IQ Fiber outlines phased fiber‑to‑home plan for Dewey Beach; installation billed as free to homeowners

IQ Fiber representatives told the Dewey Beach Town Council on Sept. 19 that the company will build a phased fiber‑to‑the‑home network in town, using one active hub and several passive cabinets and both underground and aerial placement in utility easements.

"We are going to implement ourselves in the existing infrastructure," said Jamo Jackman, IQ Fiber's OSP engineering manager for the Dover region, describing a design that limits digging to one primary trench and installs access chambers so crews do not have to reopen streets for future access. Mark Wagner, vice president for new markets, said the company will use door‑hangers, daily construction coordinators and reinstatement teams to minimize disruption and repair any sprinkler or sod damage.

The company said homeowner installation costs are $0. "The cost of installation is $0.00," Jackman said, and described residential packages that include symmetrical upload and download speeds, with a 250‑megabit plan at $65 per month and a 5‑gig option for $1,25 (company literature cited 5,000 megabits per second).

Panelists said the build will occur in phases from a single hub and that IQ Fiber has coordinated required permits and utility locates. Jackman and Wagner emphasized 24/7 network monitoring and a proactive communications approach for outages or planned maintenance.

Council members and the town manager asked about installation methods and coordination with county utilities; Jackman said crews use hand trenches and directional boring as needed and that the work will take place in state right‑of‑way and easements rather than on private property. He also said the company has been approved by state permitting processes and is the first firm awarded a Delaware permitting accelerator for priority projects.

IQ Fiber left contact materials for residents and said representatives would remain after the meeting to field questions.