Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson and Bernie Acre, Chief Information Officer, visit with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia about an agreement with MetroNet to bring 100 percent fiber optic internet, TV and phone services to Bryan residents and businesses.
Keith Leonhardt, MetroNet’s VP of Communications, also joins the conversation to discuss their company, the timeline to bring services to Bryan, and more.
Listen to “City of Bryan Announces MOU with MetroNet” on Spreaker.
City of Bryan news release:
The City of Bryan and MetroNet today announced an memorandum of understanding that will soon bring MetroNet’s 100 percent fiber optic internet, TV and phone services directly to more than 90 percent of Bryan residents and businesses. MetroNet will fully fund the building of their network throughout the community and will have a physical local storefront presence and support staff within the City of Bryan.
“As our city continues to grow, it is highly beneficial for residents and businesses to have choices for accessing fast, reliable, and affordable internet, TV and phone services,” said Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson. “This tremendous investment by MetroNet will make unprecedented capabilities available to everyone who lives, works and visits our city, giving Bryan the infrastructure and competitive edge needed to attract and grow business and high‐wage jobs. Beyond television and telephone services to residents and businesses, this ultrafast internet will also support teleworking and distance learning and be a vital connection to the internet for our residents.”
MetroNet is bridging the digital divide as one of the fastest-growing providers of fiber optic high-speed broadband services in the nation, and is known for its superior customer service provided through a strong local presence. MetroNet delivers affordable upload and download speeds of up to 10 Gigabits with no long term contracts to homes and businesses in underserved communities in America. The company expects its network to be available to over 1 million residential households and business locations in the near term, bringing competition for these services to hundreds of communities.
“We are fortunate that states such as Indiana, Minnesota, Florida, North Carolina and now Texas, MetroNet’s 11th state, are partnering with us to future-proof their cities, create growth and foster economic development opportunities,” said John Cinelli, MetroNet President & CEO. “We are excited to have Bryan invite us into our first Texas market and are thankful for the support and leadership of Mayor Andrew Nelson of Bryan and his extraordinary team.”
According to MetroNet executives, construction could begin as early as this fall, with the first customers coming online in late spring of 2022. Residents and businesses that are interested in MetroNet services may soon visit construction.metronetinc.com to indicate their interest and to receive updates on construction. A forthcoming MetroNet storefront in Bryan will allow customers to visit in person, view service plans and discuss any issues.
Residents in construction areas will receive communication by mail about construction activity in their neighborhood 30 days prior to starting and the company provides additional messaging, such as yard signs, to let residents know when the temporary construction process is beginning in their neighborhood. MetroNet crews are marked by ID tags and branded vehicles.
More information is available at Bryantx.gov/broadband. Anyone with questions or concerns about this process can contact the city through an online form or by calling 979.209.5558.
About MetroNet:
MetroNet is a 100 percent Fiber Optic Company headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. The customer-focused company provides cutting-edge fiber optic communication services, including high-speed Fiber Internet, full-featured Fiber Phone, and Fiber IPTV with a wide variety of programming. MetroNet started in 2005 with one fiber optic network in Greencastle, Indiana, and has since grown to serving and constructing networks in more than 100 communities across Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia. MetroNet is committed to bringing state-of-the-art telecommunication services to communities — services that are comparable or superior to those offered in large metropolitan areas. MetroNet has been named in the top 50 small and medium companies on Glassdoor and has been honored with a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award recognizing MetroNet among the Best Places to Work in 2020. For more information visit www.MetroNetinc.com.