Clearwave Fiber announces expansion into residential neighborhoods

Clearwave Fiber says it will expand the company's state-of-the-art, all-fiber internet network into residential neighborhoods in Carbondale, with construction starting in April.

The company began serving businesses in Southern Illinois in 1996. Clearwave's goal is to bring the most advanced and fastest available internet to more than 500,000 homes and businesses across the United States by 2027.

"We are committed to providing underserved communities with the high-speed connectivity that is essential for families, businesses and local economies," said Clearwave Fiber CEO David Armistead. "Without these essential services, many of the communities we are targeting will not survive."

Featuring gigabit download and upload speeds, Clearwave Fiber says it will bring 10 times more speed to consumer doorsteps.

"This is exciting news for the City of Carbondale and its residents," said Carbondale Mayor John "Mike" Henry in a news release. "We are proud to partner with Clearwave Communications on this important project."

Henry said the COVID-19 pandemic showed how vital affordable and reliable broadband is to residents' daily lives.

"Clearwave's investment in the city will make Carbondale a more attractive place to live, learn and work, and will provide our children, community and small businesses with the opportunity to compete in the 21st Century global economy," the mayor added.

A 2021 study by Deloitte said that 55% of U.S. households include one or more remote workers, and 43% have at least one household member attending virtual classes. Additionally, 50% of U.S. adults had virtual doctor visits last year.

"Internet connectivity isn't just about browsing or gaming anymore," said Clearwave Fiber's Midwest President, Byron Cantrall. "More and more, we see households where multiple bandwidth-intensive activities occur simultaneously. Many consumers' internet connections just aren't up to the task. Fiber-based internet solves this problem by bringing the fastest, most robust connections directly to homes."

The 2021 Deloitte report also said the average U.S. household has 25 connected devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, game consoles, home concierge systems like Amazon Echo and Google Nest, fitness trackers, camera and security systems, and smart home devices such as connected exercise machines and thermostats.

Supporting this burgeoning ecosystem of household devices can challenge companies serving customers over DSL or cable systems. "Older copper wire and coaxial networks worked just fine for the technologies they were built for," noted Gwynne Lastinger, COO at Clearwave Fiber. "Fiber optic technology is the future. Fiber networks are more durable, more consistent, and they move data at the speed of light. Best of all, our network easily keeps pace with technology innovations."

For information, visit clearwave.com/home.