Fiber extension completed Inyokern, Kern River Valley

Mediacom completes significant fiber extension between Inyokern and Kern River Valley

Expanded network brings 1 Gig Internet to homes; speeds up to 10 Gig for businesses

LAKE ISABELLA, CA -- November 21, 2022 -- Mediacom Communications announced today the completion of a 34-mile fiber-optic network expansion that provides residents and businesses in California's Kern River Valley with substantially faster internet service.

Mediacom built the mostly underground, 100-percent fiber optic extension to interconnect its broadband network facilities in Inyokern (near Ridgecrest) with its network in Onyx. As a result, residents in Lake Isabella, Wofford Heights and surrounding communities can now connect to Mediacom's Xtream 1 Gig internet product offering.

For businesses, including schools and medical facilities, Mediacom Business offers customizable connections up to 10 Gig. With completion of this project, Mediacom is the only broadband provider offering multi-gigabit commercial grade connections in the Kern River Valley.

To construct its network extension through this section of the Sierra-Nevada mountain range, Mediacom was awarded a California Advanced Service Fund (CASF) grant of approximately $285,000 from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The remainder of the roughly $14 million project was paid for with Mediacom's own private capital. The initiative is the latest example of a public-private partnership model Mediacom is employing to expand broadband to underserved markets and close digital gaps.

"Mediacom's broadband network is built with innovative, scalable technology. This ensures that we meet customer needs today, while also being ready for future advancements, including multi-gig, symmetrical speeds that will be delivered on the 10G platform we plan to deploy over the coming years," said Mediacom Senior Operations Director Marla Bowen.

Bowen described the new fiber interconnect as an immediate "game changer" and predicted that local customers will quickly transition to higher-speed internet connections. She said that her company was the first major U.S. Internet Service Provider (ISP) to launch Gigabit speed broadband widely across its national footprint.

As a result, more than 20-percent of Mediacom's broadband customers use Xtream 1 Gig internet, which is a Gigabit-adoption rate notably higher than the national average. Customers can choose from a range of speed tiers from 100 Mbps to 1 Gig.

"With Gig speeds, Kern River Valley residents can enjoy super-fast internet and connect dozens of devices for everything from home security to smart-home appliances," Bowen said. "This new fiber optic interconnection will also provide a critical communications link through the Sierra-Nevada for community anchor institutions and first responders for decades to come."

About Mediacom Communications

Mediacom Communications Corporation is the 5th largest cable operator in the United States and the leading gigabit broadband provider to smaller markets primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. Through its fiber-rich network, Mediacom provides high-speed data, video and phone services to over 1.5 million households and businesses across 22 states. The company delivers scalable broadband solutions to commercial and public-sector customers of all sizes through Mediacom Business, and sells advertising and production services under the OnMedia brand. More information about Mediacom is available at mediacomcable.com.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.