Smithville Fiber expands in Bedford, launches multi-gig service for homes
BEDFORD, Indiana – Smithville recently opened its third area offering symmetrical gigabit (1,000 Mbps) service and lit up one of the first homes with multi-gigabit fiber speed in Bedford. With the recent activation of two-gigabit fiber capacity at the Bedford home of Jeff and Paige Callahan, Smithville now presents a new technology capacity in rural Indiana, according to Darby McCarty, Smithville Chairman and CEO.
With the two-gig service activation, Smithville technicians Travis Enochs and Ryan Blann noted their personal satisfaction as Bedford residents to be able to launch the new service, a Smithville first.
“With quality service and a great product, we’re excited that Smithville is bringing their fiber product here to the Bedford community,” said Callahan, who recently retired as Athletic Director at Bedford-North Lawrence High School after 21 years of service. Added Paige Callahan, “I work from home two-days a week, so having that capacity to have high-speed upload and download is a big, big plus.”
“With the active launch of Smithville’s multi-gigabit capacity in Bedford, our company is also effectively launching a new dimension of high-speed connectivity for rural Indiana,” said Cullen McCarty, Executive Vice President of Smithville. “This capacity is especially important for future internet use and functionality, including an expanded capacity for remote work associated with defense industry and other technology companies.”
The nearby Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) employs some. 3,800 professionals, making it one of Indiana’s largest high-tech employers. A significant portion of Bedford’s workforce is employed by NSWC Crane-related operations. The regional workforce is also expected to expand with the development of new microelectronics manufacturing capacity.
Building on its existing commercial presence, Smithville launched its new residential multi-gigabit-capable fiber project late in 2023. The new multi-gig high-speed service is especially suited for VR (virtual reality) use.
“For several years we have been pleased to support area businesses and healthcare in Bedford – including the IU Health Bedford hospital – with high-speed secure fiber connectivity,” said Paul Quick, President of Smithville. “This new multi-gig service heralds in a new era for our residential customers as we build out our plans in Bedford.”
Smithville high-speed fiber services typically feature symmetrical gigabit (1,000 Mbps) for both download and upload speeds. The new network being built will offer options for higher speeds. Smithville was the first Indiana telecommunications company to offer “best speed available” on all of its legacy systems.
The first phase of the planned Smithville fiber project made high-speed connectivity available to about 300 homes in Bedford and has since expanded.
To commemorate being one of the first Smithville multi-gig customers, the Callahan’s were presented with a surprise gift of an Indiana University National Champions basketball, signed by IU basketball coach Mike Woodson.
Since being among the first to deploy commercial fiber developments in the early 1990s, Smithville has since actively made more than a quarter of a billion dollars of private investments in constructing fiber networks for Hoosier homes, businesses, educational institutions, hospitals, cities, and more.
In addition to Stinesville, new fiber networks recently opened or under construction by the nationally recognized top 100 broadband company include areas north, east, west, and southwest of Bloomington (Indiana). These include areas in southeast Greene County, the Bloomington region, the Indian Hills region in the Gosport area of Owen County, western Monroe County, and more. Well over 1,000 homes and businesses in these rural areas now have or soon will have high-speed fiber connectivity, according to Quick.
Smithville regularly provides fiber construction video updates on social media, including Facebook and LinkedIn. People interested in exploring possible fiber or other services in the Smithville area can check online at https://www.smithville.com/statusmap/
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 more than 200 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 for 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. The company serves about 23,000 businesses and residences in southern and central Indiana. For more information, please visit www.smithville.com.
Media inquiries, contact Michael Snyder, MEK.