This article was updated to include more information about the services provided by SiFi Networks.
The City of Akron announced it is working with a national developer to create a citywide fiber optic network that will provide what Mayor Shammas Malik said is affordable, high-quality internet access for Akron residents and businesses by 2030.
Malik said in a press release that SiFi Networks plans to spend more than $200 million to install, maintain and operate an underground fiber-optic network at no cost to the city.
“In 2024, it is essential that every person in Akron has access to high-speed, affordable internet,” Malik said. “Through this partnership with SiFi, every resident and business in Akron will have access to fiber internet, and SiFi has agreed to work with us to subsidize rates.”
SiFi agreed to deliver a 1 GB service to a percentage of Akron residents at an undisclosed “subsidized rate” as part of its FiberCity® Aid program. The subsidized rate SiFi provides will be a 50% rate reduction for 10% of the population that qualify for the discount. The qualifications will be defined by the City and have not yet been determined, said Stephanie Marsh, Akron’s director of communications.
That network will be ubiquitous, or one that is constantly open and available. Prices will be set by the Internet Service Providers (ISP) that are signed on to use the network for their services,
The system is designed to allow for competition in the marketplace and provide the 1 GB service at the best cost. The monthly rates will not be known until the ISPs sign on to the platform and offer their services.
Signal Akron is following up with the city to get more information about prospective rates for residents and businesses, as well as what the 1 Gbps service will cost. It’s also unclear whether Akron City Council must approve the agreement.
View: SiFi Networks President Scott Bradshaw talks with members of Akron City Council’s Public Safety Committee about the company’s plans.
SiFi’s client base includes more than 40 cities across 12 states, the press release stated. Cleveland entered into a 30-year agreement with the company in October.
Cleveland City Council also signed off on a $20 million deal with DigitalC to offer low-cost broadband citywide.
The two companies will handle different parts of Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s plan to expand Cleveland’s internet access. DigitalC must “raise the floor” of wireless broadband in Cleveland, as the administration has termed it – making $18-per-month internet available to everyone in the city. SiFi Networks is charged with raising “the ceiling,” opening the way to fast, market-rate fiber internet.
The press release stated Akron will continue to explore other partnerships, including Summit Connects, the public safety fiber ring connecting 31 communities in Summit County, along with the opportunity for residential and commercial internet service.
Editor’s note: Signal Cleveland’s Nick Castele contributed to this report.
