Clearnetworx, a Montrose-based internet company that first got its start in 2012, has grown steadily over the years. But since 2020, that growth has picked up speed in a big way—and now, the company is stepping outside of Colorado for the first time.

This month, Clearnetworx began building out a fiber internet network in Farmington, New Mexico. The project will bring high-speed service to more than 14,000 homes and businesses in that area.

For the team behind the company, it’s the latest step in what’s become a much bigger story than they imagined when they first launched.

Doug Seacat, founder of Deeply Digital and Clearnetworx, said the company’s move into Farmington marks a significant step in its growth—but one that felt like a natural extension of their work in southwest Colorado. He noted that their long-standing relationship with FastTrack Communications—which already had infrastructure and customers in the area—made the expansion a logical next step.

Building in Small Places

Since the early days of the pandemic, Clearnetworx has focused much of its attention on rural areas that have been overlooked by bigger internet providers. In 2020, the company began laying fiber in places like Norwood and Redvale—small towns with limited internet options and no fiber connection at the time. Those early projects helped prove that fiber internet was possible even in places where it had never been before.

According to Seacat, many companies avoid building in small towns due to the challenges and limited return on investment. But for Clearnetworx, rural communities are central to their mission. “A lot of people aren’t willing to take the time to think outside the box and make something happen like that,” he said. “That’s what we’re built to do.”

Over the next few years, the company kept expanding—adding service in Delta, Bayfield, Fruita, Cortez, Durango, and several other towns across the Western Slope. Many of those builds were done through local partnerships or grant programs aimed at bringing better internet to underserved areas.

COVID Changed the Timeline

The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t slow the company down—it sped things up. In Redvale and Norwood, crews had just started bringing fiber online when schools closed and remote learning became a requirement.

Casey Irving, director of business development for the company, recalled that schools began calling and asking how quickly service could be connected, as many students and teachers were struggling to participate in online learning with outdated or unreliable internet.

A technician splices cable. (Provided photo)

Clearnetworx responded by partnering with school districts, local utilities, and nonprofits to build new wireless towers, expand service zones, and cover costs for families who couldn’t afford internet. That quick response made a difference in those communities—and opened the door to more projects in other areas facing similar challenges.

More Than Just Service

While the product Clearnetworx offers is fast internet, the company has made a point of keeping things simple and community-focused. That includes using local contractors for much of the construction work, offering flat-rate pricing without surprise fees, and providing personal customer service.

“If there’s ever an issue, we have someone on-site within 30 minutes,” said Irving. “That kind of responsiveness has helped the company build trust with towns that might otherwise be wary of letting a private company dig up roads or lay cables.

Grant Funding and a Growing Team

Part of what’s made Clearnetworx successful is its ability to find funding for big projects. Since 2016, the company has applied for and received several state and federal grants, including nearly $30 million in 2023 from Colorado’s Capital Projects Fund. That funding has supported major network builds in counties like Montezuma, La Plata, and Archuleta—places where the need for internet is real, but the cost of building a full network is often too high for private companies to take on alone.

Clearnetworx has also grown its team. From a staff of about ten people in the mid-2010s, the company now employs over 250 people, many of them based in Montrose and Delta counties.

Why Farmington—and What’s Next

The move into Farmington became possible after Clearnetworx acquired FastTrack Communications in 2023. FastTrack owned a lot of the “middle mile” fiber infrastructure in southwest Colorado and northwest New Mexico. That backbone allowed Clearnetworx to plug in and build out “last mile” service directly to homes and businesses.

Seacat explained that with the middle mile already in place, Clearnetworx was able to move quickly to build the rest of the infrastructure. “We specialize in fiber to the home,” he said. “FastTrack helped us connect the dots.”

The Farmington buildout will take time—there’s still permitting, design, and construction work ahead. But it’s another sign that the company’s model is working: find the gaps, build local partnerships, and stay committed to the small-town communities where bigger providers don’t always go.

And while the company is now looking at potential future projects in places like Utah and Arizona, the plan is still to keep Montrose as its home base. Seacat said that was part of the mission from the start—to create something lasting in the community where it all began.

Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.