A Home-Grown, Citywide Fiber Network in the Heart of Oklahoma

When the local cable company and only universal wireline Internet service in Tuttle (OK) went bankrupt a decade ago, local leaders rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Originally projected to be a five-year project, Tuttle's citywide fiber-to-the-home network was completed in Fall 2020 after just 3 years. The network hit an important milestone shortly after construction was finished: its financial break-even point. In response, the city council announced it was lowering prices for residents. From the start, the network aimed at a 50 percent takes rate. It currently meets or exceeds that threshold in almost every area and sees take rates as high as 90 percent in parts of town. Today it passes 2,864 premises, with 1,557 taking service. The finished network connected the city library and several healthcare facilities, not only solving existing communications problems for the local government but giving existing and new residents who decide to settle there, businesses, and community anchor institutions world-class Internet access for decades to come. Residents of Tuttle are among the just 1 in 4 in Oklahoma with access to fiber service from a provider, the result of forward-thinking local leaders who committed to owning their information infrastructure future.