What internet speed are you blessed with at home? After hitting the enter key, does it land you on GameStar.de in no time, or do you have to wait an agonizingly long time before you see your undisputed favorite website (that goes without saying) in all its glory?
A Michigan man may not be a regular visitor to this site, but his story from 2021 is certainly newsworthy! Because out of frustration about the connection quality and the offers of the providers in his home country, he made a decision that is now becoming more and more of a boomerang for AT&T and Co. Because suddenly there is new competition for the established providers!
Classic providers disappoint
It all starts out quite harmlessly: Jared Mauch, who works full-time as a network architect, actually only wants faster internet. Although it has a bandwidth of up to 50 Mbit/s, this connection runs via its rather unstable mobile network. A switch can’t be that difficult, can it? Not correct!
The Internet giant AT&T informs him: In the small town of Scio Township, only a maximum of 1.5 Mbit/s is possible. He then turns to the company Comcast, but the offer there is anything but tempting: He should first pay a special fee of 50,000 US dollars, since the network has to be extended to his place of residence.
Lots of frustration and still no fast internet. At the same time, a state investment program is also being launched, the so-called Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund
. The goal is clear: to support the economy, which has been hit not least by the pandemic. This includes a $71 million infrastructure project for Jared Mauch’s home.
This project also includes the granting of a license for the provision of broadband internet. Opposite the magazine Ars Technica Mauch describes his next step:
They had this tender for ISPs [Internet Service Provider, Anm. d. Red.]and in my own wild stupidity or brilliance, I’m not sure yet, I bid on this project and won the bid in the process.
Big investment, big return
Sure, just run to the trade office and say I am now a provider!
Above all, this means: With an investment of 145,000 US dollars, expand the fiber optic network in his rural home region. Because he has to increase the fiber optic range laid in the region from around 22 kilometers to around 83 kilometers in order to reach enough households.
After that, everything happens very quickly and success sets in. Jared Mauch charges his new clientele a $199 installation fee. In return, his fellow human beings then receive either a bandwidth of 100 Mbit/s (download and upload) for 55 US dollars or a whopping 1 Gbit/s for 79 US dollars per month. If all goes well, Mauch will one day have amortized his investments.
And more and more households in his homeland are taking up this offer. Completion of the expansion and connection work is contractually guaranteed by 2026, but Mauch would like to achieve this goal by the end of 2023. One first press release of the new Internet provider already exists and the community is talking about one all changing moment
.
And how are the residents of Scio Township reacting to Jared Mauch as their new internet provider? I’m definitely a lot better known to my neighbors. People save me as a fiber optic guy on their mobile devices.
How will broadband expansion continue in Europey? After all, there are still many places in this country where fast internet
is mentioned in the same breath as unicorns, elves and other legendary figures. Our own fiber optic cable guy Alex has an analysis of the coming years ready for you:
Do you like the story of Jared Mauch? Would you also dare to take such a courageous step, or would you rather have bitten the bullet and threw your money down the throat of the established Internet providers to finally get more bandwidth? Let us know in the comments!