Iowa City residents will be getting a new option for broadband internet starting later this year. Cedar Rapids-based ImOn Communications announced on Monday it will begin construction this spring on a fiber-to-the-home network, which should begin serving its first customers before the end of 2019.
“The fiber-to-the-home network is a better way to access the internet,” Lisa Rhatigan, vice president of marketing for ImOn, told Little Village. “It’s faster, it has more capacity and it’s reliable.”
ImOn has been providing services to businesses in Iowa City since 2015, and last year it entered into a partnership with the Iowa City Downtown District to provide free high-speed wi-fi access on the Ped Mall. The company also provides internet services to some apartment management companies, which then offer the services to residents, but this new expansion will be the first time ImOn has offered services to single family homes in Iowa City.
“We’ve been in Iowa City working with businesses for three years now,” Rhatigan said. “As we’ve gotten to know the community better and understand the value that Iowa City places on the concept of community, we’ve come to feel what ImOn brings is a really good match for Iowa City.”
Any word on WHERE they’re going to start offering? Only new developments? Existing neighborhoods? East Side? West Side? Anything?
MB,
I asked Rhatigan about what part of the city ImOn is starting with, and she said that is still to be determined. The final decision probably won’t be made until early Spring.
Cant wait to give the mediacom / Century link bastards a run for their money!
Absolutely! I’ve never heard of anyone who didn’t have a frustrating problem with Mediacom. And my CenturyLink DSL service keeps blinking on and off. I remember reading that when I’mOn first come to Iowa City, one of our locals (Medicom, I think) tried to keep them out, maybe sue or something like that. Technology-minded people know so much dirt on the big corporate IPs…. I think I heard that CenturyLink recently screwed up and took out the 911 service in a few states.
I looked at their prices for new service in CR and wasn’t impressed. It was comparable to MediaCom for internet and a bit more expensive than Dish, overall 15% more on an apples to apples comparison. I’m excited by the prospect of fiber running to my home, just hope that their is competition on more than the customer service front.
I think they day I switch from mediacom to fiber might be the happiest day of my life. I love you ImOn
on May First, they hang a fliers on my door said ImOn FIBER CONSTRUCTION is coming to your neighborhood, I live 0n the east side of Iowa City next to Grant Wood Elementary