SAIPAN — IT&E has begun work on its federally funded BEAD fiber project in the CNMI and is ordering 100 miles of fiber as it prepares to hire crews for construction, CEO David Gibson said in a Good Morning Marianas interview.
Gibson said the past month marked the start of the buildout, with the company ordering fiber and handholds and getting ready to hire workers. He said residents will see significantly more activity over the next 30 to 60 days. The company will hire local workers or local contractors and is not bringing crews in from off-island, he said.
The buried fiber will be installed neighborhood by neighborhood, with build schedules posted as work begins, Gibson said. He said the connection will be free to residents, who can sign up for service or simply have fiber run to their home for later use at no cost. Over four years, every building in the Marianas will have buried fiber connectivity, he said, comparing the rollout to a utility like water or power.
On storm recovery, Gibson said IT&E is still working to fully restore Tinian, where the airport and central office sustained significant damage and are being rebuilt. He said the island is back on commercial power and that the company’s tower in San Jose remained standing and came back online early, helped by CUC clearing a large tree that had blocked generator fuel access. He said IT&E lost nearly all of its solar panels in the storm and is rebuilding that capacity.
Gibson also pointed to the company’s Loop program, which he said offers 50 cents off per gallon of gas along with free roaming and a free added service for customers reaching a $150 monthly threshold. He encouraged DSL customers to move to fiber or fixed wireless, which he said is faster and less expensive than DSL.