SureWest pledges to expand FTTH in Kansas markets

Independent telco SureWest Communications has announced that it is expanding its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband service in areas near Kansas City (KS), an announcement that comes not long after Internet giant Google said that the Kansas City area would be the site of its first FTTH network.

SureWest, which recently launched FTTH in Olathe (KS) said its board of directors approved adding 5,000 new homes in the surrounding area to its 2011 capital investment plan, resulting in a total of 15,500 fiber home additions scheduled this year in Olathe. The company said the expansion was dictated by high consumer demand for the services. It did not mention Google’s planned roll-out as having any impact on its decision. SureWest, based in Roseville (CA), has operated in nearby Kansas City (MO) since acquiring Everest Broadband in 2007. It has 40 percent penetration on Everest’s pre-existing hybrid fiber-coaxial cable network, and in the last two years has passed 1,600 more homes with a new FTTH initiative, achieving a 34 percent penetration rate. SureWest cut a handful of jobs in the Kansas City area last year as part of broader job cuts.