Cities of Farmington & Farmington Hills Will Share One of the Nation’s Fastest Open Access Fiber Networks to Deliver 10 Gpbs, Among Fastest Speeds in U.S.

Farmington Hills, MI – (Monday, October 30, 2023) At a press conference this morning, officials from SiFi Networks and the Cities of Farmington Hills and Farmington announced the official construction launch of the Farmington Area FiberCity® project, a revolutionary fiberoptic infrastructure investment that will bring a fast, affordable, and reliable all-fiber internet network to every home, business, and institution in both cities. Vicki Barnett, Mayor, City of Farmington Hills; Gary Mekjian, City Manager, City of Farmington Hills; Sara Bowman, Mayor, City of Farmington, David Murphy, Farmington City Manager and Marcus Bowman, Community Relations Manager, SiFi Networks explained that the over $70 million project, which is being funded privately, will provide access to all of the Farmington area’s nearly 50,000 households, businesses and institutions, with speeds up to 10 Gbps enabled (Gigabits per second)—eliminating buffering and internet slowdowns—among the fastest residential internet speeds available in the United States.

Notably, the Farmington Area FiberCity® project will be an Open Access network, a successful model in other regions of the U.S. and across Europe. Open Access allows fiber infrastructure to be shared by multiple service providers, whether that be internet, wireless, or other services, thereby delivering the fastest speeds at the most competitive prices to the consumer. Like all SiFi Networks fiber builds in the U.S., the Farmington Area FiberCity® project will be constructed at no cost or risk to taxpayers.

Marcus Bowman, Community Relations Manager, SiFi Networks commented: “The cities of Farmington and Farmington Hills demonstrate the power of two communities coming together to champion a vital infrastructure project that directly benefits all their residents with crucially needed modern-day connectivity. SiFi Networks is delighted to make the long-term investment in the Farmington area because we see how fiber networks transform communities into hubs of innovation, remote work, better healthcare, and smart city services. With FiberCity®, Farmington Hills and Farmington will truly become 21st century cities,” he said.

Mayor Vicki Barnett, City of Farmington Hills commented: “SiFi Networks is laying the groundwork to give our community access to faster and more reliable internet in their homes and businesses,” said City of Farmington Hills Mayor Vicki Barnett. “This collaboration is about allowing our residents to have more freedom of choice when it comes to internet providers.”

Mayor Sara Bowman, City of Farmington commented: “I couldn’t be happier that the two cities are working together with SiFi Networks to bring broadband to the entire community. This fiber internet Open Access network will connect us to opportunities, knowledge, and each other like never before. Today, we pave the digital path to progress.”

City Manager Gary Mekjian, City of Farmington Hills commented: “As we celebrate the City of Farmington Hills’ 50th anniversary, we’re looking forward to the future,” said City of Farmington Hills City Manager Gary Mekjian. “With the addition of SiFi Networks’ trailblazing technology to our City’s infrastructure, the future is fast approaching.”

SiFi Networks constructs its all-fiber network with meticulous care and industry best practices to minimize any disruptions. They are committed to maintaining and repairing the sidewalk joints, driveways, and greenbelts from the edge of the public right-of-way to the private property line. Residents can find more information on construction and community events by following Farmington Area FiberCity® on social media and by visiting www.FarmingtonAreaFiberCity.com.