Smithville — 2024 top national broadband leader
Smithville recognized nationally for deploying fiber networks that transform local economies and improve communities’ quality of life, and for “introducing innovative technologies with game-changing potential.”
ELLETTSVILLE, Indiana – Recognized for designing and building fiber networks that extend for “thousands of miles” in Indiana, Smithville received national attention as a leading broadband enterprise. The 102-year-old privately held company was named as one of America’s top 100 national broadband companies, according to Brad Randall, editor of Broadband Communities magazine.
“Smithville holds a long and established history of building high-level fiber networks for both residential and commercial, investing more than a quarter of a billion dollars,” said Randall. “Smithville has created innovative means to collaborate and develop ‘smart services’ for next-generation fiber and continues its leadership in uniquely serving rural areas.”
Randall noted that requirements are high to be selected as a Top 100 company. Standards for selection include deploying networks, services and products that are intended to transform local economies or improve communities’ quality of life and for introducing advanced technologies with “game-changing potential.”
The 2024 selection of Smithville represents the 16th consecutive time the company has been recognized with this national honor.
In the Top 100 award overview, Broadband Communities touted Smithville’s advanced fiber network and its innovative commitment to talent initiatives that are designed to “improve organizational effectiveness and employee engagement.” The magazine also singled out Smithville’s commitment to continuous improvement, including ongoing efforts to convert former DSL service to high-speed fiber.
The company was named together with 99 other major national firms like AT&T Fiber, Calix, Comcast Cable/Xfinity, Frontier, Google Fiber, Spectrum, and others in receiving the 2024 honor.
“This national recognition showcases the impact of our people in creatively and consistently delivering high value,” said Darby McCarty, chairman and CEO of Smithville. “As we enter an AI-powered world, one of our hallmarks is anticipating and leading change, which we emphasize in our talent development and learning programs.”
Smithville is recognized statewide as a proven top-level innovator in the delivery of strategic high-performance and secure high-speed internet, including serving major research and defense technology regions at the WestGate@Crane Technology Park near NSWC Crane and the internationally recognized Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette. Its commercial fiber network serves a variety of Indiana businesses and organizations, ranging from Fortune 50-level enterprise companies to small businesses across the state.
Smithville continued to elevate its leadership position in 2024, including completing a second 100-gigabit fiber link with data centers in Chicago. As Jason Dauby, Smithville’s Chief Technology Officer noted, “The dual connectivity improves Smithville’s capacity to peer directly with global networks, reducing latency and resolution times, and improves our already-high reliability by making Smithville less susceptible to outages of other providers.” The company further expanded its residential fiber service, included expanded gigabit-level capacity in Stinesville northwest of Bloomington and areas of rural Jasper, as well as other rural areas. Smithville previously overbuilt the entire city of Jasper with all-new fiber, creating symmetrical gigabit service capacity for residents.
The company launched a Bright Communities initiative in 2024 to showcase how Smithville high-speed connectivity serves as a critical service in elevating quality of life for Indiana residents. Smithville also instituted a new initiative to cultivate a best-in-class Learning and Development and Talent program that aligns with Smithville’s strategic objectives and values. The new initiative underscores Smithville’s unwavering commitment to nurturing talent, promoting safety, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.
Cullen McCarty was named President and CEO of Smithville Telecom in 2024, a sister company to Smithville Communications. As a CLEC (competitive local exchange carrier) organization, Smithville Telecom oversees company advancements and expansions that include new competitive opportunities outside of Smithville Communications original ILEC service areas.
The appointment of Mr. McCarty as Smithville Telecom CEO marks the first phase of a meticulously planned succession, co-architected by both Ms. Darby McCarty, chairman and CEO of Smithville, and Mr. McCarty in 2021. The two senior executives, a mother-and-son team, prepared and established the plan to ensure a seamless leadership transition, maintain business continuity, and set clear long-range strategic aims for the 102-year-old firm.
“Smithville brings a unique service dimension that positively sets the company apart,” said Paul Quick, president of Smithville. “We remain committed to embracing and deploying advanced technology to specifically benefit our customers and create exceptional service offerings.”
Founded more than a century ago, privately owned Smithville has built more than 3,000 miles of fiber to serve its growing network, which include 100-gigabit capacity nodes in Columbus, Ellettsville, Evansville, Jasper, and the WestGate@Crane Technology Park in southern Indiana. The company remains committed to next generation connectivity-based services through its Smithville At Home and Smithville At Work service offerings.
In addition to its award-winning residential services, the company provides enterprise-level high-speed fiber-based connectivity, data consulting, network management and other services for businesses, university campuses, biotechnology companies, health care providers and government offices. Smithville completed and now operates a $4.5 million network upgrade that will allow it to offer wave-level connectivity from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps, with the capacity to scale to 200 Gbps in the future.
Smithville is active in telemedicine and telehealth initiatives, particularly in rural areas. The company continues to direct its award-winning gigabit service offerings from its headquarters in Ellettsville, next to Bloomington and the main campus of Indiana University.
# # #
About Smithville
Nationally recognized for more than a decade as a Top 100 Broadband Company, privately owned Smithville is Indiana’s largest independent telecom company with over two hundred employees. As a fifth-generation, family-owned business, Smithville has been committed to delivering fast and reliable connectivity and legendary customer service for over a full century. The company is well-known as an industry leader and community supporter of rural Indiana. Since the early 1990s, Smithville has constructed more than 3,000 miles of high-speed, high-capacity fiber across more than 22 Indiana counties, representing private investments totaling upward of a quarter of a billion dollars.
In addition to its residential services, Smithville provides commercial fiber-based connectivity for businesses, university campuses, biotechnology companies, healthcare providers, government offices, residential centers, communities, and other entities, including the WestGate@Crane Technology Park and the Purdue Research Park. Smithville maintains direct peering relationships and elevated technical service through its dual 100 gigabit wave connectivity through Chicago and Smithville’s 100 gigabit nodes in Bloomington, Columbus, Evansville, Jasper, and the WestGate@Crane Technology Park in Indiana. The company serves more than 23,000 businesses and residences in southern and central Indiana. For more information, please visit www.smithville.com.
Media inquiries: Michael Snyder, MEK 317-805-4870