Recent wins dovetail to boost connectivity and business expansion in rural North Idaho
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2018
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Fatbeam, LLC today announced that it has closed a deal with a regional carrier that will place 100 route miles of fiber from Liberty Lake, Washington to Bonners Ferry, located in Boundary County Idaho. Not unique to the industry, Fatbeam does not disclose the actual carrier name to respect confidentiality in fiber routes as well as security concerns.
The newfiber network agreement, which is valued at an estimated $2 million, will connect Eastern Washington to North Idaho within miles of the Canadian border,and discussions are already in place to connect the network to Canadian carriers.
Additionally, in 2017 Fatbeam won a fiber service contract with Boundary County School District (BCSD) to deliver broadband service between its school locations. The project earned accolades from the Federal Communications Commission board and staff as a rural broadband success in North Idaho. The BCSD project is heavily reliant on state matching funds provided by a broadband bill championed by Idaho State Rep. Luke Malek, who is currently running for Congress in Idaho’s First Congressional District.
“Because of Rep. Malek’s work, students in Boundary County will have faster broadband speeds than most of their peers across the country,” said Fatbeam CEO Gregory Green. “When you pair that with Fatbeam’s recent carrier contract which will connect that same community to Eastern Washington and Tier Point, a major data facility, you increase the potential for innovation and opportunity in the region, which can have a huge economic impact.”
“I’m thrilled to see the Legislature’s commitment to broadband infrastructure meet its goal of providing more Internet access to schools, businesses, and families,” said Malek.“However, I’m equally excited to see the opportunities for the excellent companies we have in Idaho to play a leading role in taking us into the future. I’m proud of the role I was able to play in creating an environment where Fatbeam can take Idaho into the future.”
ABOUT FATBEAM
Fatbeam is the industry leader in the western U.S. in delivering fiber infrastructure for best-in-class connectivity to schools, businesses, healthcare, and governments in rural and mid-sized communities.
The company currently operates networks with nearly 400 fiber route miles in more than 35 markets spanning Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona and Nevada. For more information, visit: www.fatbeam.com
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For additional information:
Jonna Young, Executive Assistant Fatbeam, LLC (E) jonna@fatbeam.com (D) 208-758-7019 or (C) 208-660-7600 or Ashley Anderson, Campaign Director Luke Malek for Congress www.lukemalek.com (E) ashley@lukemalek.com(T) 208-982-6319