Bettendorf second Quad City to reach milestone for access to fiber optic from Metronet

Sep 04, 2023

Angel Ajala, with Metronet, pulls a cable from a spool during the installation of fiber-optic cables on Hugo Road in Bettendorf in this file photo. Moline has gone with Metronet as a citywide broadband provider and authorized a variance to allow Metronet to go aerial at 30th Avenue and 16th Street.

Bettendorf became the second city in Iowa where a majority of homes and businesses have access to Metronet fiber optic internet.

Representatives from Metronet, an Indiana-based internet company, awarded city elected officials a Gigabit City Declaration. Just a few weeks ago, Davenport reached the same milestone.

According to Metronet officials, more than 320 miles of fiber optic cables have been installed in Bettendorf.

"As Metronet expands to serve more residents and businesses throughout Bettendorf, we are thrilled to officially become a Certified Gigabit City Powered by Metronet, with access to speeds that will support our community well into the future," said Bettendorf Mayor Robert Gallagher in a press release. "We are grateful for Metronet's investment in our community and their continued support as an active citizen of Bettendorf."

Metronet began construction in Bettendorf in 2019. Certification as a "Gigabit City" is earned once a majority of households and business locations have access to Metronet's fiber optic internet speeds of at least 1 Gigabit (1,000 megabits per second). The number of households is based on the total Households (2016-2020) and the number of business locations is based on total All firms (2017) from the U.S. Census Bureau, according to a press release.

"Metronet is proud to officially declare Bettendorf a Certified Gigabit City Powered by Metronet as we continue to ensure that residents and businesses throughout the city, and much of the Quad Cities, have access to a network that supports the future success of their community," John Cinelli, Metronet CEO, said in a press release. "Now, the majority of Bettendorf's businesses and residents have access to our 100 percent fiber optic internet speeds of at least 1 Gigabit and will soon be able to scale to multi-gigabit services."

Angel Ajala, with Metronet, pulls a cable from a spool during the installation of fiber-optic cables on Hugo Road in Bettendorf in this file photo. Moline has gone with Metronet as a citywide broadband provider and authorized a variance to allow Metronet to go aerial at 30th Avenue and 16th Street.

Metronet employees Jose Abel and Javier Orellana dig access holes to install fiber-optics cables along Hugo Road in Bettendorf in this file photo. Metronet will begin installing fiber-optic cables in mid-March with service anticipated to be offered by summer 2023.

Angel Ajala with MetroNet pulls on a cable from a spool as they install fiber optics cables on Hugo Road in Bettendorf in this file photo. Moline has narrowed its search for a city-wide broadband and fiber network provider to two potential companies: MetroNet and Windstream.

A MetroNet employee uses a Horizontal Directional Boring machine to install fiber optics cables along Hugo Road on April 30, 2020, in Bettendorf in this file photo. Moline has chosen to move forward with MetroNet as its broadband provider.

Moline City Council approved a contract with Metronet to provide citywide broadband services.

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Bettendorf, East Moline, and Silvis Reporter

Sarah is the Davenport, Scott County, and Iowa politics reporter for the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus. A DeWitt native, she graduated from the University of Iowa in 2021 and was editor of the student-run newspaper The Daily Iowan.

Metronet is to begin constructing city-wide broadband in Moline next month, and their contract is being tweaked.

East Moline is the latest city to be declared gigabit-certified by Metronet.