Growing up in Mountain Top, Chris Hacken noticed internet service in the Wyoming Valley area was lacking.
“It seemed we were always a decade behind,” he said of the area’s internet service. “When we had dial-up, other areas had DSL When we got DSL, other areas like Philadelphia already had cable internet service.”
Having an interest in technology, and seeing a need for improved service, the 2009 Crestwood High School graduate started Loop Internet in 2015. Initially, the company offered wireless service but eventually moved into fiber optic internet service.
The company began its operations in Wilkes-Barre and is currently headquartered in Scranton. It maintains two warehouses in Wilkes-Barre.
Hacken serves as CEO of Loop Internet, which currently offers fiber optic internet service in the Wilkes-Barre and Scranton areas. The 33-year-old Hacken said the firm is working to build fiber optic networks in other areas of both Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. The company recently purchased a slightly less than one-half acre parcel at the corner of South Mountain Boulevard and McDonald’s Drive in Wright Township. Hacken said Loop plans to build a network hub on the property with hopes of eventually providing fiber optic service to Mountain Top.
Hacken explained that fiber optic internet provides a tremendous advantage over traditional cable networks that send signals over coaxial cables.
According to Loop Internet’s website, fiber internet offers unmatched reliability compared to other options. Its advanced technology, the company explains, is highly resistant to interference and outages, ensuring a consistent and uninterrupted online experience.
With symmetrical upload and download speeds, fiber ensures minimal buffering, ultra-responsive gameplay, and crystal-clear streaming, making lag a thing of the past, according to the internet provider.
“Loop Internet offers speeds of up to 10 Gbps, or 10,000 Mbps with synchronous speeds, meaning you’ll upload just as fast as you’ll download,” Hacken noted.
“This is critical,” he explained, “when doing video calls, live streaming, viewing cameras remotely, uploading large files and videos, etc.”
Hacken pointed out cable internet’s upload speeds typically range from 5 Mbps to 20 Mbps upload.
For residential use, fiber optic’s symmetrical speeds mean smoother video calls, seamless streaming, and lag-free gaming. It also virtually eliminates buffering, providing an uninterrupted connection.
With Loop Internet’s residential service, Hacken noted, buffering is non-existent. “You could watch 200 televisions simultaneously without buffering,” he said.
For businesses, Loop Internet’s upload speed is a huge advantage over traditional cable systems, Hacken said. Companies like engineering firms, he explained, can upload files in minutes, instead of hours. They can also view security cameras remotely from any location, he added.
