Work has begun on a $2.5 to $2.8 million project to bring fiber optic internet service to Lake Arthur.

In addressing the Lake Arthur Town Council on Wednesday, Johnny Onellion, of Faster Cajun Network, updated the company’s plans to upgrade to fiber optic service as part of a two- to three-year plan to improve internet speed and reliability for homes and businesses.

“A lot of you around town have noticed there is orange conduit popping up out of the ground on both sides of the roads,” Oneillion said. “We have started the very beginning of a two to three year project in this area to bring fiber optic to the homes.”

The majority of the company’s current customer base is wireless off of towers, Onellion said.

As part of the upgrades, customers who go from fixed wireless to fiber optic will see faster and more reliable internet service. Those who remain with the current fixed wireless service will also see better internet speeds because of less congestion on the towers, he said.

“We are self-funding this project to bring the next age of internet to everybody,” Onellion said.

Thirty-seven miles of underground fiber optic and conduit will be installed in Lake Arthur with the majority running in the town’s easements in backyards and alleyways, he said. Some pole attachments may be used for main street businesses.

After the meeting, Onellion the project has the potential to serve every home in Lake Arthur. He hopes to have the first batch of fiber customers on-line by the end-of-the-year.

“Once I get the materials flowing in and we get more efficient at this, the project will start speeding up and going a lot quicker,” he said.

Onellion said more and more people are using bandwidth today as more electronic devices are being used in everyday life for homes and businesses.

“This project will allow for a better stream of internet that can be utilized by the children for school, home businesses and more,” he said. “If you are not connected to the internet you have a hard time doing anything. The internet has become a fundamental utility that’s on par with electricity and water today.”

Mayor Poncho Lejeune said fiber optic internet will be beneficial for residents and businesses.

“I think this a  great thing because I don’t think many towns can brag that they have fiber optics in their town,” Lejeune said.

“It’s going to be super fast so kids will have better internet service for schools and faster internet helps businesses,” Lejeune continued. “It’s supposed to be a whole lot more reliable than the weather because the weather affects the wireless.”

Faster Cajun Network has been operating in Lake Arthur since 2019.