NextLight now serving 25,000+ customers
NextLight now serving 25,000+ customers
NextLight, Longmont’s community-owned internet service, announced today that it now serves more than 25,000 homes and businesses.
The milestone came eight years to the month after Longmont first broke ground on the citywide NextLight build, which began in August 2014. Since then, NextLight’s fiber has been made available to nearly every home and business in Longmont and the network has continued to gather local support and national attention, including five straight years of being recognized among the fastest internet services in the country.
“This achievement is all about the people of our community,” said Valerie Dodd, NextLight’s executive director. “It’s their enthusiasm that has allowed NextLight to grow and succeed. We’re honored to be their network and their neighbors, and we take seriously the trust that they’ve put in NextLight’s unparalleled speed and reliability.”
The continued growth means that NextLight remains on track to pay off its construction bond in 2029. Once that occurs, Dodd said, even more of NextLight’s revenue can go into improving the community.
This year, PC Magazine listed that service as a key factor in ranking Longmont among the 20 best work-from-home cities. A mini-documentary by “Viewpoint With Dennis Quaid” also recognized NextLight’s efforts to bridge the digital divide, including its work with the St. Vrain Valley School District and the fiber-optic network’s offer of free and steeply discounted internet service for income-qualified customers. More details on those offers can be found online at https://mynextlight.com/emergency-broadband/.
Most recently, NextLight ranked as the second-fastest internet service in the nation this summer, with PC Magazine noting that “NextLight’s consistency could put it on top in 2023.”
“Longmont and NextLight keep making each other stronger,” Dodd said. “We’re grateful for our community’s support and we’re looking forward to sharing all the excitement that lies ahead.”
