Fiber for the future

If a healthy dose of fiber is great for your diet, it's even better for internet speeds.

Local internet service providers Evertek and Royal Telephone Company know this firsthand. Now thanks to a grant from the governor's office, they will be able to expand their fiber network to rural customers in northwest Iowa.

"It was nice to see that money come back to us, a company that has been in the area for several years," said Evertek CEO Roxanne White. "We are excited for the opportunity we've been given."

Evertek was awarded more than $11.9 million to expand its fiber network in rural areas near May City, Melvin, Hartley, Primghar, Sioux Rapids, Paullina and Early. The company partnered with TCA and North West REC on the grant.

"This is a long-term investment when we look at this," White said. "This is something that we think is great for the people who live in those areas."

Once in place, the fiber internet will provide much faster speeds to rural customers than their current wireless service. The funds were made possible by Broadband Grants Program – Empower Rural Iowa, which aims to upgrade internet service across rural portions of the state.

Royal Telephone Company received a $1.06 million grant to extend its fiber network to an estimated 130 underserved locations around rural Royal. For General Manger John Noah, applying for the funding was a no-brainer.

"The grant made good business sense, and our board was eager to apply," he said. "I'll be honest, I didn't think we really had a chance at getting this. Lo and behold, I was wrong and we got it."

Fiber isn't cheap. White said it would cost Evertek between $15,000-$25,000 per home to extend service in rural areas; however, customer demand for faster internet has skyrocketed in recent years.

"Faster internet speeds are needed for people working from home, and streaming services have also increased demand," she explained. "Fiber is of great value to our customers."

The timeline for the expansion projects is up in the air. The governor's office is still reviewing the fine details of each application, and other boxes must be checked off the list before grant monies are officially doled out.

Even so, both White and Noah were excited for their rural customers.

"Just knowing there are people out there requesting faster internet, this grant will allow us to reach out economically to try to make that work," said Noah.