Windstream Expands Network in Little Rock

Windstream Holdings Inc. of Little Rock on Wednesday announced an expansion of its advanced metro fiber network in Little Rock, saying the move would provide the city’s growing business community with world-class fiber and fixed-wireless infrastructure.

The company said the expansion connects more local data centers and commercial buildings with its high-speed, highly available nationwide fiber network and to other major and mid-size markets.

Spokesman Sarah Davis said the expansion not only expands access but allows the company to offer 1-gigabit, 10-gigabit and 100-gigabit internet speeds to Little Rock. 

She also said Windstream expects to spend $40 million this year to expand its fiber network in certain metropolitan areas like Little Rock to better serve business customers.

“We’re proud to make this investment in our hometown to help create a new level of connectivity and network stability for all the businesses here, especially the downtown, midtown, west Little Rock, North Little Rock, Northshore Business Park, airport/port authority and Conway areas,” CEO Tony Thomas said in a news release. “It also will allow us to offer our customers an expanded product suite and higher levels of service.”

Windstream said the expansion enables Little Rock customers to use its fixed wireless service, unified communications, managed services, network security, business continuity, network solutions and cloud services.

The Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport has already partnered with the company to offer passengers the “best Wi-Fi connection of any airport in the world,” Executive Director Ronald Mathieu said.

Windstream said it is expanding its metro fiber networks in several other cities too, including Charlotte, Nashville, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Dallas, Detroit and Cleveland.