Lake County residents will soon have more access to fiber optic internet.
Florida-based fiber internet provider Wire 3 is building out its network in Eustis, Leesburg, Mount Dora and Tavares, thanks to a $100 million privately funded investment. Currently, Lake County residents mostly have access to traditional cable or DSL internet, though fiber optic service is available in some parts of the county.
“We understand and I think everyone understands how important it is to remain connected digitally for every household, whether you’re working from home or you have kids at home,” Jai Ramachandran, Wire 3 Chief Executive Officer, told GrowthSpotter. “Fiber optic internet has revolutionized the way we connect to the internet.”
It’s more reliable and future-proof, Ramachandran said. Lake County residents will soon start seeing Wire 3 trucks in their neighborhoods working on utility construction. Once that infrastructure is established, Wire 3 will not only be able to provide internet with speeds up to 10Gbps, but potentially more in the future.
Florida-based fiber internet provider Wire 3 is building out its network in Eustis, Leesburg, Mount Dora and Tavares, thanks to a $100 million privately funded investment. (Map provided by Wire 3)
“Without changing out the network that’s underground, just changing out some electronics, we could easily upgrade that network to 100 Gbps within the next year,” Ramachandran said. “We don’t plan on doing it because there’s no practical use for 100 Gb right now, but it’s capable.”
While the first residential and commercial customers are expected to be connected by late 2025, getting all of Leesburg, Eustis, Tavares and Mount Dora connected will take 12-24 months, Ramachandran said. Wire 3 is already available in some municipalities in Volusia, Brevard, Marion, Orange and St. Lucie Counties.
The internet provider currently offers three tiers for internet service with no data caps or download or upload limitations, and the price is the same for all of its service areas:
Ascent, 1 Gbps, for $60 a month.
Orbit, 2.5 Gbps, for $80 a month.
Warp Speed, 10 Gbps, for $99 a month.
Internet service in Lake County can range from $30 per month to $150 per month, depending on the speed and promotional pricing, among other things.
Customers won’t need to upgrade their home network should they switch to Wire 3 service, Ramachandran said. Wire 3 provides a Wifi router, which is powerful enough to cover most homes, but it also offers add-ons like Wifi extenders.
Another perk, Ramachandran said, is that Wire 3’s entire customer service team is based in Central Florida, headquartered in Daytona Beach. So when customers call or text in with an issue, they’re talking to a local.
While Wire 3 is focusing on four of Lake County’s municipalities, there are plans to expand in the future — in Lake County, Florida and potentially beyond. But Wire 3 isn’t ready to make those announcements yet, Ramachandran said.
In other Lake County development news:
The Leesburg City Commission approved Lake Margarette Estates, a 196-acre subdivision planned for south of County Road 48.
The Clermont Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans for a multi-tenant flex office park along U.S. Highway 27. The project will go to the Clermont City Council for final approval.
The Lake County Planning and Zoning Board approved plans for a multi-family apartment complex in Clermont West.
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