Fiber-optic internet provider to make $50M investment, add jobs in Orlando
- Hotwire Communications invests $50 million to expand in Orlando.
- Hotwire will add 60 jobs and serve seven Florida counties.
- Fiber-optic internet expansion meets growing demand for faster connections.
A fiber-optic internet provider will add jobs as it makes a $50 million investment to expand in Orlando.
Fort Lauderdale-based Hotwire Communications announced this month it will build out fiber-optic infrastructure in the region and add 60 jobs. The organization will serve Lake, Polk, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia and Brevard counties.
Hotwire sells to entire HOAs, master-planned communities and businesses instead of individual users. Among the initial users it serves in the market are residents of Baldwin Park and the Millenia Park Apartments in Orlando, as well as Balmoral Resort in Haines City.
Representatives for the company were not immediately available for additional details.
Hotwire Communications was founded in 2002. Besides Florida, it provides service to North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California.
It joins other fiber-optic companies which are also expanding services in Central Florida.
For instance, Wire 3 plans to add its service in Eustis, Leesburg, Mount Dora and Tavares through a two-year construction project totaling more than $100 million in investment.
Meanwhile, roughly 56% of U.S. households do not have access to fiber-optic internet, according to a report commissioned by the Fiber Broadband Association. This comes as there is a demand from both business consumers and household internet users for faster connection speeds.
"With the increasing demand for high-definition content, low-latency applications such as video conferencing, remote surgeries and industrial automation, alongside the transfer of millions of gigabytes of data, a fast and reliable internet connection is essential for both businesses and consumers," the report said.
Deployment of fiber to those unserved areas could create at least 380,000 new jobs in the U.S. This includes jobs in installing the technology, as well as businesses expanding operations to more rural areas where costs could be cheaper.