Clearwave Fiber Expands Ultra-Fast Fiber Internet in Carbondale, IL

March 10, 2022 – Harrisburg, IL – Clearwave Fiber announced plans to expand the company’s ultra-fast, state-of-the art, all-fiber Internet network into residential neighborhoods in Carbondale, IL. The company began serving businesses in Southern Illinois in 1996, and the expansion into residential areas is part of Clearwave Fiber’s long-term goal to bring the most advanced and fastest Internet available in the world to more than 500,000 homes and businesses across the United States by 2027.

Clearwave Fiber CEO, David Armistead, stressed the importance of the company’s investment to consumers and the broader local community. “We are committed to providing underserved communities with the high-speed connectivity that is essential for families, businesses, and local economies; without these essential services, many of the communities we are targeting will not survive,” said Armistead. “We are excited to extend services to Carbondale, and we look forward to becoming long-term partners to the community.”

Featuring gigabit download and upload speeds, Clearwave Fiber will bring ten times more speed to consumer doorsteps at a time when fast, reliable Internet is becoming more and more critical to modern households.

“This is exciting news for the City of Carbondale and its residents, and we are proud to partner with Clearwave Communications on this important project,” said Mayor John “Mike” Henry.  “The COVID-19 pandemic showed us all how vital affordable and reliable broadband is to our residents’ daily lives.  Clearwave’s investment in the City will make Carbondale a more attractive place to live, learn and work, and will provide our children, community and small businesses with the opportunity to compete in the 21st Century global economy.”

For many consumers, Internet touches every facet of daily life. Remote work, telehealth, and virtual learning all require robust, reliable connections. A 2021 study by Deloitte indicated that 55% of U.S. households include one or more remote workers, and 43% include at least one household member attending virtual classes. Additionally, 50% of U.S. adults had virtual doctor visits last year.

“Internet connectivity isn’t just about browsing or gaming anymore,” commented Clearwave Fiber’s Midwest President, Byron Cantrall. “More and more, we see households where multiple bandwidth-intensive activities occur simultaneously. Imagine a home where a parent is attending a Zoom meeting, a child is in a virtual classroom, and another household member is streaming live TV. This isn’t an uncommon scenario, and many consumers’ Internet connections just aren’t up to the task. Fiber-based Internet solves this problem by bringing the fastest, most robust connections directly to homes.”

In addition, the 2021 Deloitte report noted that the average U.S. household now utilizes a total of 25 connected devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, game consoles, home concierge systems like Amazon Echo and Google Nest, fitness trackers, camera and security systems, and smart home devices such as connected exercise machines and thermostats.

Supporting this burgeoning ecosystem of household devices can challenge companies serving customers over DSL or cable systems. “Older copper wire and coaxial networks worked just fine for the technologies they were built for. Copper lines are great for telephone calls and coax worked well for cable TV, but those networks struggle to deliver the kind of bandwidth possible with fiber,” noted Gwynne Lastinger, Chief Operating Office at Clearwave Fiber. “Fiber optic technology is the future. Fiber networks are more durable, more consistent, and they move data at the speed of light. Best of all, our network easily keeps pace with technology innovations, exponentially increasing demands for bandwidth, and evolving customer needs. The options are almost limitless.”

Clearwave Fiber is slated to begin construction in April 2022. For more information, visit clearwave.com/home.