The broadband provider WideOpenWest (WOW!) announced a new, more cost-effective data service — Fiber Flex — to support small and medium-sized businesses that have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Fiber Flex is based solely on fiber and is available to business customers in areas that are already lit with WOW!’s fiber facilities. The product is available now in 11 cities in seven of WOW!’s markets, and it will eventually be made available to all markets in the near future.
A spokesperson for WOW! said the cost of the service varies by term but starts as low as $84.99 per month. There’s also an initial install charge of $89.99 for any of the five speed tiers, and it includes the extension of fiber all the way to the customer’s suite location. “Normally, WOW!’s Fiber internet service prices for businesses vary by term but would start at a price of $419 for 5 Mbps,” said the spokesperson.
Fiber Flex does, however, offer asymmetrical speed tiers “so customers don't have to pay for upload speeds they may not need,” according to the company.
“A significant percentage of small businesses across the country have run out of government funding, have already shut their doors or are waiting on a new round of loans to help them weather the current economic crisis,” said WOW! in a statement.
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"Fiber Flex is the perfect solution for our business customers to be able to meet their operational goals at a considerably lower price than what they are used to paying,” said Henry Hryckiewicz, CTO at WOW! “We hope that this new product provides small and mid-size business owners with a bit of relief knowing they don't have to sacrifice this component of their business operations in order to stay afloat."
The seven markets where Fiber Flex is now available include cities in Alabama, Tennessee, Indiana, Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina and Florida.