Lumen Technologies representatives briefed the Fort Myers Beach Town Council on Thursday, June 5, about the company’s quantum fiber service and local rollout.

The presentation matters because the town’s broadband infrastructure affects household connectivity, business service options and storm resilience for critical communications during hurricanes and other emergencies.

David Zechman, director of government affairs for Florida at Lumen Technologies, told the council that Lumen finished burying fiber on Fort Myers Beach in May 2024 and now “provide[s] fiber to just under 3,000 homes in the community.” He said Lumen invested “approximately $330,000,000 in the state of Florida” in calendar year 2024 and described the product as an ultra‑fast fiber offering with symmetrical speeds and “an all digital customer experience.”

Zeichman said Quantum Fiber plans start at $50 per month with speeds beginning at 500 megabits per second and reaching as high as 8 gigabits per second, and that the company advertises “unlimited data” and no annual contract. Jason, the area manager on the presentation team, told the council the company “carry[ies] that cost” for the typical home drop and said “the $1,500 is allotted to our customers home. That includes boring, trenching to get the drop to what we refer to as a slack box on the side of the house. The home installation is included.”

Lumen staff described the customer equipment chain: fiber to an optical network terminal (ONT) inside the home, then a Wi‑Fi router (the company said it is shipping Wi‑Fi 7 routers). The company also explained that some in‑home wiring (Cat 5/Cat 6) can limit top advertised speeds and that the 8‑gigabit plans require a full fiber path into the dwelling.

On storm resilience, Zechman said Lumen has moved much of its beach‑area infrastructure underground and deploys pre‑positioned restoration crews and generators during hurricane season. He told the council Lumen worked with FEMA and Florida’s Department of Emergency Management after recent storms and, for Fort Myers Beach specifically, has been operating from an emergency trailer that houses core equipment while the company evaluates the fate of a damaged central office building.

Council members asked about business services and static IPs. Zechman said static IPs for businesses are “being worked on with Quantum Fiber right now” and that the company can provision static addresses for business customers though the offering is not yet widely published. Jason said he had supplied services to businesses with static IPs in other communities and that pricing for business circuits would require follow‑up from Lumen’s sales team.

No council action or vote followed the presentation; the item was a staff/partner briefing and a question‑and‑answer period. Council members asked Lumen to leave contact information for follow‑up and to provide staff with any materials the company wished to have posted or shared with residents.

Methodology and sourcing: article is based on direct statements in the June 5 Fort Myers Beach Town Council meeting transcript and on company figures presented there.