Construction firm hired for broadband project
Published: July 11, 2011
Related to: Northern eTeam
Freeport, Ill. —
PirTano Construction Company, based in Addison, has been hired as the first contractor for the $69 million project to establish a new broadband network in this region.
Jack Horn, vice president of PirTano Construction, said his firm is well-suited to the demands of the job, having installed thousands of miles of fiber optic cable in its 29 years of existence. PirTano will be one of two construction firms that will establish the new network. Negotiations are still ongoing for the second firm, but an announcement on the identity of that firm is expected in the next two weeks.
“It’s an exciting project,” Horn said Wednesday. “We’re very happy to be part of it. ... We’ve been in business for 29 years and we’ve been building communication networks for all those years.”
The current plan for the broadband project is to install 637 miles of new fiber, and to incorporate 233 miles of existing fiber into the system. PirTano Construction will handle the northwest section of the project, which includes Jo Daviess, Lee, Carroll, and Whiteside counties.
The second firm, which has not been named yet, will complete the eastern portion of the project, which includes Stephenson, Ogle, Boone, LaSalle, and Winnebago counties.
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