South Slope to build fiber network in Oxford

North Liberty-based South Slope Cooperative Communications will begin construction on a fiber network in Oxford in August, the company said Friday.

The network will be built within Oxford’s city limits before expanding into the surrounding area.

South Slope will use a federal grant and loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Reconnect Program worth $5.4 million to build the network.

Half the funding is a grant, and the rest is a low-interest loan.

The company said the upgraded internet network, which will replace copper cables with fiber-optic lines that carry information via light, will be designed to handle “skyrocketing broadband usage” because of remote work, streaming services and other causes.

“At South Slope, we are committed to continually extending our network to help close the gap between those with connectivity and those without,” said Chuck Deisbeck, South Slope’s CEO, in a news release.

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