Jan. 7, 2019

Midco is planning to deliver 10-gigabit-per-second internet service, the company announced today at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

The company will invest $500 million over 10 years on 10G, which will take place in phases. Midco and the industry have lab trials already underway – and industry field trials beginning by 2020.

“The 10G Vision is to create a seamlessly connected smart world, enabling technology that will reinvent the way we live and empower experiences for people. After our successful launch of gigabit internet to 90 percent of our Midco footprint, this is the next great leap for broadband,” Pat McAdaragh, president and CEO, said in a statement.

Midco made the announcement as part of a group of U.S. and international cable providers. Intel announced it will be one of the first providers to create the silicon that will power the next step of the 10G network experience.

“The Midco network is already well prepared for 10G in locations such as Fargo, Dickinson (N.D.) and Annandale (Minn.) because we’ve built fiber deep. All future build-outs, line extensions and upgrades will be constructed in the same fashion with fiber pushed deeper into the network – closer to the customer – to ready our network paths for 10G performance,” said Jon Pederson, chief technology officer.

Midco will continue to install advanced technology on its network to prepare for 10G, and it will have ongoing reliability benefits for all levels and speeds of Midco internet services – including fiber, cable modem internet and fixed wireless internet.

“10G also complements and enables mobile providers’ 5G networks,” Pederson said. “In fact, multiple mobile providers already use Midco fiber to power their towers. The 10G platform of the future will be even more robust to serve this and future technologies.”

The 10G platform is a generational shift that will power the smart communities, businesses and homes of the future, Midco said, anticipating it will spark opportunity for future innovations that change the way consumers, educators, businesses and innovators interact with the world. Examples include:

• Remote diagnostics and more advanced medical care.
• 4K and 8K HD movie streaming.
• Super high-resolution graphics and responsiveness for gamers.
• A virtual world of holodecks and interactive video walls.
• Long-range augmented reality for businesses.

“10G is a technology evolution that will help the Midco and others stay ahead of the digital progress underway in our world. Think of it as a way to future-proof our network for technologies to come,” McAdaragh said.