“Congratulations to the City of Salem and Wabash Communications on being named a Gig and Smart Rural Community during a ceremony at Bryan Memorial Park on Wednesday, Sept. 10,” said Rep. Blaine Wilhour. “I look forward to new businesses like 618 Plastics building new facilities to help expand jobs at companies like North American Lighting (NAL) that currently has to send about half of their potential contract work out of the area. We need to keep that work here for economic opportunities for our families in Marion County.”
Mayor Nic Farley was master of ceremonies and noted how the fiber optic cable service will help the city move forward.
“High-capacity fiber isn’t just about speed, it’s about economic resilience,” Farley said. “It’s the backbone that allows small businesses to thrive, entrepreneurs to launch new ventures, and existing companies to expand without being limited by outdated infrastructure. It’s this infrastructure that attracts new industries and remote workers, who now have the freedom to choose quality of life without sacrificing connectivity.”
Business, school, and state officials all spoke to how having the gig internet service has helped them. Salem Grade School Superintendent Dr. Leslie Foppe and Salem High School Superintendent Dr. Brad Detering noted how it has helped to implement one to one computer usage in the schools as well as special programs. Don Hall of 618 Plastics that is about to open their Salem Plant in Salem and Josh Dice of Security Alarm explained how the strong internet base is helping them to utilize the latest technology.
A State Department of Commerce and Community Affairs official Hillary Rains congratulated the city on the designation and what it can mean for economic development.
The General Manager of Wabash Communications, Barry Adair, says the growth and improvements are not over yet.
“It’s been a great journey since we got into Salem eight years ago. We finally got where we want to be with our network,” Adair said. “We have a 100-gig capable network. We’re looking to grow to 400 here within the next several years. Bandwidth needs keep growing all the time within our communities, our businesses and our schools. Right now, we’ve got approximately 2200 customers in the Salem area, all with fiber to the home, all gig-capable.”
Adair says they continue to build out their system to serve more rural areas. Those areas will also be all gig capable as well.
