About

Independents Fiber Network is a wholly owned subsidiary of CNI that was established in 2003 to better serve the voice, video and data services of its customers. We are an Ohio-based internet service provider that brings high-performance, high-capacity, Ethernet-over-fiber solutions to your doorstep. By operating a fiber-optic backhaul network dedicated to serving rural and underserved communities in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, we’re able to deliver connectivity you can count on for mission-critical operations, ensuring business continuity and access when you need them most.

Our Network

We built the GigE Plus Fiber Optic Network to provide Ethernet connectivity that powers next-generation voice, video and data services to our interconnected 35+ broadband service providers.

The GigE Plus Fiber Optic Network brings more than 2,000 route miles of Gigabit Ethernet Plus Availability Coalition (GigEPAC) under the common management of Independents Fiber Network. It delivers Ethernet transport services throughout 31 counties in Ohio and is the established backhaul network for facilitating the delivery of new and improved broadband services to rural and underserved communities.

Our Values

Customer Experience

Our customers, both internal and external, come first. We believe in respect and show it by listening to customers’ requests and understanding their expectations. We then strive to exceed these expectations by providing affordable, quality services – on time. We are committed to doing everything within our power to ensure our interactions result in a positive customer experience.

Integrity

We have a reputation for honesty, having strong moral principles and uprightness, and we value these qualities in all that we do. Honesty, truthfulness and accuracy are spoken about by companies a lot these days, but are often hard to find when they’re tested. We’re known for standing by these principles when they’re needed the most, and that’s something we’re proud of.

Quality

We take responsibility for quality. Our products and services are “best-in-class” in terms of value received for the dollar paid. We deliver excellence, strive for continuous improvement and respond vigorously to change. Each of us is responsible for the quality of everything we do.

Adaptability

We are a nimble, flexible and dynamic organization, able and willing to adapt to the evolving needs of members and the shifting landscape of technology.

Cooperation & Collaboration

We recognize the benefits that our member institutions, staff and distinct user groups experience when we share our resources, expertise, time and energy.

Education-Best Practices

We value the robust exchange of information and ideas, both among and between our own constituents and with those outside of the consortium with whom we conduct business.

Leadership

There are always risks associated with being the very first to adopt new technologies or services. That’s why we strive to be a “fast follower”—quickly adopting new practices once they’ve proven they’re the best option for providing communication services to rural America.

Our Five Key Behaviours

1. Live the Company Values

We want everyone who comes in contact with us to know we do things the right way. We don’t take shortcuts.

2. Focus on Operating Excellence.

We focus on program performance to deliver on the full operating and financial potential of our company.

3. Act With Speed.

Our “innovative, small-company” behavior allows us to act quickly and remain a leader in the fiber network industry.

4. Communicate Openly

We want good news to travel fast and bad news to travel even faster up the line. We are mindful of the importance of honestly communicating problems, as well as breakthroughs. We understand the sooner we communicate a problem, the easier it is for us to marshal our company’s resources to solve it.

5. Collaborate Across the Company

Our power comes from the talented people who make up our company. By cooperating and sharing our knowledge with each other seamlessly across organizations, we make our company even stronger.