Aureon, in collaboration with key partners, has delivered a new 100 Tb long-haul transport route connecting Ellendale, ND to Chicago, IL. Built to support AI-driven and hyperscale cloud demand, the network is designed to scale to 400 Tb, positioning the Midwest as a critical digital infrastructure corridor.
Ellendale, ND → Iowa Falls, IA → Chicago, IL
Expected to reach 100 Tb by July 2026 with scalability up to 400 Tb
400G wave architecture leveraging lit services
AI workloads and hyperscale cloud infrastructure
Multi-carrier, multi-partner collaboration
This project represents one of the largest wholesale transport deployments in the industry and highlights several major trends:
100+ Tb deployments are still rare in long-haul transport.
Delivered under highly compressed timelines.
Required lit services due to dark fiber constraints.
Multiple carriers, vendors, and infrastructure providers.
Built amid fiber and equipment shortages.
Click any partner below to view company details, quotes, and media contacts.
Founded in 1931, Midco is a telecommunications leader redefining connectivity. We maintain market leadership by providing exceptional customer experiences using the region's most reliable owned and operated fiber network spanning 21,000 miles. Midco's service area covers more than 1.2 million homes and businesses in over 600 communities with 1,900 team members across Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Our mission is to be the best communications company in the country for our neighbors, team members, partners and communities. To learn more, text 64326, call 1.800.888.1300 or start a live chat with a Midco team member at Midco.com/Contact today.
"For this use case, a lit solution offered the optimal mix of speed, scale, and performance, so we worked closely with Aureon to deploy a solution leveraging Midco's fiber network," said Midco's Vice President of Business Sales Justin Hebda. "That flexibility, combined with the depth and reach of our network, allowed us to deliver high-capacity transport quickly and reliably, using capabilities that are built into how Midco designs and operates our infrastructure."
Joseph Schartz
Director of Communications & Public Relations, Midco
605.759.8693 | Joseph.Schartz@Midco.com
Justin Hebda — Vice President of Business Sales, Midco
As Vice President of Business Sales, Justin is pivotal to Midco’s success. He oversees four commercial sales units — wholesale, enterprise, major accounts, and small business sales — and is directly responsible for executing strategies related to acquisition and retention.
Justin has more than 20 years of industry experience and continuously demonstrates adaptability to evolving technologies and corporate structures. His three business philosophies: listen empathically, plan strategically, and embrace change. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and behavioral services from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Nokia is a global leader in connectivity for the AI era. With expertise across fixed, mobile, and transport networks, we're advancing connectivity to secure a brighter world.
"The AI supercycle is driving unprecedented demand for high-capacity optical networks, even as the industry navigates a constrained supply environment," said Matt Young, VP North America Sales, Nokia. "By leveraging our latest generation of coherent optical technology and close collaboration with partners, we were able to deliver scalable capacity."
Anna Vue
Tel: +1 916-595-8157
Email: anna.vue.ext@nokia.com
Matt Young — Vice President, North America Sales, Nokia
Matt is a recognized sales and business leader in the high-tech communications sector with decades of experience building high-performance wireless and wireline networks for industry-leading enterprises and some of the most trusted public networks in the world.
Leading the North American Enterprise business for Nokia, Matt and his team focus on helping organizations meet the operational, security, and business challenges of the digital age — spanning manufacturing, energy, transportation, finance, and the government sector.
t3 Broadband is a full-lifecycle telecom integrator based in Kansas, serving Tier 2 and Tier 3 mobile operators, electric and municipal utilities, statewide networks, regional ISPs and telcos, and hyperscale customers across all 50 states. The company delivers end-to-end products and services spanning every aspect of broadband, from network planning and design through deployment, software integration, and ongoing operations. For more information, visit www.t3broadband.com or contact sales@t3broadband.com.
"Coordinating across multiple carriers and aligning network architecture at this scale requires a high degree of technical precision. Our role focused on integrating systems and ensuring the network performed seamlessly, despite the complexity of the route.” — Chris Crowe, CEO, t3 Broadband.
Chris Crowe
Chief Executive Officer, t3 Broadband
214.228.0930 | chris.crowe@t3broadband.com
Chris Crowe — Owner & CEO, t3 Broadband
Chris Crowe is owner and CEO of t3 Broadband. He joined t3 in 2016 as President and became owner in 2020. With more than 30 years of telecommunications experience, including senior executive leadership roles at Ericsson, Chris has led growth across wireline and wireless markets spanning sales, operations, finance, and general management.
In addition to leading t3, Chris is active in industry and workforce development — serving on the Rural Wireless Association’s Security and Technology Councils and the Fiber Broadband Association’s Precision Agriculture and AI panels. He mentors business and engineering students through Texas State University, where he earned his B.S. in Computer Science. He also holds an MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas.
Aureon
Delivering scalable, high-capacity transport infrastructure across the Midwest — built for the AI era and the next generation of hyperscale cloud demand.
© 2026 Aureon. All rights reserved.