Clearwave to Buy RG Fiber, Washington Broadband Survey, Michigan Approves $250M for Broadband

March 29, 2022 — Clearwave Fiber, a fiber-based internet service provider, has agreed to buy the assets of RG Fiber, a high-capacity fiber network service provider located near Kansas City, Kansas, according to a Thursday press release.

David Armistead, CEO of Clearwave Fiber, said that the companies are looking “forward to dedicating the resources to providing Kansas with high-speed internet access through the most advanced technology and unparalleled customer support.

“As we continue to grow, our focus on the customer and product quality remains relentless. We are excited to partner with local municipalities to bring their communities a fiber network that is durable, reliable, and will easily keep pace with technology innovations that will undoubtedly require increased demand for bandwidth,” he said.

Washington state testing internet speeds

Washington state is conducting an online survey testing the internet speeds at homes and businesses across Washington County, according to Tuesday report by the Observer Reporter.

John Timney, the executive director of the Washington County Authority, said that “the best maps available from the FCC database have a faulty premise,” according to the report.

“The whole point of (the survey) is I can’t rely on the data that is supplied to me…It’s generally, directionally correct. But for us to try to cover the county the best we can, we really have to take the temperature,” he said.

Timney also oversees the state’s Rural Broadband Initiative program that has $30 million of federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act, an act that originally launched in June 2021.

Washington State recently announced the hiring of a new broadband director, Mark Vasconi, who will start on April 1.

Michigan governor to approve $250M for broadband

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is to sign the Building Michigan Together Plan, a bipartisan plan to invest nearly $5 billion in infrastructure and the economy, including $250 million to improve broadband infrastructure.

The funding will go to “improve access and adoption of broadband – helping ensure all Michigan residents and businesses can compete in a 21st century economy,” according to the press release.

State Budget Director Christopher Harkins said that this “supplemental uses one-time resources to make long-term strategic investments in the state’s infrastructure to improve the lives of Michiganders today and well into the future.”

This announcement comes in light of the $600 million in additional funding from President Joe Biden’s proposed budget that will be used for rural broadband initiatives as part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect program.