RST Global Communications expands North Carolina fiber-optic network

North Carolina communications services provider RST Global Communications LLC (RST) has significantly expanded its fiber-optic network in the state. The rural-focused carrier has grown its footprint from 500 miles to 3000 miles through a combination of new builds and acquisitions – including the leasing of dark fiber on the newly expanded North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN).

RST was founded and privately funded by Dan Limerick, Doug Brown, and Randy Revels to bring fiber-based connectivity to the area around the company’s headquarters of Shelby, NC, in the rural western part of the state near Charlotte (see “RST Global Communications plans to light up the Carolinas”). The company initially focused on building its own completely underground fiber cable network, which will supply broadband services via GPON fiber to the home (FTTH) as well as connect businesses in the area. It has now supplemented that initial installation with fiber from other sources.

“The consequences of outdated network infrastructure are serious for our state,” said Limerick via a recent press statement. “Businesses – which now consider Internet access to be as basic as electricity and water service – are hesitant to locate anywhere that can’t provide reliable high-speed connectivity. Rural healthcare providers are limited in their ability to offer services that require online consultation or the ability to access an insurer’s online database. We believe that fiber-connected communities are the future – and our world-class network provides an increasingly attractive business environment.”

RST will offer businesses 10 Gbps per wavelength, a significant step up from the average 1 Gbps RST says other service providers average in the area. The company expects the higher data rate will appeal to enterprise and commercial customers, particularly those with expanding data center requirements.

“RST Fiber is the wave of the future,” said Walt Rumfelt, a customer and medical specialist based in Shelby, in the same press release. “It is, at its core, fundamentally better than any other service provider on the market. RST Fiber exceeds the demands of technology which has allowed them to stay ahead of the game. My service has been exemplary and allows me greater freedom in my practice as a medical professional.”

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