Surf Internet to begin 250-mile fiber installation project
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Elkhart-based fiber internet service provider Surf Internet will begin construction later this month on what will eventually be 250 miles of fiber service to rural homes in three northern Indiana counties. The company received a $6 million grant last April from Indiana’s Next Level Connections Broadband Grant Program to help cover part of the cost.
Surf Internet, which is making a private investment of $3.6 million, says it will begin in a rural, underserved area of Elkhart County. The project will then move to La Porte and Newton counties later this year.
The company says it is the largest project of its kind in northern Indiana.
“Rather than focusing only on homes in densely populated areas, we are applying for grant subsidies in spread-out areas that would otherwise be financially unfeasible to reach on our own,” said Surf CEO Gene Crusie. “By partnering with local communities in this way, we can expand our fiber network even further, opening the door for better opportunities in education, business, and personal connections.”
The Elkhart County project will result in Surf’s fiber broadband service stretching from Goshen to Wakarusa to Middlebury, including 478 homes and 25 businesses.
The next phase in La Porte County will get fiber service to 953 homes, including in Westville, Wanatah, Union Mills, Rolling Prairie, and Hanna. The company says it will provide service to 88 rural households and two businesses near Lake Village in Newton County.
All three projects are expected to be completed by April 2024.