Windstream, a network communications provider, announced the launch Monday of its 1 gigabit internet service in four market areas, including part of Rowan County.

Starting immediately the 1 gigabit service will be available to approximately 35,000 residential and small business customers in Lincoln, Neb.; Lexington, Ky.; Sugar Land, Texas and seven North Carolina communities including China Grove, Kannapolis and Concord. Others are Davidson, Harrisburg, Lewisville and Matthews.

With 1 gigabit internet service, customers can benefit from ultra-fast speeds, the company said. For example, users can download 100 songs in three seconds or an high definition movie in just seven seconds, which is significantly faster than services currently available in each market area.

Salisbury residents already have access to such internet speeds. Fibrant, the city’s fiber-optic broadband provider, offers plans including 1 gigabit and 10 gigabit speeds. State law prevents the city from offering the service outside its municipal limits.

Over the last three years, according to the news release, Windstream has made significant investments in infrastructure and network upgrades across all four market areas. These investments have brought customers expanded premium speeds of 50-100 Mbps Internet service, Windstream’s next-generation television service Kinetic in select cities, and now the 1 gigabit internet service.

“We’re continuing to build on the momentum we started last year with the launch of premium speeds, Kinetic TV and Project Excel to further improve our network and expand our service offering,” said Tony Thomas, president and chief executive officer at Windstream. “Launching 1-gig internet service is a testament to our ongoing commitment to make investments in innovative technologies that address our customers’ current and future needs.”

For more information about Windstream’s residential and small business services, including premium speeds and Kinetic, visit Windstream.com.