Fiber to the Home Coming to Taylorville

Nathan Woodside
Published: June 5, 2013
Related to: Central eTeam

Installation of a fiber to the home network with some of the highest capable speeds in the nation will begin later this month in Taylorville.

Computer Techniques, Inc. recently announced the project, making Taylorville one of the first communities with fiber to the home service in the state. It’s expected to take nearly three years to hook up the entire city, with the first phase extending to homes north of the CTI offices.

The network is expected to be capable of speeds up to 2.5 Gigabits/second.

Adam Vocks, vice president of CTI, and Billy Williams, president, grew up together in Taylorville, a town of approximately 11,000 people just southeast of Springfield. They started CTI in 1998.

“We want to help Taylorville grow,” Vocks said. “Our business plan is to build internet, build technology, in Taylorville. We hope that this will allow Taylorville to attract other businesses… and put Taylorville on the map.”

The network will be unique to many other fiber optic networks in that it will be a true fiber to the home service.

“Compared to other services that bring fiber to the curb or to the node, they bring it close to the subscribers, but not all the way to the subscribers, “ Williams said. “That’s where our service will be different… The last mile is the hardest part for people to deliver.”

CTI received its CLEC certification from the Illinois Commerce Commission last October, and is now a public utility company with access to the public rights of way for constructing telecommunication facilities.

Vocks said that unlike many telecommunication businesses who install fiber, CTI is doing it all in-house instead of working with subcontractors. The business hired four new full-time employees to complete the groundwork.

Construction will begin on June 24 and consist of directional drilling that should have minimal disturbance to the residents. 

“The economic development people have been good to us, the city has been good to us,” Vocks said. “Everyone is real supportive. They see this as a new opportunity for Taylorville.”