Saud Anwar

Senator Anwar Joins State, Local, Federal Leaders to Welcome East Hartford Fibercity, Highest Internet Speeds in Connecticut

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined state and federal leaders including Governor Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and U.S. Rep. John Larson (D-CT02) and local leaders including East Hartford Mayor Marcia Leclerc to welcome East Hartford Fibercity to the region, providing access to the fastest residential speeds available in the United States to the town.

Powered by SiFi Networks, an English company, and costing $40 million to implement, East Hartford will play host to the first open access network in the state, which means fiber infrastructure will be shared by multiple internet service providers, instantly bringing competitive service and pricing to the marketplace.. Internet service speeds of up to 1,000 megabytes per second will initially be offered, increasing to up to 10 gigabytes per second, quality and service that is significantly faster than most, if not all, currently available internet providers in the region.

The project is privately funded; there will be no cost to taxpayers.

“It is extremely encouraging and exciting to welcome this new advance in local infrastructure, one that will provide East Hartford with the fastest internet service in the state,” said Sen. Anwar. “The importance of quality internet being available throughout a community has never been more apparent than in recent years, and I’m excited to see the opportunities that come as a result of East Hartford FiberCity – new jobs for our workers, better service for those working from home, faster access to education in schools and wider access to this important resource across the entire town.”

“Broadband is not just a way to stream movies or scroll through social media on your phone,” said Gov. Lamont. “Access to affordable and high-speed broadband is what allows families to have uninterrupted internet when their children have homework to complete, and it allows mom or dad to have a reliable connection for their job interview using their computer. I have been fighting for increased access to high-speed broadband since I came into office and supporting these kinds of public-private partnerships have tremendous benefits for residents. This is an exciting announcement for East Hartford.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the digital divide in America,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “Access to reliable and fast internet is a must-have for families right now- as workers have shifted to telework, students continue distance learning, and families utilize telehealth resources. No worker, student, or family should be left behind because of a lack of access to an internet connection. I am happy to see the town of East Hartford leading the way in pioneering this critical infrastructure to help close the digital divide for town residents.”

East Hartford FiberCity is expected to begin construction in spring 2022 with full completion no later than 2024. Flume Internet, a New York internet service provider, has struck a deal with SiFi Networks to offer internet service to residences and businesses from the cables. The internet service is expected to be fast enough to eliminate common issues found today, including buffering and internet slowdowns.