The new firm was formed by two Iowa-based companies in the communications industry, Webster-Calhoun Cooperative from Gowrie and Premier Communications from Sioux Center.

“Premier Communication and Webster-Calhoun Cooperative are both companies that have existed for well over 100 years, so we’ve been providing services throughout north central and northwest Iowa for all of that time,” said Doug Boone, Chief Executive Officer of Premier Communications.

Seeing a need for a strong fiber optic network in Webster City, Boone said Premier Communications and Webster-Calhoun Cooperative are investing $16 million to place fiber optics throughout the community.

The partnership of the two communication companies grew out of the desire to provide a strong and reliable fiber-based service to Webster City. Boone said talks with representatives of the city began in January.

“We have secured locations where we’re going to put the fiber huts, we have secured a contractor, we have ordered materials and we have commitments from our two companies to invest in the community,” Boone said.

Construction of the fiber system will be conducted in three sections — or fiberhoods — across the community. The first to be constructed will be the Kendall Young Fiberhood, which includes the business district to the northeast part of Webster City. Work will begin this fall and services will begin to be offered in the first quarter of 2022.

Construction of the other two sections — the Lynxmen and the Wilson Brewer Fiberhoods — are expected to begin in the spring with services to be available in the fourth quarter of 2022. Boone said the fiber optics will be located underground.

“There is so much engineering that goes into this and so much preparations before you really see what it’s going to look like,” he said. “But we’re well on our way now.”

Platinum Connect will have a local presence in the community with a downtown storefront at 620 Second St. scheduled to open in October. Monica Haberman, who grew up in Webster City, will serve as the business’s director of community engagement.

“I’m excited to be involved in my hometown as an ambassador for Platinum Connect,” Haberman said. “This is an exciting amenity for the community and I’m honored to be a part of its growth.”

Platinum Connect plans to be a community partner, Haberman said. The firm recently provided a meal for RAGBRAI volunteers, and is looking forward to getting involved in the Chamber of Commerce.

Local residents and businesses will soon have the opportunity to sign up for services with Platinum Connect.

“Monica will help us raise awareness in the community,” Boone said.

Customer service is key to Platinum Connect, according to Boone, and is the reason for establishing the local office.

“We’re going to have local technicians. We’re going to have local people here, answering the phones, who can answer questions,” he said. “We’ll continue to use Premier Communications and Webster-Calhoun Cooperative for some of the back office things, but the customer related things will be done here.”

While a pricing structure for the services has not yet been established, Boone said he’s confident Platinum Connect will be competitive with other services in the area. The company will offer several tiers of service, according to Boone. The network will be capable of 1 gigabit internet service, and potentially up to 10 gigabit.

“We’ll offer very robust broadband packages, a robust video platform and voice services for those who would want that,” he said.

“We’re confident we’ll be competitive, but in the end we hope to win the day with service and reliability,” Boone said.