Ziply Fiber continues to expand its fiber build-out in the Pacific Northwest, announcing plans to upgrade four markets in Washington and Oregon from copper to fiber.
Fiber construction has been completed at hundreds of addresses in Banks and Riddle, Oregon. Ziply intends to build fiber to "several hundred additional" addresses in each town in the coming weeks. Fiber upgrades are also planned in Glendale, Oregon, and Westport, Washington.
Ziply CEO Harold Zeitz said migrating customers from copper to fiber is usually an efficient process because "we typically see the vast majority of customers do it within a month or two of fiber becoming available." Once that happens, he adds, "that part of the copper network is effectively obsolete."
In those markets, Ziply expects to welcome its first customers later this spring. For locations where fiber has not yet been built, Ziply expects network construction to take several months to complete. In a press release, the operator noted that network design and permitting is "ongoing," although the latter may hinder deployment.
"The biggest challenge we see is when municipalities and utilities are allowed to slow down the process of building fiber to the residents and businesses that need it," he said. "These processes are typically designed for broader structures than how streamlined our fiber structure process has become."
Once permission is granted, Ziply's crews will begin laying fiber between utility poles and, in some cases, overhead underground. Zeitz said last year that while overhead fiber "is still the least expensive method of deployment," Ziply is also considering microtrenching as a cheaper, less disruptive option.
Ziply began its fiber expansion efforts back in 2020, and has since announced construction projects in more than 90 cities and towns in the Pacific Northwest. It has previously said it plans to reach 80 percent of its fiber footprint within three years. Zeitz noted that the company's fiber builds are still underway, but he did not disclose Ziply's annual buildout goals or the number of passes to date.
Ziply is on track for 100,000 new passes through its recent acquisition of Washington state-based provider iFIBER. No fiber will be built in the areas covered by the acquisition. As for future build locations, Zeitz hinted that the carrier plans to share its 100th city "soon.
