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INDIANAPOLIS–Nearly two dozen internet service providers are teaming up to create a network that is supposed to boost capacity, internet access, and reliability. It is called Hoosier Net LLC.

Rob Shema, chief executive officer of Hoosier Net LLC, tells Inside Indiana Business that Hoosier Net will serve as a “middle-mile network” to connect those service providers to the Internet.

“There’s going to be at least $100 million coming to the state of Indiana to build out rural areas with internet to serve customers that haven’t been served before,” said Shema.

Shema says success for Hoosier Net begins and ends with consumers being happy with their Internet provider.

“They want to be able to control that connection and make sure it is a strong one and a good one. They want to make sure we’re investing in equipment and new technologies and things like that,” said Shema.

Shema believes Hoosier Net could serve about 90% of the state when fully operational. Shema also wants it to get to a point of self-sufficiency where the member companies don’t have to keep investing their own dollars to keep the network going.

The founding companies involved with Hoosier Net include Central Indiana Communications, Citizens Telephone Corp., Craigville Telephone Co., RTC Communications, Geetingsville Telephone Co., Independents Fiber Network, Monon Cooperative Telephone Co., Mulberry Cooperative Telephone Co., New Lisbon Broadband and Communications, NP Tech, Perry Spencer Rural Telephone Cooperative, LightStream, Rochester Telephone Co., SEI Communications, Fiberhawk, NITCO and The Sweetser Rural Telephone Co.