May 4, 2026, Aurora, Neb. — Hamilton Telecommunications, a leading provider of fiber-optic broadband in Nebraska, is pleased to announce plans for a 100% fiber network serving the City of St. Paul, Nebraska, and two adjacent rural areas. When the multi-year project is finished, approximately 152 miles of new buried fiber will deliver ultra-reliable high-speed Internet service to every home and business in the project area.
Hamilton anticipates construction will begin in May 2026. Construction will initially focus on building the mainline fiber around St. Paul and to the two adjacent rural areas. Once completed, crews will begin construction in St. Paul neighborhoods and rural homes or businesses beginning in late 2026. Fiber connectivity to St. Paul will enable the fastest, most reliable Gigabit-speed broadband, managed Wi-Fi, Cobalt TV, managed IT, cybersecurity and phone services for residents and businesses, supporting the community’s growing connectivity needs.
Hamilton was awarded two projects in portions of rural Howard County through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, a federal initiative to fund broadband capital expenditures to unserved and underserved areas. Through this grant funding, Hamilton will deploy fiber to 328 locations in rural Howard County. The nearly $5.2 million in grants received cover 75% of the total cost to the rural areas and Hamilton will be matching the remaining 25% of the cost, approximately $1.73 million. In addition to the grant match requirements for the rural areas under the BEAD grant, Hamilton will independently invest in constructing a multi-million dollar fiber network throughout the City of St. Paul.
“This project is critical to helping our community grow and thrive in the years ahead,” said Mike Feeken, Mayor of St. Paul. “I am grateful to our community leaders for recognizing this need and thank Hamilton leadership for their vision and willingness to invest in our community. This collaboration marks an important step toward improving our infrastructure, driving economic development and raising the quality of life for everyone in St. Paul. Together, we’ll open the door to significant new opportunities for residents, businesses and the city of St. Paul.”
“We are very pleased to continue to expand our fiber network to St. Paul,” said Dan Molliconi, Chief Operating Officer for Hamilton. “The support and leadership from the community of St. Paul have been excellent and we are happy to be part of a joint effort to make sure St. Paul remains a great place to live and work —supported by fiber Internet connectivity that is second to none,” added Molliconi.
Hamilton fiber deployment will occur in a multi-phased approach with the first phase beginning in the spring in rural areas of Howard County. Built using fiber-optic technology that is inherently scalable, the network is designed to support increasing bandwidth demands, emerging technologies, and future community growth for decades to come. This investment represents a strategic, long-term commitment to delivering reliable, high-speed connectivity that can evolve as the needs of residents and businesses in St. Paul continue to grow.
An early adopter of fiber optic technology, Hamilton began burying fiber in 1982. Over the course of the next forty-four years, Hamilton continued to invest in its fiber infrastructure, expanding its network closer to the homes of customers in its local exchange service territory as well as closer to the community of St. Paul. Today, Hamilton provides fiber Internet services to more than thirty-one communities in Central Nebraska.
St. Paul residents or businesses interested in fiber internet or wanting to learn more about fiber or the timeline for construction to their neighborhood can submit their interest online at Hamilton.net/StPaul-Fiber/.
About Hamilton
Hamilton Telecommunications is a diversified telecommunications and technology services provider based in Aurora, Neb. Founded in 1901, Hamilton Telecommunications encompasses seven primary company divisions that allow Hamilton to operate on a local, regional and national basis.
