SIOUX CITY — Construction of new fiber optic internet service in Sioux City is approximately 25 percent complete.
Indiana-based Metronet began construction in Sioux City in the late summer of 2022.
Their goal is to complete the Sioux City build-out by the end of 2024.
“We want to keep the foot on the gas,” said Craig Zimmerman, Metronet government affairs manager.
Contractors work on installing pipes at the corner of Sergeant Road and South St. Aubin Street that will hold cables for Metronet's new fiber …
Mayor Bob Scott takes issue, though, with the manner in which the installation has proceeded.
"No public utility should be able to come into a town and not have to comply with or even tell us where they are digging," Scott said. "I find that totally unacceptable. They got a state franchise or whatever. You know you drive around our neighborhood and there are patches everywhere. They don’t plant grass seed. They don’t put sod back down. They leave their cable connections up above ground until they come back to hook them up. That’s not the way that they ought to do business. We’re trying to do too much way too fast. And they are doing it with subcontractors and they are not very responsive to the neighbors."
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Zimmerman sent a statement to the Journal in response to the mayor's complaints.
“We understand construction can be disruptive, and that is why it is our goal to move through the construction process as quickly, safely and responsibly as possible," the statement said. "In an effort to provide full transparency and communicate with the city, our construction leadership meets with the Public Works and Engineering department on a regular basis to review construction progress and to address any concerns. If any residents have restoration or construction concerns, they may submit a ticket at www.sioux-city.org/metronet. All tickets are responded to within 24 business hours and are rectified within 8 business days when possible.”
Metronet is available in 16 states and 250 communities. The company has a four-step process to keep homeowners updated on construction in their neighborhoods.
“One of the things that we really emphasize at Metronet is communication and customer service,” Zimmerman said. ‘We have a four-point notification and communication process during neighborhood construction.”
About 30-45 days before crews are in a neighborhood, residents receive a letter from the company. That is followed by a postcard 7-10 days before construction in a neighborhood begins.
The third step is a yard sign placed in the easement by the sidewalk.
“That means that within 3 to 5 days our construction teams will be in the neighborhood.”
Angel Dominguez, left, and Eddy Dominguez, right, install a junction box where three sets of pipes converge at the corner of Sergeant Road and…
Then as work gets underway, larger signs placed at entrance and exits of neighborhood and residents will see trucks and equipment.
“I will tell that there is not one city that is the same as the other. The geography is an issue. There’s aerial putting fiber on poles owned by a utility company. There’s fiber underground in some cases. There’s smaller rivers, bigger rivers, small bridges, big bridges, lots of variables,” Zimmerman said.
He said Metronet is building in 30 Iowa communities and “not one of them is the same.”
The company is fully funding the $20 million project in Sioux City, he noted.
“We are not waiting for federal money. We haven’t asked the city for any money. We aren’t asking taxpayers to fund this build. I think that says a lot,” Zimmerman said.
Angel Dominguez removes excess pipe from the ground as he and a team of contractors install these pipes which will hold fiber optic cables for…
Despite the company's goal for completion being more than a year away, some customers in Sioux City are already using Metronet service.
“We do release as we go so we build a portion of the city, neighborhood areas that are typically around 200-500 homes and we release them as we go. So don’t have to wait until the entire city has built out. There will be areas of the city that we build and release and continue to build and release,” Zimmerman said.
There are advantages to fiber optic service, he said.
“Fiber is to date the fastest and most reliable internet delivery service. We use a type that is the most future proof technology. As technology grows and as demand grows the fiber we are putting in the ground will work into the future. It is conceivable as demand grows and as the need grows there is going to be equipment that allows us to provide even faster speeds than we do currently.”
Mayor Bob Scott
Fiber is stronger than copper, more impervious to weather and other hazards. Another benefit of fiber is that it is a dedicated symmetrical bandwidth service with upload and download speeds that are the same.
Zimmerman said other services will typically offer an upload speed that’s higher and a download speed that’s lower.
“We feel this is the best technology that can be implemented,” he said.