Sioux Rapids customers to get ultra-fast, fiber Internet from Evertek

Sioux Rapids residential and business customers will be getting ultra-fast, fiber Internet after Evertek, headquartered in Everly, completes the fiber-to-the-home project they announced on December 14th. Construction and engineering plans are being finalized now on the $3 million project according to Evertek’s Assistant General Manager, Chris Dodd.

The company expects to start construction during the 2022 construction season. Both weather and material availability will impact when the network will be ready to serve customers – but it will likely be in 2023. Then, customers will be connected to a fiber-to-the-home network, which can deliver ultra-fast, symmetrical Internet (same upload and download speed) capable of up to 1 Gig (1000Mb).

“The construction of a new fiber network takes time, but it is well worth the time and effort…as customers will have a network and services that only about 30% of customers in the United States have today,” said Dodd. “Soon, Sioux Rapids residents will see representatives from our engineering firm around the community making and finalizing the detailed engineering and construction plans. Our goal is to begin the initial construction phase during the second half of 2022. We anticipate investing between 3 and 3.5 million dollars in this project, and we think this shows that we’re serious about serving the businesses and residents of Sioux Rapids.”

Dodd said the demand for Internet bandwidth continues to increase, and that fiber-optics provide a ‘future proof’ network. This comes just at the right time for customers, who are using more bandwidth than ever, as they work from home, attend school and stream video and more. The pandemic has just accelerated what was already happening, and the trend is expected to keep growing, according to communications experts.

Broadband (fiber Internet) is as important as electricity was in the 1930s. The disparity of available high speed Internet offerings across the State has left many rural residents and businesses unable to use many of the great applications which other customers may take for granted. Dodd said Evertek saw Sioux Rapids needed better Internet options, and that their conversations with the city lead them to this project announcement.

“Fiber is the best choice for Sioux Rapids, and we are happy to partner with them,” said Dodd. “We wish we could build to more areas with fiber, but due to the cost we thought we would start with Sioux Rapids and then see what other places might make sense down the line. We are building the communications foundation for the future for the residents and businesses of Sioux Rapids.”

Evertek and United Farmers Telephone Co (UFTC) are wholly owned subsidiaries of Evertek Enterprises, Inc. UFTC was established in 1905 as a local telephone company serving Everly and the surrounding rural area. Today, they serve customers in and around Everly with Fiber Internet and voice service. In the late 80s, Evertek was formed to deliver wireless TV services and in the 90s expanded to wireless Internet when they recognized customers in rural NW Iowa needed Internet. What started with a few wireless Internet towers back then has today expanded to cover over 20+ counties in NW Iowa – AND fiber projects like this one in Sioux Rapids. In many places, Evertek wireless Internet remains the only broadband Internet provider for rural NW Iowa customers.