Fiber internet expansion hitting milestones in St. Joseph
Apr. 15—2024 is shaping up to be a milestone year for the expansion of high-speed fiber internet access in St. Joseph and Buchanan County.
Two of the leading fiber internet providers in St. Joseph, Metronet and United Fiber, announced that more than half of their fiber networks have been constructed to date.
The expansion of fiber internet has been a long-awaited development for the city to help both residents and local businesses get on the same playing field as other cities like Kansas City.
"Just a couple of years ago, one of St. Joseph's long-term challenges was satisfying high-quality, high-speed internet access," Mayor John Josendale said. "The pandemic only heightened our need and our community's realization that we needed to modernize our communications."
Metronet has already installed more than 240 miles of fiber-optic cable and is expected to complete its entire $30 million network in St. Joseph by the end of the summer. A majority of residents and businesses in St. Joseph now have access to Metronet fiber services.
Competitor United Fiber has completed 65% of its $50 million network to this point. Officials expect construction to be finished by the first or second quarter of 2025. Areas that still require work include much of Midtown and almost all of Downtown St. Joseph.
Between Metronet and United Fiber, an expanded and competitive fiber network in St. Joseph will pay dividends for customers' internet reliability and even attracting prospective businesses eyeing St. Joseph.
"When we have a company, for example, that's looking to come to St. Joseph, they have a list of requirements. They're not all deal breakers, but they have a list of requirements and oftentimes high-speed internet fiber is important to them. And so it's great for us to be able to check the box," said Natalie Hawn, president and CEO of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.
Most standard internet services offer speeds between 5 and 99 megabits per second. Fiber internet is capable of providing speeds between 100 and 1,000 megabits per second, with some plans reaching as high as 5,000 megabits per second.
"So now more than ever, we have flexibility in our jobs where somebody may have to take a Zoom call at home or maybe working hybrid in and out of office. And it makes for that availability of their workforce to be even better because you can work anywhere in St. Joseph now and not have to worry about the quality of internet," Hawn said.
Local business leaders and Metronet officials gathered at the Pony Express Museum on Monday to celebrate the company's halfway milestone with a declaration of gigabit (1,000 megabits per second) service for St. Joseph. Metronet also presented a $10,000 check to Second Harvest Community Food Bank as part of the event.
Metronet, United Fiber, Optimum and Bluebird are the main services offering fiber internet in the area. Bluebird is available primarily for businesses, schools and hospitals.
Metronet and United Fiber initially began construction on fiber-optic networks back in 2022.
"We appreciate the residents' patience," Hawn said. "I know it's been a little painful in the process getting there with roads torn up and yards torn up. But the end result will be so exciting for our community that we can say that we really have fiber across our community."
A full map of United Fiber active service areas in St. Joseph can be viewed at unitedfiber.com/stjoe.
St. Joseph and Buchanan County residents can confirm if Metronet fiber services are available in their area by searching their home address at www.metronet.com/promotion.
