HAYS — Telecommunications service provider Nex-Tech announces the next phase of the fiber expansion will be to Great Bend area households. This fiber expansion provides internet accessibility of speeds up to 1 gig, allowing ample bandwidth for running multiple wireless devices (including streaming video) or supporting a work-from-home lifestyle. 

Increased internet speeds provide many benefits to residences and businesses. It allows the transfer of very large files over the Internet, like medical images or multimedia programming. A fiber infrastructure also levels the playing field for small, rural communities to compete with larger, urban areas for business growth, expansion and economic development.

The Nex-Tech Great Bend residential expansion continues a long-planned build, coming on the heels of extending fiber facilities to seven Great Bend schools, the district office, maintenance shop and food service center, alongside the completion of a sizable build to area businesses. The residential build completion will roll out in phases. Each neighborhood that meets the required number of customers to achieve feasibility will be prioritized in the buildout process. Neighborhoods with lower interest levels may be served with a hybrid wireless internet solution instead of fiber. The project is estimated to take five years to complete. 

“Nex-Tech expansion plans are driven in large part by our commitment to making connectivity an integral part of rural America,” said Dustin Schlaefli, director of customer engagement. “That said, it’s an expensive proposition, so when we build, it is with an eye to the future. We know that a 10 Mbps connection is no longer enough for the average household and demand will continue to increase as technology advances.” 

For more information on Nex-Tech’s fiber expansion in Great Bend, visit https://fiber.nex-tech.com or stop by the store at 3700 10th St. Residents can show their interest in bringing service to their neighborhood. The website tracks the interest level per zone and shows the progress. When the required level of interest is reached in a zone, the zone will then be converted to the sign-up phase, and customers that have showed interest will then be asked to select and commit to services.