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New fiber optic provider establishes itself in Charlottesville market

Ting has expanded network to most of city

<p>Eisner said the service has received positive reception thus far, validating the company's analysis of the area market.</p>

Eisner said the service has received positive reception thus far, validating the company's analysis of the area market.

A new fiber-optic Internet provider has established itself as a player in the Charlottesville market.

Ting, a division of Tucows, bought out local Blue Ridge InternetWorks in 2014 and has since expanded their fiber optic network to reach nearly the entire city. Ting’s fiber optic network provision distinguishes the company in the Charlottesville market, whose Internet services are largely provided by Comcast and other major companies.

Ting’s Director of Networks Adam Eisner said the company brings enhanced competition to the market through expanding on Blue Ridge’s already built-out network, which they have done on a piecemeal basis, supplying the area with quicker Internet speeds.

“We, about a year ago, acquired Blue Ridge [InternetWorks],” he said. “We have focused on certain areas and extended street by street. Blue Ridge was basically offering lower tiers of Internet, when we came in we provided much quicker speeds.”

Eisner said the service has received positive reception thus far, validating the company's analysis of the area market.

“It’s become a very popular service very quickly,” he said. “It really validated what we thought about Charlottesville. It’s a city that’s a great market for this kind of service”.

Comcast, the country’s largest cable provider, is also Ting’s biggest competition within Charlottesville. The company currently offers a "fiber-to-the-home solution," which delivers multi-gigabit speeds, and also announced last month plans to introduce optic services which will be compatible with lines of communication already installed in customers’ homes, Comcast Public Relations Manager Jamie Debole said in an email statement.

Eisner said Ting had been in contact with the University about providing fiber optic services, but stated the University already had an expansive system in place, and for them to make an overriding change would be a “significant endeavor.”

Correction: This article previously stated Comcast currently offers optic services compatible with lines of communication already installed in customers' homes. This article also previously contained an quote from Jamie Debole which was inaccurately written.

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