FISH LAKE TOWNSHIP, Minn., Feb. 14, 2019 – More than 900 residents and businesses in Fish Lake Township now have access to fiber gigabit internet speeds up to 1,000 Mbps due to investments from CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) and Fish Lake Township, as well as a $1.8 million grant from Minnesota’s Border to Border Broadband Development Grant Program.

CenturyLink is delivering Fiber to the Home (FTTH) technology in Fish Lake Township as part of its participation in the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund (CAF) program and its commitment to meet the broadband needs of residents and local businesses in Minnesota.

“From telemedicine to students doing homework, broadband access is essential to our everyday life,” said Sen. Mark W. Koran, R-North Branch. “I’m proud to have supported and continue to support the Border to Border grant program that enabled this partnership with CenturyLink and Fish Lake Township. This fiber to the home broadband expansion brings 21^st century access to the businesses and households in our area.”

“CenturyLink knows that life is powered by connections and that communities benefit from fiber internet speeds,” said Dan O’Connell, CenturyLink senior director, Northeast region. “The state broadband grant program, coupled with CenturyLink’s local investment, is a great example of the public and private sectors working together to provide connectivity that helps meet our customers’ personal and business needs.”

For more information or to order gigabit service, residents can contact Darren Larson, CenturyLink retail sales, at (612) 412-5113 or at darren.larson@centurylink.com.

Key Facts

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at 9 a.m. Feb. 18 at 2170 Brunswick Road in Harris, Minn. The public was invited to attend.
• For existing CenturyLink customers, our policy is to cover the cost of the first 700’ and the customer would pay excess construction charges for the difference between the first 700’ and the actual length of the drop – this is being waived through March 31. For new customers, we charge excess construction for the entire drop regardless of length and is not subject to being waived.

Additional resources

• A survey conducted by Chisago County prior to the fiber project found that Fish Lake Township residents were interested in utilizing the many benefits of faster internet speeds: http://www.ci.north-branch.mn.us/CCBSR.pdf. Highlights include:
  • Telecommuting: 35 percent said they would telecommute. Currently, 66 percent of the residents commute 30 miles or more to work.
  • Education: 45 percent said they would use high-speed internet for student access. With fiber internet, residents can take college classes while living in Chisago County.
  • Quality of Life: 86 percent said they would use it for web surfing and social networking. 20.4 percent said they would access telehealth, 79.8 percent said they would use it for entertainment, and 36.5 percent for gaming.
  • Economic Development: 31 percent said they would operate a business. Faster speeds can help a business innovate and grow.

About CenturyLink

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is the second largest U.S. communications provider to global enterprise customers. With customers in more than 60 countries and an intense focus on the customer experience, CenturyLink strives to be the world’s best networking company by solving customers’ increased demand for reliable and secure connections. The company also serves as its customers’ trusted partner, helping them manage increased network and IT complexity and providing managed network and cyber security solutions that help protect their business.