Gateway Fiber is a locally owned and operated internet service provider on a mission to positively impact the communities it serves, advance economic development and bridge the digital divide – right in its own backyard.

Gov. Mike Parson, who spoke at an event marking the start of construction on Gateway Fiber’s network in St. Peters and St. Charles, said the company is delivering on a critical part of Missouri’s infrastructure priorities.

“Every Missourian needs high-speed internet connectivity,” he said. “If we can put electric in every household, we can put broadband in every home, too. We’re going to make Missouri better together.”

Gateway Fiber provides “fiber-to-the-home” internet service, meaning the fiber-optic cable runs all the way to a customer’s home or business, drastically improving reliability and speed. Before Gateway’s launch, much of the region was limited to legacy cable or DSL internet, which is prone to slower service and network interruptions. Gateway Fiber offers a connection guaranteeing increased speeds and reliability.

“Fast and dependable internet is an essential component to today’s economy – we rely on it for work, school, entertainment and connection,” said Len Pagano, Mayor for the City of St. Peters. “Having a local company build and manage a high-speed network gives the City of St. Peters an advantage when people choose a place to live or grow a business. I’m excited to see work begin on this project.”

With construction beginning in June and service starting as soon as fall 2021, residents across St. Charles have already placed a significant number of pre-orders for a 100% fiber connection. Pre-orders are helping the company gauge interest and prioritize future construction efforts. The company partnered with local government officials to secure permits and rights-of-way access over the last 12 months.

“Gateway Fiber is proud to bring powerful, modern internet infrastructure to St. Charles County,” said Heath Sellenriek, President and Co-Founder of Gateway Fiber. “The pandemic’s impact on how we work and learn remotely has only magnified the need for a fairer, friendlier and faster internet option. The communities in our backyard deserve the modern infrastructure needed to compete, learn and connect globally,” Sellenriek added.

Founded in 2019, the company believes there is a significant opportunity to double down on customer service, developing an approach that has often been a lower priority for the incumbent cable and telecommunication companies in the area.

“Today’s customer deserves better. They deserve simplicity and transparency in pricing. They deserve customer service with a local touch. And they deserve a model that reduces friction wherever possible,” said John Meyer, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer. “We’re building a brand from the ground up to put our communities and our customers first, delivering a simple and refreshingly different approach to the broadband experience.”

Gateway Fiber offers 1 Gig broadband, simple flat rate pricing, symmetrical speeds (download and upload speeds are the same), no data caps, no contracts and no installation fees. It currently serves Troy, Moscow Mills, Winfield, Old Monroe and Hawk Point, with construction underway in Warrenton, Wright City and Wentzville.

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Four patents were received for connectivity, two of which coincide with AFL’s ASCEND® high-density platform. The first invention is for the ASCEND high density patch panel with modular cassettes. These panels can be deployed in a chassis system with extendable drawers to facilitate moves, adds and changes within a connected network. The second invention is for a splice cassette that includes a splice holder that supports single and mass splices using the same components. This Poli-MOD splice cassette fits in locations where other ASCEND cassettes fit without requiring changes.

The next patent is for AFL’s NodeFLEX Bendable Cable Assemblies. The assembly’s fitting includes a flexible boot with integrated steel wires that allow installers to flex and hold the fitting at any angle up to 90° depending on the cable installation requirements. The fourth patent is for optical fiber trunk cable breakout canisters and assemblies in which the canister is designed to use like parts and provide ease of manufacturing.

Lastly, AFL received a patent for reduced-diameter composite downhole logging cables that contain both copper and fiber components. The design is smaller, lightweight and a more flexible alternative to traditional downhole cables.

For more information about AFL, its products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

Patent recipients pictured (top to bottom, left to right):
Mark Vogel, Brett Villiger, Kyle Marchek, Tom Sawyer
Shirley Ball, Will Miller, Wink Courchaine

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.
 
Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and “like us” on Facebook. Review our blog or subscribe to our bi-monthly e-newsletter.

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Citynet has been dedicated to working with the communities of WV to expand their fiber optic network for many years. In 2014, they secured a grant from the West Virginia Broadband Deployment Council for infrastructure projects, enabling them to bring high-speed Internet service  to Snowshoe Mountain Resort. The following year, in partnership with the City of Bridgeport, they launched a pilot project to establish Bridgeport as the First Gigabit City in West Virginia, an exciting milestone for the state’s broadband initiatives. 

VETRO Fibermap is thrilled that Citynet has chosen our platform to manage their existing network as well as to facilitate their continued expansion to more communities throughout the state. Citynet prides itself on building long-term relationships with their customers and delivering unparalleled customer support, and we pledge to do the same for them. 

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