Pete Pizzutillo, VETRO’s Head of International Sales and Partners and host of The Broadband Bunch sat down with Jonathan Restivo and Jacob Simon of Cityside Fiber to discuss their journey to bring fiber-optic internet to Orange County, California.
Cityside Fiber is a new player in the game, but they have a big vision: to provide residents with the fastest, most reliable internet available, while also keeping it affordable.
Fiber Broadband Network: From Concept to Reality
The idea for Cityside Fiber was born out of a shared frustration with the lack of quality internet options in Orange County. Restivo and his co-founder, Rod Hanson, saw a market ripe for disruption, and they knew that fiber was the key.
“We started working on a business model for more of a wholesale development or wholesale setup for fiber to the prem,” Restivo explains. “This would allow us to bring fiber deeper into the communities and allow for multiple use cases that could come over the top of that once that fiber was established.”
However, as they worked through their plans, they realized that there was an even greater opportunity: to become a direct-to-consumer ISP.
“We shifted the business model from that wholesale to be a direct-to-consumer and be able to not only serve as the developer and operator, but as the ISP,” Restivo says. “And that’s something that we’ve taken some time to get to that place and now we’re super excited to now be able to launch.”
Building Better Broadband Networks
One of the biggest challenges for Cityside Fiber has been designing a network that is both affordable and scalable. Simon, who is the company’s CTO, explains that they have had to be creative in their approach.
“We know we have to have service out there, we know we have to be able to provide that service to each one of the customers that are in the area,” Simon says. “But doing that at a low cost to us and still leaving a lot of fiber available for those over the top services was really important.”
Cityside Fiber has also focused on providing a great customer experience. They offer tiered service plans to meet the needs of all budgets, and they are committed to providing friendly and responsive customer support.
The Road Ahead
Cityside Fiber is still in its early stages, but they have already made significant progress. They have built out a network in several parts of Orange County, and they are adding new customers every day.
The company is also looking to the future. They are exploring ways to use their network to support other services, such as smart cities and connected homes.
“We’re just trying to enhance that experience that so many folks have had a hard time or challenges with the existing incumbents,” Restivo says. “We just want to change that experience, make it a better experience across the board.”
Cityside Fiber is a shining example of what is possible when it comes to fiber-optic internet. They are a company that is committed to providing its customers with the best possible experience, and they are paving the way for a brighter future for broadband in Orange County and beyond.
You can listen to the full interview HERE.
