IQ Fiber rolled out service to the San Jose Forest area on Aug. 22 providing high-speed fiber optic internet directly to subscribers’ homes.
San Jose Forest is south of Lakewood and San Marco.
The Jacksonville-based company began in August 2021 and is funded to initially service 60,000 homes in Northeast Florida.
The company is installing its fiber-optic cable in Atlantic Beach and San Jose Forest. Those two areas were chosen because of housing density that offsets the cost per foot to install the fiber-optic infrastructure.
Ted Schremp, IQ Fiber CEO, said his company has the knowledge and equipment to provide promised WiFi speeds capable of up to 10 gigabits per second.
“Our first customers are enjoying the highest speeds available in this market on a network that is purpose built for the modern internet,” he said in a news release.
The company is backed by a majority investment from SDC Capital Partners. Construction costs in San Jose Forest and Atlantic Beach are about $20 million, the company said. It has 40 employees.
Schremp has internet experience since 2008 having held management positions Charter Communications, TiVo and Web.com Group.
Most areas of Jacksonville are served by cable or DSL phone lines.
“Their systems weren’t built for broadband. They were adapted for broadband,” he said.
IQ Fiber customers will have the same upload and download speeds, Schremp said. With most internet, these speeds vary.
Remote working and virtual meetings have seen household internet demand grow by 25% over the last year, said the release.
The company offers three monthly plans: 250 Mbps for $65; 500 Mbps for $75; and 1,000 Mbps for $85. There are no contracts or equipment rental fees.
Customer service is another selling point, Schremp said. Its customer call center is in Jacksonville.
