M Street Fiber network buildout

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.

What: M Street Fiber, a public-private open-access fiber network built under a contract with the city, updated the council on its buildout.
Where it stands: council members were openly frustrated that early build areas already have service and that there is no timeline for the neighborhoods that most lack connectivity; the company says it is not changing the original plan, only building faster.
Next: the company was asked to send its timeline, quality findings and plan for least-connected areas, and to return in about two months.

Shimos joined as CEO in June; Kesler is the new general manager and president for Memphis. The company is backed by sponsor Meridiam (captioned 'Meridium') and describes an open-access network that lets multiple internet providers compete.
Over 28,000 passings built this quarter, scheduled to reach 175,000 by the end of 2027; the first half of 2026 saw under 10,000. All 'fiber huts' (backbone sites) are connected; the ring was completed last month.
Connecting 901 / Smart Memphis city network launches: Orange Mound a few weeks ago, Hollywood Community Center in early December.

Construction was slowed at the end of Q2 to retest the network because of concerns about quality at the pace of building; everything built in the last two years is being re-certified by year end.
Contractor 'Congruix CNS' (as captioned) builds the network; Nokia has been the project management and quality control partner from the start; every new installation is re-certified before service is activated.

Maps show heavy work in District 4 and the popular corridor of District 5 but little in Districts 3, 6 and parts of 2 (Hickory Hill), White Haven and Westwood.
The original plan was a five to six year construction window (design in 2023, building from 2024); the project is in construction year four.
The company said about 50% of completed work is in low-income areas and that it cannot create 'islands' because the network spreads from a central point. The executives did not have the figures or the original build-order rationale with them.
Swearengen-Washington raised wires hanging low and interfering with MLGW lines; the company said it works hand in hand with MLGW.

Send the buildout timeline and the re-certification assessment ahead of the next visit.
Provide a plan for the areas with the least connectivity.
Return in about two months (the chair) or six months (a member's suggestion).

About 27 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - City Council Committees	27

2026-10-20 - City Council Committees — New leadership updated the council; members objected to the build order and the lack of a timeline for underserved areas.