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Fiber Internet for Rural Pawnee & Stafford Counties

Governor Kelly recently announced that GBT was awarded a $6,782,694 grant from the State of Kansas through the Kansas Capital Project Funds Broadband Infrastructure Program. This grant will be used by GBT to provide Fiber Internet, Voice, & TV services to approximately 530 homes, businesses, and other public institutions. The project, which consists of the entire eastern half of Rural Pawnee County and a western portion of Rural Stafford County, will provide fiber-fed, high-speed broadband for the first time to residents who live in these under-served areas.

GBT, headquartered in Rush Center, Kansas and celebrating its 70th year of operation, has been deploying Fiber to the Premise for 15 years in the communities and rural areas of western Kansas. With the awarding of this grant, GBT will be able to offer this area the latest in broadband technologies, including Internet speeds up to 1 Gig. To read the full press release click here.

FAQ

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Project Information

The overall project is estimated to cost $8,353,257.50 with $6,782,694 coming from the State of Kansas through the Kansas Capital Projects Fund and the remaining funding coming from Pawnee County utilizing ARPA funds and GBT’s own private investments.

The scope of the project consists of a 100% buried fiber-optic network with over 300 miles of fiber which will be utilized to connect around 530 homes and businesses to world-class fiber which GBT will use to provide Internet speeds up to 1 Gig, home voice, and TV services.

What's the big deal about Fiber?

Fiber optics today is the best type of technology to provide Internet service. Fiber is a buzzword for those that do not have it but also the most expensive way to provide service. Fiber is the best because it can deliver very fast synchronous download and upload speeds and is the most reliable. Fiber is also the best when it comes to latency, which is the time it takes to send information.  When it comes to latency, the lower the number the better, and typically fiber can produce latency at 17 milliseconds (ms) or quicker.  Fiber is typically a dedicated connection to every home or business and does not have its bandwidth shared between other subscribers within a service group.

When can I expect to get Fiber?

The project will consist of 4 phases with an estimated completion date of December of 2024. All start dates are estimated and will vary. GBT’s plan is to have every home and business who would like service installed by the end of 2024.

    1. Staking and Engineering phase (Anticipated start date of February 13th)
    2. Construction phase (anticipated start date of June 5th)
    3. Splicing and Testing phase (anticipated start date of September 5th)
    4. Installation phase (anticipated start date of March of 2024)
How do I pre-sign up/show my interest for service?

Below is a map displaying the areas of rural Pawnee and Stafford counties that this project will cover. If your home falls within this area, we encourage you to pre-sign up/ show your interest.

By signing up to show your interest, GBT will notify you and keep you updated with construction and installation progress. To sign-up, click here enter in your address, fill out the contact information and you are all set! *You are not obligated to take GBT service if you sign-up for it.

 

 

Will I have to pay for construction if I want fiber at my house?

Fiber will be brought to each primary premise free of charge. In the Staking phase, GBT representatives will reach out to each owner to discuss fiber placement.

What Internet plans will be offered?

Fiber allows you to have exceptional upload and download speeds. At this time, the plans and offerings will be announced as we get begin the construction phase.

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