Angry at his provider, he built his own internet—and it’s thriving

It all started in 2002. Jared Mauch, who was already accustomed to working from home for Akamai, a company that provides server cache services for businesses, was facing a significant problem: his internet connection. At the time, he was stuck with a wired connection that barely managed 1.5 Mbps. As a remote worker, this was simply not sustainable. The only solution he was offered was a costly $50,000 extension from Comcast, a price Mauch found unacceptable. With no feasible option in sight, Mauch decided to take matters into his own hands. Drawing on his network expertise, Mauch decided to build his own internet service provider. He founded Washtenaw Fiber Properties LLC, a company focused on providing high-speed fiber-optic internet to his rural Michigan community. It was a bold move, one that would require a significant upfront investment of $145,000, but Mauch was determined to make it work. The initial reaction from his neighbors was skepticism, but as the service began to roll out, something amazing happened. The community, impressed by the symmetrical internet speeds that could reach up to 500 Mbps, started signing up. By 2021, Mauch’s company had served 30 customers, and by the next year, that number had grown to over 70.