Palm Coast residents and businesses are about to merge onto the high-speed lane of the information superhighway.
In a collaboration with Evansville, Indiana-based fiber-optic company MetroNet, the city will become a Certified Gigabit City with ultra-high-speed 100% fiber-optic internet available to businesses and residents. Palm Coast is the second city in Florida to have access to MetroNet services, following Tallahassee, and the first outside the Panhandle to join the MetroNet family.
According to a city media release, MetroNet will invest $50 million to build the network with construction set to begin in the spring of 2022. Customers are expected to be able to begin connecting to the system as early as next fall.
“We are pleased to welcome MetroNet to Palm Coast,” said Mayor David Alfin, in the release. “Our residents and businesses deserve access to high-speed, reliable internet now more than ever and this investment from MetroNet will help us realize that goal. We look forward to MetroNet becoming a vital part of our community and seeing the impact that their 100% fiber-optic network will have on our continued growth.”
MetroNet CEO John Cinelli said Palm Coast will be “the launching pad” for the company’s future growth in the Sunshine State.
“Residents and businesses will soon be able to experience a future-proof network in a time when reliable access has become critical,” Cinelli said in the release.
At a city media event on Dec. 14, Cinelli said with work-from-home options increasing and access to high-speed internet connections an essential ingredient to growth and development, “To be able to bring a 100% all-fiber network with the high speeds they provide is more important than ever.”
Cinelli praised city officials for their cooperation in reaching the agreement.
“Collaboration is really the key,” he said. “We have got such a warm welcome here. We intend for that relationship to get stronger.”
Palm Coast residents will begin seeing MetroNet trucks throughout the area as pre-construction activities begin. Residents will receive communication by mail about construction activity in their neighborhood 30 days prior to starting. Additional messaging, such as yard signs, will also be provided to notify residents of when construction is beginning in their neighborhood. MetroNet crews are identified by ID tags and branded MetroNet vehicles.
Additionally, MetroNet plans to hire local market management positions, sales and customer service professionals and service technicians to support the Palm Coast area. Those interested in joining the MetroNet team can visit MetroNetInc.com/careers to search available positions and to submit applications.
