Sept. 26, 2023 9p
(WGTD)---Kenosha's still-under-construction fiber network will be lit next month.
At a presentation at the Kenosha Public Library Tuesday, SiFi Networks Vice-President of Government Affairs Shawn Parker announced that the first customers of the soon-to-be, city-wide network will start enjoying service in October.
The company began burying lines in parkways about a year ago, and has nearly a-third of the city wired. The project is expected to be completed in 2025.
SiFi will lease the lines to various service providers. The first to bite is T-Mobile, a cellular-based company that's starting to offer service via fiber.
Other companies are expected to join suit, leading to a competitive environment that'll be good for consumers, Parker said. "The beauty of the SiFi Fiber City is that if somebody wants to jump to another provider at some point down the road when there's competition on the network they can simply call up or click a button and switch services," he said. "It should be just that simple."
The presentation dealt with the donation to the library by SiFi of a dozen computer tablets and a pair of charging and self-service checkout stations designed for kids. The units will be installed at the new Children's Library to be located in Uptown Lofts.
Mayor Antaramian also spoke and reiterated the importance of the fiber project to Kenosha, calling it the key to the city's growth. "We are literally in a situation where we are creating in the City of Kenosha an opportunity for everyone to have (internet) access," he said. "I don't think people realize how important that is."
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