Jasper to Become ‘Gigacity’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowJasper Mayor Terry Seitz says a multi-million dollar fiber installation project will “future-proof” the community. The city is partnering with Ellettsville-based Smithville Communications on the effort that will provide residents, businesses and schools with wireless gigabit connectivity. Seitz says the fiber technology can help strengthen current businesses and attract new companies and young professionals. He says the three-year installation project is completely privately-funded.
January 15, 2015
News Release
Jasper, Ind. — This January the city of Jasper will begin a total fiber installation in partnership with Smithville Communications and its Smithville Telecom subsidiary. Once the multi-year project is complete, Jasper residents will have access to a full gigabit fiber network, which will feature high-speed in-home and business wireless gigabit connectivity. The Jasper project represents a true “Fiber-to-the-Premise” (FTTP) installation, with no traditional copper-based or coaxial cable involved.
“This collaboration between Jasper and a national Top 100 communications provider will propel Jasper residents, schools and companies to an even higher level of success,” said Jasper Mayor, Terry Seitz. “The decision by the City of Jasper to leverage fiber service to our municipal departments into a complete extension of fiber throughout the community will bring state-of-the-art communications capabilities. As technology becomes more immersed into our society I believe what we are beginning today will enable us to accomplish things beyond our wildest imagination in the future.”
“Smithville is pleased and privileged to bring the latest fiber-driven gigabit technology to the people and businesses of Jasper and create a true 'gigacity',” said Darby McCarty, Smithville Telecom CEO. “Gigabit connectivity is 1,000 times faster than one megabit, and our new in-home gigabit wireless router connectivity will give Jasper residents the fastest and most versatile Internet presently available in the state of Indiana.”
McCarty noted that the new Smithville gigabit technology that is planned for Jasper will help “future-proof” the community for next-generation technology advancements such as UHD television, seamless high-speed cloud computing, and new gigabit-required complex applications for Big Data and other advancements. More information about the Smithville/Jasper build-out is available online at jasper.smithville.com.
Fiber-optics networking is quickly becoming a necessary element of civic infrastructure. Advancements in healthcare leverage fiber capacity for critical image transmission and telemedicine. Growing businesses can rely on its dependable connectivity and consumers benefit from gigabit-based “smart home” technology, as well as lightning-fast downloads of high-definition movies, streaming video (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime), and a host of other services. Fiber offers a platform of exponential speed and can carry enormous amounts of data. The transition to a purely fiber platform means increasing download speeds from a few megabits per second (Mbps) to 1,000 Mbps. With this new capacity large files can be downloaded much faster. For example, with gigabit connectivity, a full two-hour HD movie can be downloaded in about 30-50 seconds, compared with much longer periods of time at lower bandwidth speeds.
The Jasper and Smithville fiber build is expected to take three years to completely install. Engineering planning alone for residential and small business sections will take up to nine months. Smithville currently expects that about 33% of the gigabit fiber build will be completed by the end of 2016, 33% by the end of 2017 and full completion by the end of 2018.
Later this year, Smithville Telecom will offer the online capacity for Jasper residents to submit their opinion and help influence the sequence of the fiber build-out. More information about the fiber installation and public outreach will be announced throughout the year. Residents can sign up to receive updates at jasper.smithville.com.
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About the City of Jasper
Jasper, Indiana is the county seat of Dubois County, the state's consistent leader in employment. Jasper has recently been named one of Indiana’s top places to live and one of Indiana’s safest communities. Home to 15,500 people, Jasper expands in population daily with a workforce larger than its population. For more information about living, working or visiting Jasper, please visit www.jasperindiana.gov.
About Smithville Communications and Smithville Telecom
Nationally recognized as a Top 100 Broadband Company, privately owned Smithville Communications is Indiana’s largest independent telecom company with more than 140 employees. With an earned reputation as a communications technology innovator, Smithville is presently deploying Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) and other enhanced fiber services to its business and residential customers. These services, which range up to 10 Gbps, provide a platform for the fastest connectivity available in Indiana to business, institutions and consumers. Its subsidiary Smithville Telecom provides fiber-based connectivity, data consulting, network management and managed services for businesses, university campuses, biotechnology companies, healthcare providers, government offices and other entities. The company currently serves about 23,000 businesses and residences in southern and central Indiana. For more information, please visit www.smithville.com.
Source: City of Jasper