IdeaTek is bringing gigabit fiber internet to Newton

NEWTON, Kansas – Internet Freedom is coming to Newton.

IdeaTek is expanding its popular ultra-fast fiber internet to Newton residents and businesses. This expansion will give thousands of households and businesses access to gigabit speeds at affordable prices. 

IdeaTek has long been dedicated to bridging the digital divide in rural areas by bringing fiber internet access to underserved rural communities. However, internet access challenges extend beyond rural areas, said Daniel Friesen, IdeaTek’s co-founder and chief innovation officer. 

“At IdeaTek, we believe every community and every Kansan deserves access to high-speed fiber internet, and we’re excited to be making it a reality in Newton,” Friesen said. “With fiber, we are providing a new foundation for innovation, creativity and progress in the age of the digital economy.”

IdeaTek has currently built fiber infrastructure in the nearby Harvey County communities of Hesston and Halstead and has also built fiber to many of Newton’s business districts, serving Newton city buildings and local businesses with internet and phone since 2021. Last year, IdeaTek began discussions with Harvey County commissioners on creative ideas to connect remote and rural residents along with critical infrastructure through state broadband grants. IdeaTek continues its efforts to find innovative and economical ways to utilize state broadband grants to connect Harvey County residents and businesses. 

IdeaTek’s latest investment in Newton is set to inject approximately $12 million into the local economy, connecting 9,000 homes and businesses to fiber internet. Construction is expected to start in the coming weeks.

Friesen said that investment in fiber is a scalable solution for Kansas’ future growth. Fiber offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, scalable capacities to meet the bandwidth demands for several decades, plus greater reliability and better pricing compared to the city’s current service providers. 

“We build to the standards of the future, not today,” he said. “Fiber internet is the gold standard for internet connectivity, and we want to bring this technology to as many communities as possible.”

Residents will have access to unlimited and uncapped speeds of up to 2.5 gigabits per second with IdeaTek’s rollout. IdeaTek also does not require contracts. 

“We are extremely excited that IdeaTek has made the decision to invest in Newton and look forward to having this award-winning provider as an option for our residential and industrial users,” said Beth Shelton, Executive Director of the Harvey County Economic Development Council. “They are not only a great provider but also an involved community partner with a mission to give back to the communities they are in. IdeaTek has successfully worked with other communities in Harvey County this past year and their expansion into Newton is another win for our region.”

“On behalf of the city of Newton, we are very excited to have another choice for access to fiber for our residents,” said Newton Mayor Leroy Koehn. “IdeaTek is a high-quality company and will be a great fit for our community. Thank you for choosing Newton!” 

Based in Buhler, IdeaTek was founded in 1999 by Friesen and four high school friends. Today, the company employs over 140 Kansans and is continuing to grow. IdeaTek has deployed more than 4,500 miles of fiber and built 150 fixed wireless towers, serving customers in nearly 90 Kansas communities. 

To see if your home is in IdeaTek’s residential build, visit hookmeup.ideatek.com.

About IdeaTek Telcom
IdeaTek Telcom, LLC, is a Buhler, Kansas-based broadband service provider with the mission of “fighting for Internet Freedom.” IdeaTek uses a unique and innovative approach to deploy scalable, long-term fiber optic infrastructures, bridging the broadband gap in rural communities. The company has already successfully built over 4,000 miles of fiber throughout Kansas. IdeaTek has long been at the forefront on broadband equity issues and is committed to enriching the communities in which they operate. They were recently named to Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing companies for the ninth time.