The BPU has officially launched their open-access fiber internet service. Screenshot courtesy of the Jamestown BPU

About a year after receiving a grant from the state for the installation of a Broadband Open-Access Fiber Internet service, the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities has officially launched its community-owned, open-access fiber network.

The launch was officially announced by the BPU on Monday. Service will be available across the BPU electric territory, rolled out over the next 15 months, giving residents and businesses affordable, reliable and future-ready internet access with the freedom to choose their internet and digital service providers. All BPU electric customers are eligible to receive a no-cost fiber service drop to their home or business. Once the drop is installed and when the system is online, customers sign up for the free in-home installation, then choose an Internet Service Provider plan, which can be changed at any time.

The BPU received a grant from the state’s ConnectAll program for a total of $29,926,817 in partnership with Quanta Telecom Solutions to undertake the project, which they have been working on since it was awarded last November. The Internet Service Provider tariff was approved in a resolution by the BPU at their latest board meeting, also on Aug. 25.

“We’re very pleased to have gotten to this point in preparation for more public communication,” said David Leathers, BPU general manager.

Jeff Russell, R-At Large and BPU board member, thanked everyone who has been involved in working hard on the project to give the community more options and better service for their internet.

Interested customers are able to sign up now for a free service drop to be included in the service, and those who sign up before October 2026 will receive 90 days of free internet service. Every connection includes a free service drop, no charges or rental fees for the BPU-provided on-premises electronics and free Wi-Fi Six router, no in-home installation/set-up costs and no long-term contracts. The ISPs may also provide additional offerings.

With the Jamestown BPU fiber network being an open-access system, the BPU owns and maintains the infrastructure, while multiple ISPs deliver services on the network. This model minimizes infrastructure costs, creates real competition, and gives customers better, more stable prices and choices than the traditional model.

“Open-access models in other communities have shown that competition improves service and lowers costs,” Leathers said. “As with our other utilities, the BPU fiber network is operated transparently and responsibly, with stable, affordable rates that will not see steep increases after initial promotional periods.”

The BPU also presented the project at the most recent City Council work session, where Kris Sellstrom, deputy general manager of the BPU’s Electric Division, talked with the council on where the project was at, at that point. Construction wise, Sellstrom said 321 poles have been set so far with the English, Allen and Newton areas he showed on a map all completed for “make ready”. “Make ready”, he said, means putting the new poles in the ground and moving up and down the existing infrastructure for the community fiber needs up and down the street. The Fluvanna area is started but has been paused for permitting and the Newland area is 70% complete. Backhaul interconnection splicing is in progress.

The installation of the fiber optic cable running down the street is complete in the English area east of Foote Avenue, along with Allen and Newton areas other than the state roads there. The fiber installation in the Huxley area of the map has begun, and underground fiber installation in the English area is set to start in September, which Sellstrom said is for areas without any poles to install the fiber on, and work on getting permitting for state roads is in progress.

BPU crews and project partner Quanta Telecom Solutions have worked intensively over the past year to prepare poles, install, and splice fiber to bring this service to life. There is still approximately one and a half years of work left to get the entire system operational by December 31, 2026.

The BPU and its partners will soon begin installing service drops to anyone interested, to maximize the deployment reach during the grant period. The free service timeline will not start until a customer’s service is ready to come online, so there is no reason to wait to sign up to get the drop installed. Once the service drop is installed and a customer’s area is ready for service, the BPU and its partners will reach back out to schedule a time for the free in-home installation and help a customer select an ISP.

“Reliable and affordable fiber service through the BPU strengthens Jamestown for the future,” said Mayor Kim Ecklund, who is also BPU board president. “It supports students, local businesses and technological growth, while helping ensure our community remains an attractive and affordable place to live and do business.”

Sellstrom highlighted the significance of this project, calling it an “exciting investment” for Jamestown and the surrounding communities.

“It delivers affordable, high-speed internet for residents and businesses, strengthens our electric system, and creates a foundation for future opportunities in areas like energy management and education,” Sellstrom said. “By building it as open access, we’re ensuring lasting value, real choice, and long-term benefits for our community. I am extremely proud of the dedication and long hours put in by our BPU line workers, electricians, managers, engineers, and project partners, and I am grateful to the Empire State Development ConnectALL team for making this possible. Innovation for the next era of Jamestown starts now, and this project lights our path toward a stronger, more connected future.”

For more information or to sign up to request a free service drop, visit JamestownBPU.com/fiber. Information will also be distributed through newsletters, door hangers, direct mail, billboards, social media channels and community events.