Smithville recognized as national “Top 100” broadband company, named for demonstrating capacity to transform local economies and improve communities’ quality of life

ELLETTSVILLE, Indiana – Recognized for its innovative qualities as a fiber technology industry leader, Smithville (Smithville Fiber) was named a national Top 100 broadband company in a comprehensive competitive process. Achieving this national recognition for an unprecedented ninth consecutive time, Indiana-based Smithville was recognized this year as a top fiber technology service leader by a panel of experts associated with Broadband Communities magazine.  Smithville has established a reputation for providing fiber broadband and fiber-to-the-premise service (FTTP) in Indiana (particularly in traditionally neglected rural areas). The company was named together with major national firms like Google Fiber, Bechtel, Corning, AT&T, Verizon and others in receiving the 2017 honor.

Smithville Fiber is the only Indiana-based company to be named this year to the Top 100.

“It is gratifying to receive this national peer recognition by industry professionals, and it is humbling and exciting to be so named for the ninth straight time,” said Darby McCarty, chairman and CEO of Smithville. “The national honor truly reflects the quality and performance of our Smithville professionals, who are among the best in the business.”

To receive the honor, companies must effectively demonstrate the capacity to “transform local economies or improve communities’ quality of life,” or by “introducing innovative technologies that have game-changing potential,” or provide other outstanding performance factors, according to Masha Zager, editor of Broadband Communities magazine, which sponsors the Top 100 award.  Editorial and technical experts in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment make the final decisions.

“We sift through an enormous amount of information to come up with the final list,” explained Zager. “As one may imagine, there are many more than 100 great broadband-related companies.”

To advance the Fiber-to-the Home (FTTH) industry and qualify for Top 100 recognition, the award process selects firms “that finance, plan, design, engineer, construct and install fiber optic networks as well as equipment for digging, pushing, pulling and attaching fiber.”

Zager continued: “Smithville stood out as an early adopter and provider of commercial and residential fiber service. Smithville takes risks and aggressively seeks fiber-based innovation and transformation, which is what one would expect from a company that demonstrates national leadership.”

The commitment to lift data and speed caps from its existing fiber network (for voice customers), its project to create a 100-gigabit fiber ring, and its forward progress in building Indiana’s first true GigaCity in Jasper were factors in the selection process. The company was also recognized for its continued commitment to public-private partnerships.

Ms. McCarty was quoted in the Top 100 issue of Broadband Communities magazine for her continued outspoken support for the FTTH industry: “Elected officials and agencies must truly address bringing 21st century technology to 46 million Americans in rural areas with transformational fiber-based services. Rural America must have real access to fiber-based critical advances in telemedicine, education, workforce development, Agri-business and other categories. This requires creative ways of funding.”

“Smithville continues to create new opportunities for local economic development expansion and to build quality of place for Hoosiers,” said John Patten, president of Smithville Fiber. “We create value through true public-private partnerships that can transform communities, which is reflected in Smithville’s national recognition as a Top 100 broadband company.”

Founded in 1922, privately owned Smithville has grown to be Indiana’s largest independent telecom company with more than 200 employees. Smithville remains strongly engaged in supplying FTTH and other services through its growing network to more than 23,000 businesses and residences, now offering speeds up to 10 Gigabits (1o Gbps) and higher for fiber-based enterprise-level companies.

Smithville was the first to offer up full gigabit service for all residential fiber customers and recently changed their service offering to remove data and speed caps and provide the best available speed for all customers. Smithville was effectively the first Indiana technology company to actually provide Google-level fiber gigabit speed to residents. Smithville is now setting the standard in new developments with its Smithville GigaCity platform, which brings in-home wireless symmetrical gigabit speeds to communities and regions.

In addition to its award-winning residential service, the company provides enterprise-level high-speed fiber-based connectivity, data consulting, network management and managed services for businesses, university campuses, biotechnology companies, health care providers and government offices. In 2017 Smithville completed a $4.5 million network upgrade that will allow it to offer wave-level connectivity from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps, with the capacity to scale to 200 Gbps in the future.

Smithville has expanded commercial fiber access to hospitals and statewide health care networks, utility and wireless companies, technology parks and technology incubators, financial institutions and industrial operations. The company is active in telemedicine and telehealth initiatives, particularly in rural areas. Smithville also provides small business services, network management and managed services.