Startup internet service provider Gateway Fiber will be able extend its network to Wright City after receiving approval last week to build in the city’s utility corridors.
Company …
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Startup internet service provider Gateway Fiber will be able extend its network to Wright City after receiving approval last week to build in the city’s utility corridors.
Company President Heath Sellenriek told Wright City officials on Feb. 25 that Gateway Fiber has begun construction of its network in Warrenton and Truesdale, and plans to expand along the Interstate 70 corridor to Wright City by April.
The fiber optic cables used by Gateway Fiber send signals using light, rather than electricity. The technology offers improved performance over traditional phone or cable lines used for internet.
Sellenriek said the fiber service will be available to every property within Wright City limits.
“We’re also in negotiation with a landlord to move our headquarters to here in Wright City. By the end of the year, our (employee) head count is projected to be between 35 and 40,” Sellenriek commented. The company is currently based in Jonesburg.
Outside city limits, Sellenriek said the company’s network construction will be based on where there’s enough customers to warrant the cost. Low housing density makes it more costly to build the network on a per-home basis.
Wright City officials said they will welcome the new company, noting that many residents don’t currently have satisfactory internet service.
“There’s some people right now who don’t have high-speed internet service in city limits. They’re on satellite,” commented Alderman Ramiz Hakim.
The Wright City Board of Aldermen voted 3-0 to approve a 10-year, renewable agreement allowing Gateway Fiber to build in the city’s right-of-way utility corridors. Alderman Michelle Heiliger abstained due to her employment with another company owned by the Sellenriek family.
The agreement includes a requirement that Gateway Fiber secure a performance bond guaranteeing that ground and facilities where the lines are installed will be restored to their original condition. The company also voluntarily added an offer to provide free internet service to city facilities, the same offer it’s made to other towns in the area.
Construction will involve installation of equipment pedestals in some yards, along with some digging and boring to install the fiber cables, Sellenriek said. He said any yard damage will be repaired to maintain good relations with the city and future customers.
