Fiber-optic internet provider expanding into Aurora early next year
Aurora residents will likely see Metronet trucks around the city as construction begins on a fiber-optic internet network system, bringing a high speed internet system to houses and businesses in the city.
Metronet, the country’s largest and fastest-growing private fiber-optic internet company, is expanding in Colorado, meaning that Aurora residents will have access to their services in early 2025, according to a Metronet news release. The company serves more than 300 communities in 18 states.
Technology magazine PCMag has ranked the best internet service providers in the country for about 20 years, and has ranked Metronet the fastest major provider for two years in a row, according to the release.
The company is investing tens of millions of dollars into the Aurora project, according to the news release, and its services will be available neighborhood-by-neighborhood starting early next year.
Aurora residents interested in Metronet services can visit the company’s website.
“Reliable, ultra-high-speed internet is essential in today’s world, and we are committed to delivering the quality connection that consumers deserve,” said Kris Smith, Metronet regional vice president. “We look forward to soon integrating Aurora into our growing network as we begin the construction of our advanced infrastructure.”
Residents will see Metronet trucks and construction workers in and around their neighborhoods, and will get notification of construction 30 days before it begins. The company will also alert people to construction via mail and yard signs.
Metronet’s expansion in Colorado will also bring new jobs, creating temporary construction jobs and permanent positions across various departments at Metronet, according to a company spokesperson.
A 10-year study in Chattanooga, Tenn. — which is half the size of Aurora — showed that the construction of a citywide fiber-optic network created or retained 9,500 jobs, spurred $2.7 billion in economic development and drove a surge of startups, according to the spokesperson.
Additionally, a study by the Fiber Broadband Association found that homes with a gigabit fiber connection see a 4.9% increase in their value, the spokesperson said.
The company also serves Colorado Springs and recently announced that it will expand into Westminster as well. Outside of Colorado, Metronet operates in cities including Des Moines, Indianapolis and Tallahassee.
Aurora joins several other Colorado cities in upgrading to fiber-optic internet service options.
Last week, Google Fiber, or GFiber, opened a new headquarters in Lakewood to expand the company’s network across the metro Denver area and Colorado.
Lakewood was the first city in Colorado to have the GFiber network installed and the first residents started using it in September.