The fiber network gives companies the option of choosing from over 180 different service providers that extend across the United States.

Lake County’s network will be an open-access system, allowing Mediacom to reach additional consumers outside of the cities of Silver Bay and Two Harbors without the risk and expense of expanding its cable system.

“The availability of high-speed broadband is one of the top considerations of companies looking for new sites,” said Matt Kisber, Tennessee’s commissioner of economic and community development.

If the fiber not needed for traffic control were put up for lease to entrepreneurs interested in offering high-speed broadband connections, it could spur a free-for-all.

While many expect Opelika voters to give the city the nod when they head to the polls on Aug. 10 for a referendum that would create a city-owned telecommunications company, that feeling isn’t unanimous.

“The national broadband network is about building a modern economy. Without it, Australian businesses won’t be able to compete with those in Japan, Korea or Singapore,” Ms. Gillard said Friday.

Private and commercial users will have access to four fibres at each FTTH outlet, with one of these fibres reserved for Swisscom services. Overall, they have a free choice of services offered by seven providers.