Widespread Community Support Surges Across North Metro for Gateway Fiber

Residents and small businesses across Minnesota are urging local leaders to remove barriers to expanded fiber internet access.

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Residents and businesses across many north metro communities are calling on local leaders to remove permitting barriers that continue to delay fiber internet construction. Gateway Fiber, an industry-leading fiber internet service provider, is receiving overwhelming support from community members who want access to faster, more reliable internet service before winter weather halts construction. Without timely action, thousands of homes and businesses could face another year of waiting for expanded broadband choice as certain municipalities continue to impose permitting demands that exceed established requirements and unnecessarily stop broadband deployment.

"Minnesota families and businesses have made it clear that they want more broadband choice," said John Meyer, Chief Customer Officer of Gateway Fiber. "We are ready to build. We are ready to invest. And we're ready to connect these communities. Unfortunately, every week of delay brings us closer to winter, when construction becomes significantly more difficult and expensive. Consumers are the ones paying the price when outdated rules prevent more competitive internet options.”

To raise awareness and encourage community engagement, Gateway Fiber shared the petition with prospective customers in Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids, Maple Grove and four other cities where thousands of homes are being affected by the permitting delays. Within 72 hours, nearly 500 residents and business owners signed the petition, urging local officials to allow construction to move forward and expand access to high-speed fiber internet.

"Reliable internet isn’t a luxury for small businesses anymore – it’s essential. We’ve been looking forward to having a fiber option within our community, and it’s disappointing to see delays could push this project indefinitely. More competition and better connectivity benefit everyone,” said Dan Brown, a business leader at REACH Communications, Inc. in Champlin.

Gateway Fiber's planned investments would bring new fiber internet infrastructure, increased competition, and additional broadband choice to thousands of homes and businesses throughout the affected communities.

Gateway Fiber remains committed to collaborating with the impacted cities and local officials to find the best ways to bring its fiber network to Minnesota communities.

Local residents and small businesses interested in showing their support are encouraged to sign the petition at https://www.gatewayfiber.com/mn-petition. To learn more about Gateway Fiber services, visit https://www.gatewayfiber.com/.

About Gateway Fiber:

Gateway Fiber is on a mission to positively impact communities through a better internet. As data requirements for residences and businesses continue to expand, Gateway is creating a leading, national fiber-to-the-home platform to serve this critical unmet need. Gateway provides faster, more reliable internet with a simple pricing model and industry-leading customer service. For more information, visit gatewayfiber.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.