Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ:CNSL) is expanding its fiber network to Willis, TX, in Montgomery County north of Houston. The buildout is intended to support gigabit Internet speeds and other residential and business services.
Consolidated's fiber expansion brings 1 Gbps broadband speeds to residents of the new Woodland Hills subdivision and the downtown Willis business district. The two-year fiber build is on schedule to be completed this year.
The 65-mile fiber build runs through the Woodland Hills community and into the downtown business district. Over the next 10 years, more than 4,500 homes are anticipated to be added in the area, and all will have access to high-speed broadband services available through Consolidated Communications.
"Willis is a growing community, and Consolidated Communications is pleased to invest in the broadband infrastructure that will enable Willis to continue to thrive and be a great community to live, work and play," said Rob Koester, vice president, consumer product management for Consolidated Communications. "Residents and business owners have been clamoring for more robust broadband services, and we are excited to bring the fastest speeds and new, expanded services to Willis."
Model homes in the new community already have VoIP and TV services installed. Consolidated's fiber network offers a redundant pathway for reliability. Available business services include SD-WAN, data networking, voice, cloud services, and managed and hosted services.
Consolidated operates both cable and telco systems and has offered gigabit services in various markets for several years. In December 2016, the company acquired FairPoint Communications, and it bought SureWest Communications in 2012.