Atherton Fiber promises symmetrical 10G over California open access FTTH network

May 23, 2022
Atherton Fiber, a subsidiary of Open 5G, says it is now providing services in Atherton and North Fair Oaks, CA. The company, which operates on an open access network model, has its eyes on surrounding communities as well.

Atherton Fiber, a subsidiary of Open 5G, says it is now providing services in Atherton and North Fair Oaks, CA. The company, which operates on an open access network model, has its eyes on surrounding communities such as Woodside, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and others as well. It also has its eyes on providing up to 10 Gbps symmetrical to its customers.

Founded in 2015 by serial entrepreneur and Benchmark Capital Venture Partner Mike Farmwald, Atherton Fiber offers symmetrical gigabit broadband service for $65 per month and 500-Mbps service for $55 per month. The company also plans to offer symmetrical 2.5-Gbps service later this year.

Meanwhile, the company also is advertising symmetrical 10 Gbps – “for high-income homes and businesses that want the ultimate in broadband connectivity,” according to a press release -- for a $10-$15,000 installation charge plus a $300 monthly fee via a Personal Fiber License good for 30 years. The service is delivered via a dedicated link from an Atherton Fiber hub to the home.

The company says it is open to public/private partnerships in which cities can use Atherton Fiber’s infrastructure to offer their own branded services. The fiber to the premises (FTTP) network operator says it has such an agreement with The City of Atherton and is in discussions with others.

“In 2014 during my first term as mayor of Atherton, the Atherton City Council created an IT Committee of knowledgeable, interested residents to determine how to best provide our residents with fast, reliable broadband service that would be community oriented,” said Rick DeGolia, mayor of Atherton and an Atherton Fiber subscriber. “We repeatedly heard that the incumbent internet providers were not meeting the needs of either the residents or of the town. After a thorough investigation, we decided to support the private company, Atherton Fiber, which was created by one of the committee members to deploy dark fiber throughout our town. Atherton Fiber is an open access network provider that offers residents a choice of multiple internet service providers who have access to their network.”

Atherton Fiber says its mission includes bridging digital divides. To that end, the company is providing free gigabit connections to parts of North Fair Oaks. Atherton Fiber estimates that at least 5 percent of residents in each city it serves will qualify for free service.

In addition to residential services, Atherton Fiber is offering business customers up to 1 Gbps via GPON or 10 Gbps using a point-to-point connection.

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