MASON CITY, Iowa – A deal has been reached with a company planning to bring high-speed internet fiber to Mason City.
The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a letter agreement with Metro Fibernet, also known as MetroNet, to install fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks covering at least 85 percent of Mason City homes and businesses. MetroNet spokesman Joe Salerno told the Council the company would build the network at no cost to the city.
According to the letter agreement, MetroNet service to Mason City would include up to 240 television channels, phone and internet service, wireless home networking, and private branch exchange phone service to businesses. Salerno told the Council they want to make Mason City a “gigabit city” with “failure proof technology” that can increase capacity as internet speeds rise.
City Administrator Aaron Burnett said bringing high speed internet fiber to Mason City has been a goal since 2018. City Councilman Paul Adams called the agreement with MetroNet a “no brainer.”
MetroNet says it currently provides TV, phone, and internet service to 90 communities in nine states, including Ames, the Quad-Cities, and Rochester, Minnesota. With this agreement, MetroNet is expected to begin building its network in Mason City in 2021.
