Nuvera’s Fiber Network Expands with Recent Partnership Expansion

Nuvera's customers to benefit from expansion allowing a significant increase in the number of 'on-network' connections to more business customer locations.

NEW ULM, MN, Sept. 15, 2021 - Nuvera has recently expanded one of its partnerships that provides fiber-optic connectivity for multi-location business customer locations, wireless towers, and Nuvera's connectivity to major Internet connection points - commonly referred to as 'backhaul' or 'transport' services.

Fiber transport providers Broadband Visions (BBV) and Southern Minnesota Broadband (SMB) partnered with Cooperative Network Solutions (CNS) to create one of Minnesota's largest fiber transport networks, Fiber Minnesota. All three were entities formed by Internet Service Provider (ISP) member companies to assist with various needs of their businesses including video aggregation, Internet transport and middle-mile facilities. Nuvera is a majority shareholder of BBV, and Nuvera CEO and President Glenn Zerbe is current BBV board chair.

For years, Nuvera has partnered with neighboring rural broadband providers by connecting their smaller fiber networks together to create larger networks to more easily provide fiber backhaul connections between multi-location business customers, as well as wireless towers. These combined networks enable a more streamlined selling and management processes for these multi-location business and wireless customers since the served locations are within the service areas of multiple

providers. This recent expansion takes these partnerships to the next level by creating a significantly larger network by combining multiple regional networks into a state-wide network which covers many towns in MN, and extending into ND, SD, IA, and WI.

The upgraded Fiber Minnesota state-wide network includes over 3,900 miles of lines, connecting many rural areas of the state to larger metropolitan areas within Minnesota. It also provides access to urban areas in other states, as well as connectivity to neighboring state-wide networks

'The broad ownership base is an advantage for Fiber Minnesota as it partners with its own shareholders for the connectivity of its core system to a staggering network of last-mile fiber throughout the state,' said Mr. Zerbe, who was instrumental in the formation of this organization. 'Consumers and institutions, especially those in rural areas, will experience a higher degree of reliability for broadband and related services. All three of these networks complement each other, and their combination removes redundancies and offers greater scale.'

This new unified network will be especially important as new technologies like 5G and edge computing expand to rural areas. Due to the increase in bandwidth requirements for these new services, and the need for a larger number of network connection points in all areas of the state, it's imperative that larger, more unified networks exist.

Combining the assets of these networks will enable MN's rural telecom and broadband providers to deliver increasingly advanced services to consumers and carriers, faster and more efficiently. The expanded Fiber Minnesota footprint connects nearly all corners of the state with multiple redundant routes, including rural areas often bypassed by other players. Integration of the three networks will be phased over the next 24 to 36 months.

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