Jacksonville-based internet service provider IQ Fiber activated its network in Gainesville and began serving its first customers in the area this week.
IQ Fiber’s initial investment in Gainesville and Alachua County is now estimated at $50 million and represents the company’s accelerated growth beyond Jacksonville.
“IQ Fiber is bringing high-speed internet to a community that is in desperate need of it,” said Gainesville City Commissioner Bryan Eastman, whose district includes the first network area. “We’ve had a lack of competition in our area for decades, which means expensive, slow internet and no options for our residents. I’m excited to see new fiber infrastructure bringing modern, fiber speed broadband that’s been lacking for so long.”
Headquartered in Jacksonville with a office in Gainesville, IQ Fiber is deploying its network across Alachua, Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties.
Since it began operations in 2021, IQ Fiber has built more than 1,500 miles – almost 8 million feet – of fiber-optic network across North Florida. The company has 135 local employees serving customers in the Jacksonville and Gainesville areas.
“We are excited to launch our Gainesville network and bring the first modern, reliable and customer-friendly internet choice to the community,” said IQ Fiber CEO Ted Schremp. “In just two years, we have established a significant presence across our home in North Florida and delivered on our promise to simplify and deliver a personal customer experience in a way that no other provider has been able to achieve.”
The IQ Fiber network consists of underground conduit and fiber-optic cables extending from the core internet backbone directly into individual homes, allowing for the fastest internet speeds available while supporting the explosive growth in internet usage and demand.
IQ Fiber is privately funded and launched in August 2021.
Sign up here for the Business Journal’s free morning and afternoon daily newsletters to receive the latest business news impacting the First Coast, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.
