Suffolk business owners now have access to internet speeds as fast as 100 gigabits per second, thanks to improvements from Cox Communications.

The cable, internet and phone company recently spent about $3.5 million installing nearly 30 miles of high-speed fiber internet cables in the city through its Cox Business service. Cox leaders say the move will bring fiber to roughly 1,500 businesses.

Suffolk Mayor Michael Duman welcomed the expansion.

“The investment from Cox to provide broadband internet and phone support to 1,500 businesses is extremely important, as a huge part of any business now is done online and through phones,” Duman said in an announcement.

The network runs through downtown Suffolk, as well as the Chuckatuck and Driver neighborhoods.

The company is expanding in Suffolk and around the region because company leaders believe the area is poised for growth, said Nneka Chiazor, Cox vice president for government and public affairs.

“We decided to make a number of network investments, and that includes bringing fiber out to Suffolk,” Chiazor said.

The Suffolk expansion is part of a larger $100 million Cox is spending to beef up its network around Hampton Roads. The company plans to expand its fiber network and improve its cable internet infrastructure over the next three years, Chiazor said.

In addition to providing internet access, Chiazor touted how the expansion would create jobs, attract vendors and give broadband access to more students.

Around Hampton Roads, Cox is getting more competition from broadband companies moving into the area. Internet provider Lumos announced in July it was bringing an $83 million fiber network to parts of Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Chesapeake without access to Verizon Fios. MetroNet has been building a fiber network in Norfolk since being announced in April 2021.

Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com