By Megan McCain

REXBURG — Lightbridge Community Broadband is ready to provide broadband-internet fiber networks to the city of Rexburg. Rexburg Mayor Jerry Merrill, Rexburg City Council members and other community members gathered to welcome Lightbridge with a ribbon cutting ceremony June 16. Beginning July 1st, Lightbridge plans to begin providing fiber internet to clients in the community, with an end goal of a complete fiber network within three years. 

Broadband fiber networks help to provide faster, more reliable internet service through a variety of internet providers. Because Lightbridge is not itself an internet provider, clients are able to choose a provider that works for their own circumstances and needs, while benefiting from the higher speeds of fiber internet. Lightbridge will partner with four internet service providers for clients to choose from.

“We’ve been working on trying to get faster broadband speeds, faster internet speeds to the citizens of Rexburg for, you know, my staff have been working on it even longer than I’ve been here, I think about ten years we’ve been working on trying to get faster internet speeds and a broadband system installed here,” Merrill says. 

Lightbridge should also help the local economy, according to Scott Johnson, Director of Economic Development and Public Relations for the City of Rexburg.

“My job is primarily to get jobs or create new jobs in the city, and this [fiber internet] is one of those components that a lot of companies are looking for,” Johnson says. “But aside from those companies, we have also learned through COVID and some other things, some people are working from home, there are a lot of educational and other opportunities online. So it’s critical, as we really look at economic growth, to have this infrastructure in place.”

Although Lightbridge currently offers services to much of Rexburg, in order to provide a connected network they need enough interested residents in each area to move forward. To express interest and sign up, visit lightbridgefiber.net. Lightbridge is located at 15 E. Main Street, Rexburg.