- April 18, 2024
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Indiana-based telecommunications company MetroNet will invest $50 million to bring high-speed fiber optic internet to Palm Coast through 3 million linear feet of fiber, company representatives said in a Dec. 14 press conference at Palm Coast City Hall.
"I think Palm Coast is positioning ourselves to take advantage of the digital economy that's going to power our future."
— NICK KLUFAS, Palm Coast city councilman
The company will make Palm Coast "a pace setter for advancing technology," Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin said at the press conference.
"With the addition of MetroNet to other communication businesses in our city, you could say Palm Coast has become digitally prosperous," he said.
The company's high-speed internet offerings will help the city attract job-creating businesses, let residents connect more efficiently to services and upgrade connections for people who work from home, Alfin said.
MetroNet had approached the city about coming to Palm Coast, not the other way around. But Alfin credited the city's staff with recognizing the opportunity.
"Our team's expertise and proficiency helped us acquire a successful company to want to launch business here," Alfin said.
The company, created in 2005 by founder and CEO John Cinelli, serves communities in 14 states, but Palm Coast will be its second in Florida, after Tallahassee.
"With the addition of MetroNet to other communication businesses in our city, you could say Palm Coast has become digitally prosperous."
— DAVID ALFIN, Palm Coast mayor
MetroNet is offering 10-gigabit internet, "Which just means a lot of speed," Cinelli said at the press conference. "And it's symmetrical, so it's the same speed to your home as from your home."
Construction will begin in the spring of 2022 and will likely offer service to approximately 50,000 homes, potentially starting at the end of the summer or the beginning of fall of 2022.
MetroNet has an agreement with FPL to attach its equipment to power utility poles and will also have a storefront in the city, creating approximately 25 jobs, according to Cinelli.
The network will have above-ground and underground components that will help make it resilient in the face of storms, aid MetroNet Government Affairs Director Kris Smith.
"We'll have redudancy automatically built in, so if one side gets cut, we'll route everybody through the other," she said.
Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Greg Blosé emphasized the importance of fast internet speeds for economic development.
"With access to high-speed internet, businesses in our community will be able to operate online quicker than ever, improving the quality of their business and product," Blosé said. "This internet connectivity issue can not be overstated in how important it is to the future of our community."
City Councilman Nick Klufas said he'd like to see Palm Coast attract digital workers.
"I think Palm Coast is positioning ourselves to take advantage of the digital economy that's going to power our future," Klufas said.
MetroNet will notify residents about construction in their area about a month before it begins, according to a MetroNet news release.
People and businesses who'd like to connect to MetroNet should visit MetroNetInc.com/iwantfiber, according to the news release.
