Windstream, a leading provider of advanced network communications and technology solutions, will double the availability of 100 Mbps Kinetic Internet Service across its 18-state footprint in the first quarter of 2019.
That means approximately 30 percent of the households in Windstream’s local exchanges will qualify for 100 Mbps service by the end of March 2019.
In addition, network upgrades completed during 2018 delivered speeds of 50 Mbps or greater to approximately 40 percent of households, up from 33 percent at the start of the year, as well as speeds of 25 Mbps or greater to over 60 percent of households, up from 55 percent at the start of the year.
“Windstream understands that premium internet speeds are critical to families and businesses in rural America, and we are systematically enhancing our network to meet that urgent demand,” said Jeff Small, president of the company’s consumer and small and medium-sized business segment. “Network upgrades are expensive, especially in rural areas where there are relatively few customers, so Windstream is using a combination of its own capital and crucial support from the FCC’s Connect America Fund to make faster speeds more widely available. Without support from the Connect America Fund, many of these projects simply would not be economically feasible.”
Windstream is using a variety of technologies to accomplish its network upgrades, including fixed wireless solutions; smaller, more cost-efficient customer-serving devices, and fiber to the premises.
“Rural broadband deployment can be challenging, but the Windstream team is committed to finding creative solutions that deliver the robust, secure internet connections our customers deserve,” Small said.