Nearly two years after the New Bern Board of Governors approved a request to negotiate an agreement with Metronet, the fiber internet company is ready to sign up local customers for multi-gigabit internet.
On October 21, Metronet announced that in addition to its current 1 gigabit per second offerings, speeds of up to 2 gigabits are now available for residents, while businesses can choose speeds of up to 10 gigabits. .
Customers located in Metronet’s initial construction areas can now register for an Internet installation at shop.metronet.com.
According to the Metronet website, in the New Bern area, the company offers internet speeds ranging from 100MB for $49.95 per month to 2GB for $119.95 per month for residents, with free installation. The fiber phone is also offered for $20 per month.
Although Metronet originally planned to offer IPTV as part of its New Bern service offering, that option will no longer be available, according to Kris Smith, the company’s director of government affairs. IPTV allows viewers to receive their broadcast signal through an internet connection, as opposed to a rooftop antenna, satellite dish, or fiber optic cable.
The fiber installation follows existing New Bern utilities and consists of approximately 50% underground work and 50% aerial work, according to Smith.
In a press release, John Autry, Regional Sales Manager, said Metronet’s high-speed Internet will have a direct impact on New Bern’s growth and economic development.
“Residents and businesses can now connect at the speeds they need, at a time when fast, reliable internet is vital,” Autry commented.
According to Metronet, residents in construction zones will receive 30 days notice by mail of construction activities in their neighborhood. Metronet also provides additional messaging, such as street signs, to let residents know when construction is starting in their neighborhood. Metronet crews are marked with identification tags and branded vehicles.
To sign up to be notified when Metronet services are available or to check the status of construction in a certain neighborhood, residents can visit construction.Metronetinc.com.
Metronet’s local service area will extend north along Highway 43 to Washington Post Road, west on Highway 17 just past River Bend and as far south as Havelock. The company will also install in Trent Woods and the James City, Pembroke and Bryce’s Creek areas.
The city seeks competition on the Internet
New Bern’s quest to bring high-speed internet competition to New Bern dates back to complaints the city received in 2020 about the area’s leading internet service provider, Suddenlink. At the time, the city was receiving over 200 complaints about the company through an email set up specifically for this purpose.
In April 2021, the New Bern Board of Aldermen approved a request for the city to negotiate and execute an agreement with Metronet allowing the parties to resolve permission issues, easement plans and questions regarding what Metronet would deliver in the area.
In July 2021, the city approved the Make Ready 2021 Public Infrastructure Project Fund for Broadband Service Providers of $7.2 million to facilitate the infrastructure work needed for Metronet to bring its services to New Bern.
Metronet began installation work in November 2021. As of last month, the company had installed approximately 200,000 feet of underground fiber optic cable in the New Bern area.
Journalist Todd Wetherington can be reached by email at wwetherington@gannett.com. Please consider supporting local journalism by signing up for a digital subscription.
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