Business fiber network services provider Everstream says that the first link in a planned 1200-mile fiber network that will run through metro Chicago will be ready for service next month. The company says it will be able to offer services to Chicago-area businesses that currently lack the supplier choice more often found on the East Coast.
The first lit link will run more than 50 route miles and serve customers from Elgin north to East Dundee, Carpentersville, and Algonquin; east to Streamwood, Itasca, and Addison; and end in Oak Brook to the south. The 50 route miles are the first of approximately 500 route miles Everstream plans to have in place in metro Chicago by the end of this year. The total fiber deployment will include such markets as Rockford, McHenry, Schaumburg, Aurora, Naperville, Downers Grove, and Bolingbrook. Everstream states that a study by CMA Strategy Consulting indicates that an estimated 40% of businesses in the area to be covered by the planned fiber-optic network only have access to fiber services from traditional phone and cable providers.
“Unlike cities on the East Coast, where five or more competitive providers offer access to fiber networks alongside the phone and cable companies, most of the surrounding Chicago suburbs where Everstream plans to build are largely underserved,” said Brian Bagenstose, partner, CMA Strategy Consulting. “This lack of competition is an opportunity for Everstream to provide high-capacity, low-latency connectivity services to enterprises that have been denied a real choice for business network solutions.”
Everstream says it will spend $56 million on the 1200-mile deployment, which will offer connectivity to three data centers in the Chicago area as well as access to more than 30 additional data centers throughout the Midwest (see "Everstream announces new market targets, closes LightBound acquisition"). The company adds that it will establish a local office that will see the addition of more than 20 new team members, including a sales team led by Regional Vice President of Sales Jeff Zator and team of field engineers under the direction of Regional Vice President of Operations Greg Meinczinger. The company will offer such services as dedicated internet access, dark fiber, Ethernet and data center services via the new fiber infrastructure.
“Chicago presents a tremendous new opportunity for Everstream as we continue to grow our presence and bring enterprise-grade fiber services to businesses in the Midwest,” commented Everstream President and CEO Brett Lindsey. “Everstream is uniquely positioned to deliver both virtually unlimited bandwidth and the low-latency service levels required for optimal application performance, especially in the suburban Chicago area. The market is ripe for a business-only fiber provider like Everstream to come in and provide the robust services these businesses demand.”
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