Fiber-optic internet provider launches in Pinellas with $100M investment, 50 jobs

A Jacksonville-based high-speed internet provider is making a more than $100 million investment in Pinellas County to bring its 100% fiber-optic internet service to St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo, the company announced Monday. 

IQ Fiber says its network deployment is expected to continue for the next 18 to 24 months and create more than 50 permanent jobs across the three cities. The company celebrated its launch with an official ribbon cutting ceremony May 1 at its new Clearwater operations facility, at 5767 157th Ave. N. The new facility will serve as a hub for sales and technical operations, according to the announcement, and was celebrated by civic leaders and community members. 

“High-speed internet access is essential to Clearwater’s growth and quality of life,” Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector says in the release. “We’re pleased to welcome IQ Fiber to our community and look forward to the benefits that greater connectivity brings to our residents and businesses.”

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Home to nearly one million residents, Pinellas County is the seventh most populous county in Florida and marks a key milestone in IQ FIber’s “customer-first” growth strategy. The company now provides fiber-optic internet to residents and businesses in five states across the eastern U.S., the release says. IQ Fiber’s network serves customers in Jacksonville,Gainesville and Pinellas,; Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Delaware; and the Chesapeake Bay Region of Maryland.

IQ Fiber’s all-fiber network is built on a modern XGS-PON platform capable of delivering symmetrical speeds up to 10 gigabits per second directly into every home or business in its network. Plans start at $65 per month and include professional installation, whole-home WiFi 7 service, and 24/7 live support from the company’s Florida-based team, the company says.

Privately funded and launched in August 2021, IQ Fiber says it is “transforming the broadband market with transparent pricing and streamlined customer service.”