On Friday, Fort Dodge Fiber held an open house for its new customer service center, which is located within CItizens Central, 617 Central Ave.

“This is a huge step for us,” said Ryan Maehl, assistant city manager for the city of Fort Dodge. “That doesn’t just happen — there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes.”

The Fort Dodge Fiber project broke ground in June, with the data processing center located at the Fort Dodge Municipal Building. Progress has continued to include the directional boring and installation of the first underground fiber lines. Opening the customer service center marked the next step in the process.

The first residential and business connections to the fiber utility are expected to be connected by the end of this year, with every home and business anticipated to be ready for hook-up by the summer of 2024, Maehl said.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
The Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance held a ribbon-cutting on Friday afternoon for the new Fort Dodge Fiber customer service center at 617 Central Avenue, located within Citizens Central.

“We’re heading there and this team continues to blaze new trails,” he said. “There’s no playbook for this.”

During the open house on Friday, the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance also held a ribbon-cutting for the facility.

“On behalf of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance and the ambassadors, thank you for the investment in our community, not only for the residents, but the businesses located here,” said Matt Johnson, a member of the Growth Alliance. “Having reliable fiber and great service and great access to internet is crucial for businesses and education and our citizens.”

Once completed, the mostly underground fiber network will pass every home and business in the Fort Dodge city limits.