Sterling Ranch, Lumen Make Fiber Broadband Part of 21st Century Living

Sterling Ranch, a master-planned community in Douglas County (CO), has made fiber-based broadband the centerpiece amenity of its community. It is achieving its broadband goals through a partnership with Lumen Technologies and Lumiere Fiber, a network integrator. By expanding its relationship with Lumen, Sterling Ranch, the first all-gigabit community in Colorado, will offer its residents 8 Gbps symmetrical fiber-based internet services. The network delivers fiber to every home. Walker Hinshaw, COO of Lumiere Fiber, says Sterling Ranch is focused on accommodating residents’ desire for a work/life balance. When Sterling Ranch began its search for a broadband provider, it looked at how other master-planned communities built their network infrastructure. In 2014, the company talked to a developer of the master-planned community Lake Nona, outside Orlando, which advised Sterling Ranch on best practices. Sterling Ranch sees fiber-based internet as a critical amenity it can use to bring in more buyers. The network is designed to be backward- and forward-compatible to accommodate various fiber broadband generations.