Harrisburg Kiwanis Speaker describes expansion of fiber optics in Saline County

The Harrisburg Kiwanis Club met at Morello's Restaurant at noon, on Wednesday, March 23. The guest speaker was Rocky Hull, the direct sales representative for Clearwave Communications.

He explained that the company began in 1986 by selling pagers and cellphones, but with so many companies in the same business, they decided to expand into a different field.

In 2006 grants were being offered for broadband, and fiber optics were then made available to 911 systems, hospitals, libraries and schools at no cost. Fiber optics were later expanded to private businesses and to residences.

Hull updated the Kiwanis on current projects in the area. He said fiber optics is now being run in the Dorris Heights area, as well as on Old Route 13 west from St. Mary's Drive to the goose pond.

Eldorado is now ready for home installations and Carrier Mills will be ready on May 1. According to Hull, their goal is to have fiber optics available to more than 300,000 homes by the end of the year and more than 500,000 homes in the Clearwave footprint area by 2027.

Everything is run underground and Hull emphasized that JULIE must be contacted before cables can be run to a home or business. For more information, contact Clearwave at (800) 913-7254 or at clearwave.com/home.