Bluepeak is expanding its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network to the Lone Star State.
The operator will invest about $15 million into a new network in the city of Denison, Texas to build fiber to 10,000-15,000 homes and businesses. “It’ll reach basically every home and business in the community when it’s all said and done,” a Bluepeak spokesperson told Fierce Telecom.
Bluepeak’s construction process is already underway to begin building in Denison, and the company is aiming to launch service there in 2024. “We’re currently working on the initial stages of that deployment to ensure we meet that goal,” the spokesperson said.
With the Bluepeak service, subscribers will have access to symmetrical speeds, with a minimum service tier of 1 Gbps. Homes can get up to 5 Gbps and businesses can take 10 Gbps “and beyond,” the company’s announcement said. Each internet speed package includes eero Secure, a security device that allows for customized content filtering.
According to the spokesperson, Bluepeak has already been working closely with local authorities in Denison and will begin “sending messages, advertising and holding community meetings in the lead up to our service launch,” which will help make the community aware of the new service availability.
Bluepeak will be the first fiber internet provider in Denison, but the town already has existing fixed wireless, satellite and DSL options.
Currently, Bluepeak services 18 markets across Oklahoma, Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota with its FTTH network. The spokesperson said the company is “on track” to reach its goal of building more than 70,000 passings in 2023.
In 2022 alone, Bluepeak reached 70,000 fiber passings across Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Bluepeak has a net promoter score (NPS) of 50+ in expansion markets where it recently rolled out fiber, another representative previously told Fierce
“[Our NPS] validates the positive sentiment that our customers have for their Bluepeak service and the employees that serve them,” said the rep, who also touted Bluepeak’s “transparent pricing” and “community involvement.”
“Our brand represents our vision to push the boundaries of possibility for our communities through delivering world-class technology and connections to places that have lacked good options for too long. Small cities deserve big city broadband,” the Bluepeak rep added.
Amid its expansion efforts Bluepeak this year hired Cox Communications veteran Kevin Schenck as its new VP of Market Expansion. The operator also appointed former Windstream exec Shawn Murray as VP of the Residential Sales division.
Bluepeak announced in March a franchise agreement with the city of Norman, Oklahoma, to bring fiber service to nearly 55,000 residents and businesses. The operator is pouring $55 million in capital into the buildout, marking Bluepeak’s largest investment in a single market outside of South Dakota.
The agreement with Norman came a couple of weeks after Bluepeak announced a $30 million expansion effort in Midwest City, which is about 20 miles away from the city of Norman.
In the third quarter of this year, Ookla’s speed test showed Bluepeak as having the fastest download and upload speeds and highest “consistency score” in all of Wyoming.