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SilverStar reports fiber build progress in Rexburg, eyes spring construction to finish initial commitment
Summary
SilverStar (Lightbridge) told the council it has laid more than 208,000 feet of mainline and will resume construction in spring 2025 to complete the company’s committed build areas; staff and company representatives discussed take rates, subscription levels and a target construction window.
SilverStar (the Lightbridge brand) updated the Rexburg City Council on 2024 build progress and its work plan for the 2025 construction season, reporting dozens of completed neighborhoods and continued customer activation as the company completes the network the city and developer partners planned.
Jason Jenkins, SilverStar vice president for open access, told the council the company has more than 208,000 feet of mainline in the ground and more than 2,200 passings (serviceable locations) within the area the company has been building. He said roughly 520 homes were receiving active service at the start of the year and nearly 1,400 households had signed up or expressed interest; SilverStar’s average take rate across developments so far is about 40 percent, with a high of 63 percent in some subdivisions.
"We're targeting to start construction again in the city of Rexburg by May 1, if weather permits," Jenkins said, adding that staff and SilverStar were coordinating final engineering and right‑of‑way needs. He noted that SilverStar expects to complete the residential build areas it originally committed to and will also work with developers on infrastructure in newly developing subdivisions as those developers open trenches.
SilverStar representatives emphasized subscription patterns: one‑gig symmetrical packages are the most common selection, roughly 72 percent of active customers receive speeds beyond what legacy providers can deliver on non‑fiber infrastructure, and a growing share request multi‑gig tiers. The company said it will continue engagement campaigns in completed areas (neighbor‑to‑neighbor recruitment) and will phase construction across labeled build areas east of the railroad and other subdivisions.
City staff and SilverStar said timing depends on spring thaw and final engineering; the company noted some geotechnical and rock challenges on hill sections that require additional work with city engineers. SilverStar brought a small support team and asked the council to expect weekly or monthly operational updates during the spring build.
Ending: SilverStar’s briefing reassured the council that the company intends to finish its committed residential build areas this construction season, subject to weather and final engineering; residents can expect additional outreach and construction notices as the April/May work window approaches.
