Internet provider Greenlight Networks plans to significantly increase the number of urban households it can reach by the end of the year.
Today, low-cost, high-speed fiber-optic Internet service reaches approximately 15,000 Rochester homes. The company plans to expand access to another 12,000 by the end of the year.
That accounts for more than a third of the company’s expected growth this year.
Key areas include the 19th Ward, which has struggled to get a green light since before the pandemic, and the 14621 ZIP code in the Northeast.
Obtaining permits, easements, and access to utility poles can present obstacles. But the pace of the city’s growth has drawn criticism in the past.
The company used to rely on pre-registration to decide where to build. But officials said the investment from billionaire philanthropist Tom Golisano and Oak Hill Capital allowed the company to plan its expansion more carefully.
Greenlight serves 120,000 households in Monroe County and Victor.
Other areas where Greenlight is eyeing big expansions this year include Webster, where it plans to add 4,000 homes, and in Chili, where it expects to reach 6,000.
Rochester-based Greenlight Networks marked its 10th anniversary by talking about its ongoing expansion plans.
In each case, the company expanded by placing network equipment in non-public areas of municipal buildings. A fire station in Chile. Webster Township Recreation Center. and the basement of the Arnett branch in southwest Rochester. That is, if the City Council approves it.
It would be the city’s first such partnership, though an agreement reached two years ago envisioned such an arrangement aimed at promoting outreach in underserved communities.
Greenlight also plans to continue building out services in Greece, Gates, Henrietta and Pittsford this year, officials said.