DIY Entrepreneurs Create Prime-One: A Comcast Challenger
Background: Frustration with Cable Broadband
Samuel Herman and Alexander Baciu, brothers-in-law and co-founders of Prime-One, grew tired of the limitations inherent in Comcast’s DOCSIS cable network. Slow upload speeds, high contention ratios, and frequent latency spikes hindered their household of ten and left them chasing “system refreshes” with customer support. DOCSIS 3.1, the latest cable standard, can deliver multi-gigabit downloads but often still struggles on the upstream, topping out at about 1 Gbps with high noise margins under heavy load.
Founding Prime-One: Leveraging Construction Expertise
With decades of fiber-optic trenching and directional-drilling experience under their belts, Herman (COO) and Baciu (CCO) decided to become the local ISP. Their family’s construction firm, originally focused on micro-trenching and conduit installation, pivoted to turnkey fiber builds. Standard practice uses 1″ HDPE conduit, pulled with winches and sub-ducted micro-duct bundles. Technicians use fusion splicers (e.g., Sumitomo T-72) and OTDR testers (tolerance ±0.1 dB) to guarantee power budgets of –28 dBm or better in GPON links.
Service Offerings and Technical Specifications
- 1 Gbps Symmetrical (XGS-PON) – $80/month
- 500 Mbps Symmetrical (GPON) – $75/month
- 2 Gbps Symmetrical – $95/month
- 5 Gbps Symmetrical (ePON ready) – $110/month
All plans include:
– Unlimited data, no contracts, 30-day trial
– Nokia ISAM ONT (models 7360/7520) with built-in DHCP, IPv6 support, VLAN tagging and optional PoE port
– Choice of a Wi-Fi 6E router (802.11ax, up to 4×4 MU-MIMO) or customer-provided CPE
– SLA guaranteeing 99.99% uptime, <4 ms average RTT, and a 2–4 hour repair window with $5 credit per hour of downtime
Network Architecture and Backhaul
Prime-One’s design follows a star topology from a central hub in Saline’s municipal building, using XGS-PON OLT cards capable of 2.5 GHz downstream and 1.25 GHz upstream channels. The backhaul link runs on redundant 10 Gbps dark fiber leased from a regional provider, terminating on dual Juniper MX480 routers with BGP peerings to Cogent and Lumen for diversified IP transit. Network operations leverage an open-source OSS/BSS stack—Open Broadband Foundation modules—for provisioning, billing, and fault management, with Grafana dashboards and SNMP traps feeding into a Prometheus monitoring cluster.
Market Adoption and Customer Experience
Since launching in January 2025, Prime-One has deployed over 75 miles of underground fiber to 1,500 single-family homes. More than 100 subscribers have signed up—about 25% of the initial footprint—with take rates climbing on word-of-mouth. “Neighbors call to ask when you’ll reach their block,” says Baciu. Prime-One’s local team of 15 installers and customer-service reps provides both phone and in-person support, a stark contrast to big-box ISPs’ chat-only model.
Regulatory and Funding Landscape
Prime-One is eyeing grants under the BEAD program and Michigan’s ConnectMI initiative, which collectively aim to allocate billions for rural and underserved fiber builds.
“Small, agile ISPs like Prime-One are critical to close the digital divide,” notes Dr. Lisa Rodriguez of the Fiber Broadband Association. “Their localized knowledge and low overheads make them ideal partners for federal and state broadband grants.”
Pole-attachment processes, permit fees, and right-of-way negotiations remain hurdles, but early discussions with Saline’s city council have yielded expedited approvals.
Competitive and Strategic Analysis
Comcast’s planned DOCSIS 4.0 upgrade promises symmetrical multi-gigabit speeds by 2027, yet requires costly CMTS node splits and customer-premises hardware replacements. Frontier’s DSL and upcoming FTTH builds by Metronet and 123NET cover adjacent areas, but not Saline’s southeast quadrant, where Prime-One has exclusive build rights for now. By deploying XGS-PON today, Prime-One positions itself ahead of cable incumbents and more expensive municipal FTTH projects.
Financial Model and Expansion Roadmap
Prime-One forecasts break-even point at 30% penetration (approx. 1,200 subscribers) within 18 months of full buildout. Capital expenditures totaled ~$1.8 million for conduit, fiber cable, OLT/ONT inventory, and backhaul. Operating expenses include staffing, IP transit, and OSS/BSS licensing. Over 2026–2027, the company plans to:
- Extend network to >4,000 homes, including multi-dwelling units (MDUs) using fiber splitters in centralized utilities closets.
- Introduce a 10 Gbps plan via upcoming 50G-PON equipment.
- Apply for RDOF and BEAD funds to subsidize builds in rural Washtenaw County.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Key obstacles include:
– Maintaining splice closure integrity against water ingress and rodent damage
– Balancing OSS/BSS complexity with lean staffing
– Negotiating pole-attachment rates to control OPEX
– Educating customers on the benefits of symmetrical speeds versus cable’s download-only marketing
“Don’t underestimate pushback from legacy ISPs—expect letters, marketing calls, and potential legal objections over easements,” warns Herman.
Conclusion
Prime-One exemplifies how technically adept entrepreneurs can leverage micro-trenching, PON standards, and modern OSS stacks to disrupt entrenched incumbents. With aggressive expansion plans, pending grant applications, and a robust technical backbone, the two DIY founders are poised to bring true fiber parity—and fierce competition—to Comcast’s backyard.