associated with telecommuting, online learning, and telemedicine have emphasized the importance of fast upload speeds. GoNetspeed offers the fastest residential Internet speeds, ranging from 250 Mbps to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps). For businesses, GoNetspeed can customize speeds beyond Gigabit capability if necessary.
About GoNetspeed
GoNetspeed, a high-speed fiber Internet provider serving residential and business customers in Connecticut, Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and West Virginia, announced in January 2021 that it had formed a new partnership with Oak Hill Capital (“Oak Hill”) which will allow GoNetspeed to accelerate the expansion of its fiber network throughout the Northeastern U.S.
Adding thousands of new locations every year, GoNetspeed is one of the largest independent Internet providers in the east. For more information on the company or to inquire about service in your residence or community, please visit www.gonetspeed.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Kasara Philippas on behalf of GoNetspeed
(860) 940-5584
Or
Rachel Zaniewski on behalf of the City of New Britain
Rachel.Zaniewski@newbritainct.gov
(860) 826-3302