Page last updated on January 25, 2023 at 12:31 pm
Each week, Mayor Hamilton and Deputy Mayor Griffin provide video updates on recent news and key initiatives. Access all of the weekly video updates at bloomington.in.gov/videoupdates.
Join Mayor Hamilton and GigabitNow/Isofusion CEO Stephen Milton as they discuss high-speed internet access to all of Bloomington as part of the Meridiam/Hoosier Network's $50-million-plus fiber-network project.
GigabitNow will deliver fiber-based broadband services to the first residents by the end of January 2023. GigabitNow will offer service of at least 1 Gigabit per second symmetrical speed (equal upload and download) everywhere the Hoosier Network network reaches. The cost-of-service rates with the initial ISP will be competitive locally and regionally.
Eligible low-income residents may qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Plan (ACP) to get a symmetrical 250 megabits per second (Mbps) plan at reduced or no cost to them. The City and Hoosier Networks will together provide the “drop” connection to qualifying households. Hoosier Networks and the City continue to collaborate on a groundbreaking digital equity program, one of the most innovative broadband public-private collaborations in the country, to help low-income and digitally-disadvantaged households access top-quality internet services.
All residents can learn more and pre-register at no cost or obligation at gigabitnow.com/bloomington. Learn more about the Meridiam/Hoosier Networks project at https://bton.in/QL0n0.
Transcript
John Hamilton:
Hi, it's Mayor John Hamilton, and we're here on the roof of a parking garage and I'm with Stephen Milton with GigabitNow. We're talking about the new fiber project that's launching in Bloomington. And Stephen, welcome to town again.
Stephen Milton:
Thank you. Yeah.
John Hamilton:
Can you tell us a little bit about GigabitNow? You're the internet service provider, but tell us about your company.
Stephen Milton:
Sure. Well, we started the company in 1991. I was one of the founders just out of college. And we were doing various types of pre-internet technology for local businesses in Seattle. And then, in 1994, we started doing dial-up internet services. So we've been an ISP-
John Hamilton:
You did dial-up. No dial-up now.
Stephen Milton:
From the very beginning.
John Hamilton:
We can remember that, some of us.
Stephen Milton:
So, we made the whole jump...Dial-up, DSL, everything.
John Hamilton:
Congratulations. And here you are. What brought you to Bloomington? And tell us about how this project appealed to you and attracted the partners. Just tell us what brought you here.
Stephen Milton:
Sure. Well, so Meridiam, they're the lead in trying to fund these kinds of projects. That's really-
John Hamilton:
Yeah. Build the fiber.
Stephen Milton:
Exactly. They're bringing the funding to these kinds of projects. They work with local or regional companies to do the building and construction.
John Hamilton:
So you don't have to build the fiber network.
Stephen Milton:
Exactly. So for our small business, it's low risk. So it's a much lower risk for this kind of network to bring an ISP that is not one of the major companies. And so that's the problem that we've had in broadband for a long time, is not enough competition, because there's usually only one or two broadband companies anywhere in the country.
John Hamilton:
I think about it kind of like it would be as if you were FedEx trying to start to deliver packages if you had to build your own road system to get everywhere. You're delivering internet services, but if you can use that infrastructure that other people have in place, that helps you be focused, nimble, and compete, I guess, right?
Stephen Milton:
Yeah, absolutely. And so that's our kind of model at this point is finding cities that have the foresight to work with these kind of companies like Meridiam infrastructure that will build out a network, and then we act as the kind of initial launch service provider.
John Hamilton:
Because you have to come into the market and win market share, right?
Stephen Milton:
Exactly.
John Hamilton:
You have to come in and convince people that your service is better than what we can get.
Stephen Milton:
Give them that superior experience that a fiber network and an internet service provider who doesn't take all of their services for granted. Comcast thinks they're entitled to your dollars. That's the way it works there. So yeah, we definitely have to try a lot harder to explain.
John Hamilton:
Hungry. Young, hungry, scrappy.
Stephen Milton:
Exactly.
John Hamilton:
Okay. We like that.
Stephen Milton:
Exactly.
John Hamilton:
So this network, your services, maybe can you talk a little bit about digital equity and the ubiquity of this and what that means for you and your company's interest in that too.
Stephen Milton:
Yeah. Well, we certainly really like being able to provide internet to everyone. As a kind of early internet pioneer, that's always been my, let's just say one of the things that I'm really interested in trying to push forward is that the internet is for everyone and that everyone gets a lot of benefit from it. And as you mentioned, the rural electrification process is very similar to that process that we've been going through in the U.S. with broadband. So making sure that everyone has access and then the combination of working with the city's programs, the grant programs, Meridium's programs, and then like you said, the Biden Harris ACP program, the Affordable Connectivity Program, which basically kicks in about $30 towards an internet connection. We work to make sure that we can provide a good level of service at that $30 price point, so it's effectively free to that income-qualified resident.
John Hamilton:
That's amazing, in our city, to have low-income households, people on free and reduced lunch, people in public housing, people on food stamps to get, essentially free-
Stephen Milton:
Seniors. Yeah.
John Hamilton:
Seniors. Free internet service because we're helping pay for the drop. So you're also net neutrality. You believe in that.
Stephen Milton:
Yeah. Since the beginning. Oh, absolutely. Yeah.
John Hamilton:
So we're really glad to have you here. Welcome. You all want to check it out. There's a website. We'll give you some information about it too. But thanks for being part of our next chapter. Appreciate it.
Stephen Milton:
Absolutely. A pleasure to be here.