Midco finishes $5 million fiber extension in North Dakota

Construction is complete on a 106-mile, $5 million Midco fiber network that connects Williston, Bismarck and Minot in North Dakota. The extension also provides a redundancy measure that would reroute network traffic in the event of a fiber cut, according to Midco.

“It’s vital that we provide reliable services to communities, homes and businesses (in) western North Dakota to help them thrive and grow,” says Justin Forde, director of public affairs for Midco, in a statement. “After experiencing fiber cuts caused by third parties in recent years, Midco wanted to make the investment to ensure the region has the communications services it needs.”

Extra care was taken while burying the new fiber line to ensure the care and protection of the surrounding environment, according to Midco. The company used state-of-the-art digging equipment to reduce environmental impact, especially in the North Dakota Badlands region where part of the line runs. “We used a unique piece of equipment — a static plow that’s one of two in the United States,” says Erin Hayes, Midco’s director of corporate construction. “Midco wanted to limit how we impacted the landscape, ensuring a timely recovery for the areas where the fiber was placed.”

Midco’s core Northern Plains Network stretches 8,400 miles across North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.

“North Dakotans have long been connected by strong community bonds,” says Julie Fedorchak, chairwoman of the North Dakota Public Service Commission, in a statement. “Today, these bonds are increasingly dependent on fiber networks that connect us not only to each other but to the global marketplace. This new investment by Midco is a real asset to western North Dakota and as vital to that region as the roads, pipelines and other infrastructure being built there.” PB