A good internet connection is just as important as water and electricity in your home. Some remote users choose Starlink, while others prefer the 5G option. But what if there are no viable options?
Frustrated with mainstream ISP services in his rural Michigan home, Akamai network architect Jared Mauch launched his own FTTH (Fiber To The Home) ISP.he was such a success that people from other provinces took part Washtenaw Fiber Properties LLC for their internet provider. In addition, Mauch is now eligible for $2.6 million in funding from the government that will allow him to reach out to nearly 600 more homes in the sparsely populated Washtenaw County area. report Arstecnica.
Mauch was prompted to set up his own ISP after offering a miserable commercial Internet connection to his country house. AT&T offered his DSL at 1.5Mbps downloads, and Comcast wanted Cable’s $50,000 upfront to extend his network to his property. Leveraging his networking expertise, Mauch chose his third path. That was setting up his own FTTH ISP.
Washtenaw Fiber Properties LLC started with one customer, Mauch himself, but quickly grew to 30 as word spread, and now has 70 service subscribers. The fiber network currently relies on about 14 miles of fiber, but Mauch plans to lay another 38 miles of fiber to complete the new government-funded project.
It is estimated that installing the new fiber will enable Washtenaw Fiber Properties LLC to serve approximately 600 customers in widely dispersed rural areas. The two most remote facilities under the government contract will each spend $30,000 to lay the cable and provide the service. The cash will come as part of his $71 million county dedicated to infrastructure projects, allocated as part of the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.
According to Mauch, expanding Washtenaw Fiber Properties LLC’s network to meet government contractual obligations is not difficult. The work should be completed by the end of 2026 for him, but Mauch said he expects half to be completed by the end of 2022 and the other half by the end of 2023.
So what kind of broadband package do new Washtenaw Fiber Properties LLC customers get access to? For $55 a month, you get a 100 Mbps symmetric service with unlimited data, Mauch said. If he wants 1Gbps with unlimited data, he’ll have to scratch $79/month together. All new customers will be charged her one-time installation fee of $199.
