GLENDALE, Wis. and CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Midwest Fiber Networks (MWFN) and Midwest FiberPath, LLC, together with Hawkeye Land Co., announced a partnership to develop roughly 1,200 miles of strategic fiber corridors across the Midwest. The agreement will enable the commercialization of high‑capacity connectivity services along Hawkeye’s right‑of‑way, providing carriers, hyperscalers, data centers, enterprises, utilities and public‑sector organizations with conduit, dark fiber and scalable lit services.
Regional Impact and Benefits
The new corridor is designed to create a long‑term infrastructure platform that offers additional network capacity, broader geographic reach and greater route diversity for customers in major markets such as Chicago, Omaha, Minneapolis and Kansas City. By expanding options for high‑capacity connectivity, the project aims to support the growing demand for resilient broadband that underpins businesses, schools, healthcare facilities and government operations throughout the region.
Company Statements
“This agreement represents an important step in our continued growth across the Midwest,” said Nik Ivancevic, Managing Partner of MWFN. “Working with FiberPath and Hawkeye in Hawkeye’s corridor will allow us to expand connectivity options for carriers, businesses and other network customers seeking scalable capacity and greater route diversity.”
Ken Anderson, Managing Director of FiberPath, added, “Midwest FiberPath was created to develop scalable long‑haul infrastructure across strategic corridors throughout middle America. Our relationship with MWFN brings together regional market knowledge, operational experience and infrastructure expertise to bring these routes to customers seeking flexible, high‑capacity connectivity solutions.”
Rick Stickle, CEO of Hawkeye and Managing Director of FiberPath, noted, “With this partnership, we believe we have found the highest and best use of Hawkeye Land Co.’s property rights.”
Timeline and Next Steps
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2027. The project is already in advanced stages of engineering and material procurement, with shipments scheduled before the end of 2026. All three companies are aligned to establish the corridor as a foundation for long‑term network expansion, helping to meet the region’s increasing demand for reliable, high‑capacity broadband.
About the Partners
Midwest Fiber Networks designs and delivers secure, high‑speed fiber connectivity across the Midwest, focusing on reliability, redundancy and customer satisfaction for businesses, educational institutions, healthcare systems and government entities.
Midwest FiberPath is a digital infrastructure company dedicated to building scalable long‑haul fiber corridor platforms in high‑growth Midwest markets, offering managed right‑of‑way systems for dense fiber deployments and route diversity.
Hawkeye Land Co., based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, owns exclusive, perpetual easement rights along former Rock Island Railroad corridors in 106 Midwest counties across four key states, and has been granting easements to utilities and municipalities for over 40 years.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
