Always Underground Inc. will handle construction of SiFi Network’s $200 million all-fiber internet network in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Construction launched Monday on a $200 million project that promises to bring affordable high-speed internet access to every home and business in the city.
The project, dubbed Rockford FiberCity, has been in the works for more than two years. SiFi Networks will lay more than 1,300 miles of all-fiber internet cable to access 78,000 homes, businesses and institutions in the city with speeds up to 10 Gbps.
The network’s open access architecture allows for multiple service providers to connect and compete for customers.
“Residents and businesses are going to flourish with this service,” said Travis Nelson, senior vice president of SiFi Networks. “We’re bringing competition to the broadband market, and competition makes things better and more affordable to residents.”
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The start of construction was announced Monday during a news conference at Aldeen Park, 623 N. Alpine Road, near where some of the initial cable will be laid.
Mayor Tom McNamara said the project will help address the so-called digital divide, which refers to communities or segments of communities that lack the infrastructure for high-speed internet. He said that divide was apparent during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when more residents had to work and attend school from home.
“We believe this fiber optic network system will help fill that digital divide gap that we’ve seen in our city,” McNamara said. “It will also help us attract more high-tech businesses to our community.”
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The project is entirely privately funded by SiFi Networks. “The city of Rockford is not putting $1 into this project,” McNamara said.
The majority of the construction will happen in parkways between the sidewalk and curb, and residents will be notified before construction begins on their street. The work is being done by SiFi’s construction partner, Always Underground Inc.
“We’ve had fiber in the city for some time, but that fiber has not existed in front of every business and home, and this project looks to achieve that over the next four years or so,” said Kyle Saunders, the city’s director of public works.
Rockford is the first city in the state that will have SiFi’s network laid in front of every home and business.
SiFi says the network has the potential to boost economic development in the city by enabling existing businesses to grow and potentially attracting new ones to the city.
The network also enables Rockford to take advantage of Smart City applications, which can be used for everything from air quality and traffic management to parking, water meters and video surveillance.
“Rockford is a special city with wonderful residents who are ready for modern-day connectivity,” Nelson said. “SiFi Networks is delighted to make the long-term investment in Rockford because we see how fiber networks transform communities into hubs of innovation, remote work, better health care and smart city services.”
Travis Nelson, senior vice president of SiFi Networks, speaks at a news conference Monday, June 26, 2023, at Aldeen Park in Rockford about the company’s $200 million project to bring fiber internet to every home in the city. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.