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A TDS Fiber worker begins construction on the new telecom network which will cover Chippewa Falls, Altoona and Eau Claire.

Construction on the TDS Fiber network began on June 13 in Chippewa Falls. A celebration kick-off event took place at Leinie Lodge on Wednesday.

Coming to a street near you — construction. And lots of it. But it’s all for a long-term project that should future-proof the area in terms of telecommunications services, which means telework, telehealth and online learning will only get easier. But first, construction.

TDS Fiber networks are now being built across Chippewa Falls; Altoona and Eau Claire will also see TDS Fiber construction in months to come. The addition of TDS Fiber services to the region will help diversify the local telecommunications market, and having another regional telecommunications provider in Chippewa Falls should help keep services and costs to consumers competitive.

“It’s an extensive process, but when it’s complete it really does change the entire marketplace,” said Drew Petersen, senior vice president of corporate affairs at TDS. “We’ve been growing the company in the last five years by building fiber optic networks in communities that we determine to be hungry for competition and a little bit underserved by their existing providers.”

TDS Fiber broke ground in Chippewa Falls on June 13. As they construct throughout town, they will build down every street and in every subdivision to make sure everyone has access to the services needed, Petersen said.

”It’s a bit disruptive,” Petersen said. “We’re not perfect. So we work with communities to really build a partnership with elected officials, public works departments, businesses and homeowners associations so everybody has clarity as to what’s going on in town.”

Petersen said when TDS Fiber comes to a subdivision or neighborhood to begin construction, it makes sure to over-communicate with residents about what’s going to be happening to what sector of the area and when. 

“We knock on doors, put out flyers and put up sandwich boards,” he said. “You should know we’re coming and why.“

TDS Fiber is a Madison-based broadband internet, cable TV and phone company. TDS also happens to be the former employer of the next Leinenkugel Brewing Company president, Tony Bugher, who is nephew to current president Dick Leinenkugel.

Building the fiber network involves many moving parts and requires TDS to invest approximately $50 million into Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire and Altoona.

When TDS is ready to implement its services locally, it will deliver full fiber optic broadband, sophisticated video products and digital voice throughout the entire municipal limits, Petersen said.

TDS Fiber offers the fastest speeds available in the United States, Petersen said. The company offers 2Gig speeds — download and upload speeds. Upload speeds often get forgotten but are important for quality video calls, TDS officials say.

“It’s a huge game-changer for communities from the standpoint of economic development, the ability to do e-commerce, telecommute, work from home,” he said. “As we’ve seen through the pandemic, fiber optic, reliable broadband is absolutely essential and when we come into a community and complete that build it really makes it a smart city and really future-proofs it.”

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A TDS Fiber worker begins construction on the new telecom network which will cover Chippewa Falls, Altoona and Eau Claire.

Construction on the TDS Fiber network began on June 13 in Chippewa Falls. A celebration kick-off event took place at Leinie Lodge on Wednesday.

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