The additional investments from Oak Hill and KKR will drive growth that further bridges the digital divide by providing hundreds of thousands of additional households access to world class and future proof 100% fiber optic services for living, learning, and connecting to each other. We are thrilled to be supporting MetroNet, alongside Oak Hill, on its mission to deliver much-needed broadband access across the U.S., a market that is well behind its peers in FTTP connectivity.. Metronet says on its website, "the Tech Assure Program fee covers all service calls, technician visits, equipment repair and service or repair of any Metronet-owned equipment." Metronet is on the low end of the scale as it charges a $25 installation fee upon signing up for service. While it's not available to all Metronet customers, here are the cities where you can sign up. Metronet University: Our Safety Training Facility. As of this writing, Metronet Internet is available to over 250 communities in 16 states: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. Some streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube TV, offer programming live as it airs while others provide access to a library of previously aired programs. Oak Hill is an experienced investor in the FTTP space and has been a partner with the MetroNet team since 2014. Chuck is an adjunct professor at Purdue University, where he lectures on damage prevention and safety. "We're very excited to welcome Vexus Fiber and their associates to MetroNet," said John Cinelli, Chief Executive Officer of MetroNet. Call the organization at phone: 18122537000. Who has worked at CINERGY METRONET, INC Former Employees Power US Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study for 2022 (due to its size), we leaned on the Better Business Bureau. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. The additional investments from Oak Hill and KKR will drive growth that further bridges the digital divide by providing hundreds of thousands of additional households access to world class and future proof 100% fiber optic services for living, learning, and connecting to each other. John Cinelli has been working as a Chief Executive Officer at Metronet for 14 years. The customer-focused company provides cutting-edge fiber optic communication services, including high-speed Fiber Internet, full-featured Fiber Phone, and Fiber IPTV with a wide variety of programing. It was also the fastest ISP for the metro area of Lexington, Kentucky. John Cinelli President & CEO MetroNet Years in Media & Broadband: My career in telecom/broadband started in 1990 before the popularity of cell phones, when pay phones were ubiquitous and we used calling cards to check our voicemail while travelling. Company Name: Yokowo Co., Ltd. Ctry: JPN: Market Cap. For more information visitwww.MetroNetinc.com. Click on the video to preview the hands-on training our technicians receive. However, usually, that charge ranges between $50 and $99, depending on the provider. Its reliability and the symmetrical speeds it offers are currently unparalleled in broadband. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website atwww.kkr.comand on Twitter @KKR_Co. "We value our long-standing partnership with Oak. George is also a member of the Common Ground Alliance. Metronet has been committed to rolling out 100% FTTH networks from its beginnings in central Indiana. My personal superpower is: I connect easily with people. Specific terms of the investment were not released. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. " The vision and values of LightSpeed Fiber marry well with our goal of expanding our cutting-edge fiber-optic telecommunication services to more cities while remaining customer-focused," stated. Metronet's headquarters is in Evansville, Indiana, but it provides services in 16 states. "Palm Coast will be the launching pad for MetroNet's future Florida growth and will soon become a Certified Gigabit City," said John Cinelli, MetroNet CEO. That means you don't have to worry about a throttled connection with slower speeds once you hit a certain threshold. It began in 2005 in Greencastle, Indiana, as a family-run business and is led by Metronet CEO John. It's also a touch better than the gig rate of Google Fiber(7 cents), which is a Metronet competitor in the Des Moines market. An avid movie fan, Trey's career also includes being a film and TV critic while pursuing a degree in New York. Officials said thecompany will have a MetroNet storefront located in Fayetteville, where customers canspeak with customer service representatives and sign up for services. The Indiana-based company will spend more than $70 million on the project, which will serve Fayetteville, the towns of Hope Mills, Linden, Wade, Stedman, Godwin, Eastover, Falcon, Spring Lake, Vander, much of unincorporated Cumberland County and portions of Hoke County to include Raeford and Rockfish, officials said. Metronet fairs a bit better when you compare its regular rates to those of its competitors. Years in Media & Broadband: My career in telecom/broadband started in 1990 before the popularity of cell phones, when pay phones were ubiquitous and we used calling cards to check our voicemail while travelling. For instance, CenturyLink's lowest fiber option is 200Mbps, AT&T and Verizon Fios start at 300Mbps, and Frontier's opening salvo is 500Mbps. Power US Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study for 2022, Metronet announced a merger with Vexus Fiber, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Master's degree in Cinema Studies from NYU and interviews with Conan O'Brien, Stan Lee and some of his biggest Star Trek childhood idols. You can't really go wrong with an FTTH connection. Cinelli thanked Colvin, the city of Fayetteville, PWC, the economic development corporate state officials and Sen. Kirk deViere and Rep. John Szoka for their support. The firm first established its global infrastructure strategy in 2008 and has since been one of the most active infrastructure investors around the world, currently managing over $27 billion in infrastructure assets. Metronet earned an average score of 1.32 out of 5 points, which initially didn't seem all that great. MetroNet CEO John Cinelli, pictured above, said the company is looking to aggressively expand its footprint. J.D. He said constructing the network means following the electric lines. LEXINGTON, Ky. Keeneland concluded its 2023 Spring Meet on Friday following 15 days of exceptional racing that generated record all-sources wagering of $224 million and was complemented by a slate of special events aimed at benefiting the Central Kentucky community. Please enable cookies on your browser and try again. 2023 www.news-journalonline.com. Yes. Metronet, the nation's largest independently owned, 100 percent fiber optic provider, will fully fund the . Like many fiber providers, Metronet does not feature data caps on any of its plans. MetroNet and the city of Fayetteville are bringing the service to the region, making it MetroNets first expansion in North Carolina, officials said. This rivals the aggressive referral program we've seen from Nomad Internet. Driving this, as we all know from our personal experience, is that the number of connected devices in our homes continues to grow rapidly. "As Metronet makes its way through construction, and now into the start of installations, Greenville has been a great partner as we integrate into their community to officially provide ultra-high-speed internet to residents and businesses," stated John Cinelli, Metronet CEO. While that's better than the promo costs for some of its cable competitors, like Xfinity (25 cents), it falls short of the average cost for other fiber providers we've reviewed: AT&T (10 cents), Frontier (9 cents) and Google Fiber (6 cents). The one part of Metronet service that is outside the norm among ISPs is what it calls a "Tech Assure Program fee." MetroNet, which started in 2005, has grown to 120 communities across much of the Midwest and southeastern U.S. LEXINGTON, Ky. MiddleGround Capital, an operationally focused private equity firm that makes control investments in North American middle market B2B industrial and specialty distribution companies, today announced that Founder and Managing Partner John Stewart has gifted $10 million to the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky. Through Metronet's . KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. For more information visit www.MetroNetinc.com. References to KKRs investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. Metronet's monthly rate includes a router rental. As part of the transaction, Oak Hill and KKR will each make new investments to help accelerate MetroNets growth in building and connecting fiber-to-the- premise (FTTP) data, television, and telephone services to homes and businesses. Simpson Thacher served as legal counsel to KKR. Not only did MetroNet expand its Michigan market by completing the acquisition of Lansing-based LightSpeed Fiber Communications, but the company completed a massive upgrade that allows customers to have symmetric upload and download speedsall the way up to 200/200Mbps. With maximum upload and download speeds of 100Mbps, Metronet's starting tier is slower than many other providers' opening offerings. Customers do not need to worry about any usage-based charges on top of their monthly rate. Overall, Metronet's regular rates roll up at an average cost per Mbps of 22 cents, which is still in the middle of the pack -- AT&T, CenturyLink, Google Fiber and Verizon Fios retain their impressive costs per Mbps because they don't do promo pricing -- but ends up cheaper in the long run than Spectrum (25 cents) or even Ziply Fiber (26 cents), which had a better promo rate but levels out after a year. MetroNet CEO John Cinelli and Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. MetroNets goal is to help its consumers take advantage of this trend. Media Contact for Oak Hill:Dawn Dover Kekst CNC917-349-5621 dawn.dover@kekstcnc.com. The transaction is expected to close in the 3rd quarter, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. All rights reserved. I think its a much better way to communicate. While Metronet's monthly pricing is fair, it also includes some customer-friendly approaches that not all ISPs embrace, including no term agreements (or the harsh penalty fees that come with them). METRO NET. Our network will go everywhere in the town, on the poles or underground, following the electrical utility., People are moving to cities like Palm Coast because of the quality of life, he said, and the company is also considering other cities in Florida. At the same time, Cinelli's father, Al, was a corporate attorney in Overland Park, Kansas. View the profiles of professionals named "John Cinelli" on LinkedIn. Being able to watch your favorite programs without interruptions is very important. Other Oak Hill broadband investments to enable increased fiber access in the U.S. include Vexus Fiber, a rapidly expanding provider in Texas and surrounding states; Future Fiber Holdings in the Northeast; and Race Communications in California and surrounding states. 2022 was a busy year for the broadband business. The customer- focused company provides cutting-edge fiber optic communication services, including high-speed Fiber Internet, full-featured Fiber Phone, and Fiber IPTV with a wide variety of programing. How does the country narrow the digital divide? visit KKRs website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co. MetroNet has been named in the top 50 small and medium companies on Glassdoor and has been honored with a Glassdoor Employees' Choice Award recognizing MetroNet among the Best Places to Work in 2020. MetroNet is committed to bringing state-of- the-art telecommunication services to communities services that are comparable or superior to those offered in large metropolitan areas. Its plan pricing is quite good, especially considering its coverage map plays in areas where cable and satellite services have previously reigned. This hallmark investment speaks to the bright future ahead for our citizens as we close the digital divide through increased access.. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. TD Securities served as advisor to Oak Hill. Media Contact for KKR: Cara Major . We believe that reliable, high-speed access to the Internet represents a fundamental underpinning of economic growth and equal opportunity for all Americans, from small towns to big cities, said Benjy Diesbach and Scott Baker, partners at Oak Hill. The company is known for its superior customer service provided through a strong local presence. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Polsinelli served as legal counsel to MetroNet. EVANSVILLE, IndMetroNet, broadband provider to Lexington, Nicholasville, Versailles and Midway, Ky., today announced global investment firm KKR will begin offering investment support. KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. It's more reliable than cable, satellite, DSL and 5G fixed wireless, and it's the only one that can claim symmetrical download and upload speeds. The company expects its network to be available to over 1 million residential households and business locations in the near future, bringing competition for these services to hundreds of communities. Oak Hill is an experienced investor in the FTTP space and has been a partner with the MetroNet team since 2014. "We are excited to build upon our seven-year partnership with MetroNet's outstanding management team, led by John Cinelli, as the Company expands its fiber network to many more underserved American communities." KKR will be making the investment in MetroNet through its global infrastructure strategy. It's like a little family. John Cinelli, MetroNet's president and CEO, started his career in the banking industry, first at Bank of Boston in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., and then at Security Pacific National Bank, requiring a relocation to Los Angeles. In new MetroNet markets, residents will receive communication by mail about construction activity in their neighborhood 30 days prior to starting; and the company provides additional messaging, such as yard signs, to let residents know when the temporary construction process will start in their neighborhood, officials said. Forinformation about MetroNet, visitmetronetinc.com. We look forward to maintaining our commitment to excellence in serving our customers and communities.". We are excited to build upon our seven year partnership with MetroNets outstanding management team, led by John Cinelli, as the company expands its fiber network to many more underserved American communities.. Relatively speaking, it did OK there. So were hoping to be offering service by the end of next summer and then have the job completed in two years, he said. About Oak Hill CapitalOak Hill Capital is a private equity firm managing funds with over$16 billionof initial capital commitments and co-investments since inception. Oak Hill Capital applies an industry-focused, theme-based approach to investing in the following sectors: Services, Industrials, Media & Communications, and Consumer. The 200 mbps and 500 mbps plans paired with whole home WiFi for 24 months are priced at $54.95/month or $64.95/month depending on the plan. Oak Hillworks actively in partnership with management to implement strategic and operational initiatives to create franchise value. More:Our View: How to grow our rural economy. That said, the average cost per Mbps for the promo prices of all three plans is approximately 14 cents. Metronet is bringing its fiber-optic network to Ankeny with installation now available to hundreds of homes and businesses. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. The guys I work with are the best. Bank Street Group LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as co-lead financial advisors to MetroNet in connection with this transaction. TD Securities served as advisor to Oak Hill. Metronet University is a state-of-the-art training facility where technicians gain real-world experience in all things related to the installation of Metronets 100% fiber-optics. Kentuckys Only Statewide Business Magazine, MetroNet getting new investment from Oak Hill Capital and KKR, Record wagering, community events highlight Keeneland Spring Meet, MiddleGround Capital founder Stewart gifts $10M to UKs Gatton College, Design phase approved for outpatient UK HealthCare building at Hamburg property, Stites & Harbison expands footprint, opens first Ohio office, American Airlines beginning daily service from CVG to Boston in November, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and American Forests are extending their partnership, Bardstown Bourbon Co. kicks-off summer patio evenings, Buffalo Trace Distillery announces peated bourbon. Trey Paul is a CNET senior editor covering broadband. What sort of broadband will the average U.S. household need in five years? Oak Hill Capital is a private equity firm managing funds with over $16 billion of initial capital commitments and co-investments since inception. Education: BA, Tufts University My personal superpower is: I connect easily with people. Well send you the fastest internet options, so you dont have to find them. Whats the future of direct-to-consumer streaming look like? (MetroNet) Privately held fiber provider MetroNet appointed Shenandoah. Beyond television and telephone services to residents and businesses, the companys ultrafast internet will also support teleworking, distance learningand virtual medicine, Colvin said, thanking the Fayetteville Public Works Commission for their collaboration to accommodate the project. Id like to see Palm Coast really be on the forefront of trying to attract digital workers to come live, work and play in Palm Coast.. Funds managed by KKR will join long-time partner Oak Hill Capital and company management as investors in MetroNet. "The additional investments from Oak Hill and KKR will drive growth that further bridges the digital divide by providing hundreds of thousands of additional households access to world class and future proof 100% fiber optic services for living, learning, and connecting to each other.