BUHLER, Kan. — The need for reliable, fiber internet across Kansas continues to propel IdeaTek Telcom in the ranks of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, landing the broadband provider at 2,310 on the 2022 Inc. 5,000 list recently revealed by Inc. magazine.
This is the ninth time IdeaTek has made the list. Last year, the company ranked 822. The list is based on three-year growth rates. To date, the company has deployed more than 4,000 miles of fiber and built 100 fixed wireless towers to serve customers in nearly 70 Kansas communities.
Significant private investment paired with several state and federal broadband expansion programs has helped Ideatek grow. The company has tripled its workforce to 130, adding nearly 90 jobs in the past two years.
In May of this year, Ideatek was awarded a Broadband Acceleration Grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce to bring fiber to rural Seward County.
The company also is working with several communities, including a public-private partnership with South Hutchinson to provide other opportunities for growth.