Building Bandwidth: What You Need to Know About Midco’s Fiber Network Investment

Small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) comprise 99.9% of the U.S. business population. With over 33.3 million businesses, these numbers show their significant role in generating employment and contributing to economic stability.1 This means most of the products and services we enjoy are run by organizations with 250 or fewer employees.2 That’s why SMBs have a lot to gain from Midco’s recent investments in our fiber network.  

Ready to meet demand.

With the rapid changes in technology, unprecedented internet traffic and projected population growth, Midco is committed to staying ahead of the digital demand happening in our world. 

Due to this building need for bandwidth, Midco has proactively made key upgrades and advancements for the past three years with Fiber Forward, an expansive investment that improves the company’s already robust fiber network and next-gen fiber tech to prepare the region for 10G speeds. With these improvements, businesses can expect a network that’s even faster, more reliable and more secure with low latency and balanced speeds.3       

We’re also proud to be one of the first providers to bring multi-gig speeds to all eligible passings. This includes expanding our speed tiers. “Customers will now be able to select 1.25 or 2 gig speeds, giving them more options that will fit their needs and budget,” said Ben Dold, Chief Operating Officer at Midco. 

For businesses that rely on the internet to perform their core functions, having reliable and secure internet is essential. “Through Midco’s recent fiber upgrades, we’ve built redundancy and resiliency to ensure customers have access to an internet connection at all times. The fiber cable is in the ground, so if there’s an unexpected cut in one spot, we can reroute traffic from another area so the whole network doesn’t go down, allowing the customer to continue to work and avoid downtime,” said Dold.  

Midco is upgrading our fiber network and bringing this advancement across our five-state footprint so that every small to mid-sized business can benefit from this investment. This includes: 

• Increasing our network to 22,000 miles of fiber by 2030.
• Building out other mid-sized cities, including an estimated 10,000+ new passings in western Wisconsin and significant expansions in Jamestown, ND, and Hartford, SD.

“Each decision, upgrade or investment Midco makes is centered around our customers. We’re continuously evaluating how we can improve their user experience, make their lives easier and give them more time back because we know if this is achieved, we’re helping their bottom line,” stated Dold. 

The major milestones continue as Midco works to stay ahead of demand, provide a seamless experience and offer consistent functionality. 

How Midco’s fiber investment can help your business.

Midco understands what it’s like to be an SMB because we started out as one. From our humble beginnings in 1931, we’ve seen it all – the wearing of many hats, the growing pains and the countless questions that keep you up at night.  

We know what it’s like to focus on ensuring employees have not only the right tools but also the best equipment to do their job because of how that impacts the end user’s experience. 

"These fiber upgrades allow our customers to take on more clients so they can have the capacity to handle more content and traffic on their network without experiencing technical difficulties such as high latency or downtime,” commented Dold. 

Here are a few reasons how Midco’s recent fiber investments can help your business: 

• Rapid: Since 2020, our average upload speeds have increased by over 400%, and our download speeds have increased by over 100%. This means your business can access and share data faster than ever, allowing employees and customers to experience updated and current information in real time. We’re also proud to offer our customers new 1.25 or 2 gig speeds.  
• Reduction: When a business relies on the internet, an efficient network can help cut costs and decrease time spent managing technology.
• Reliable: A more stable internet connection allows your business to run seamlessly, reducing time spent worrying or fixing technical issues.
• Robust: Thanks to increased capacity, our products can handle customer demands, allowing them to do what they need to be successful.
• Ready: Our dedicated business customer support team is prepared to find the right solution to problems the first time.  

“We want our customers to be able to focus on running their businesses and teams. These investments allow them to concentrate on their business and not worry about the network or technology side of things. There’s a lot of value in working with a telecommunications provider that can provide a set-it-and-forget-it network,” explained Dold.  

Like all businesses, you’ll experience change. The needs you have today may be different in the future. That’s why it’s important to have a technology partner who continues to grow and bring the latest advances to their customers. 

Why having a local provider is a business asset. 

Trust is the backbone of small to mid-sized businesses. It’s often built based on expertise, longevity in the market and reputation. Keeping trust - between providers, customers or employees – is essential. Working with a local provider can often help establish this trust. It’s because you hear about them in the news for their recent community work, see their name on shirts in the grocery store, or watch their service vehicles drive around town. 

That’s just one of the many reasons Midco’s customer service is fully staffed by local support teams. We’re dedicated to the success of the communities we serve, and it’s something we want our clients and community to trust in.  

“All Midco team members, from construction to sales and customer support, work together to provide the best positive impact for our customers and community,” added Dold. 

If you’re running a business, your focus needs to be on having services, applications and networks that are consistently operational. That’s why having a trusted partner to manage and handle your fiber network is vital to the success of your business.