Fiber is the future of communications technology. Fiber optic cable contains strands of optically pure glass, thinner than a human hair, which carry digital information over long distances. Digital signals are sent as pulses of light down the glass fibers, without interference or limitation.

When you have fiber internet, you know your home is connected using the most advanced communications technology currently available. Fiber is faster, clearer, more reliable, and will give you the bandwidth to access the digital communications services of the future, and today’s IP-based broadband apps such as digital streaming TV, VOIP, video conferencing, home security systems, remote appliance management and symmetrical internet speeds up to 2 Gig (2,000 Mbps).

Faster Speeds. Increased Reliability. Unlimited Bandwidth.

Fiber is the most advanced method on the planet to deliver high-speed internet, and it’s a great economic leveler for rural residents. Think about it – your home can have the same advanced connectivity as the most high-tech building in any major financial district in the world.

The fiber line running to your home from the main cable contains just a few strands of fiber, but those strands could theoretically carry all the information in the Western U.S. Fiber optic cable carries an all-digital signal and is better suited to today’s digital communication devices. Fiber optics are the future of communications because both copper and wireless will eventually max out on the bandwidth people will require. Eventually, all media will be delivered as internet data and you’ll be ready for that future.

Fiber technology offers unmatched bandwidth capacity. Fiber internet offers download and upload speeds up to 2 Gbps (2,000 Mbps)! Fiber customers can do more with the internet than ever before – download purchased digital movies in a flash, play online games at lightning speed, share large photo files and video chat with friends and family.

Staking – First, our engineering partners finalize our plant design, laying out cable routes, drawing in roadways and structures, and designing cabinet placement and fiber assignments.

Mainline Construction – In this step, we bore, or plow, in plastic conduit or duct underground. This is a great method as it has very little environmental impact. We then blow the fiber optic cable through the conduit using compressed air moving at very high speeds. The high-velocity air flow causes the cable to float, and that way we can feed it through very easily. This is the backbone to connect customers to our network. Where the fiber needs to be spliced to serve homes, we put in pedestals and handholes with loops of fiber, where we can branch off and pick up those new homes in the future.

Mainline Splicing – After our contractors get the mainline fiber placed, all the different sections of fiber need to be spliced together and spliced to the serving cabinets.

Drop Construction – For those who sign up for service before or during construction in a specific zone, our contractors will place their drop fiber, which is the fiber-optic cable that is buried from the home or business to the serving pedestal or handhole. For those who sign up for service after construction in an area is already complete, we will be required to go back to bury their fiber drop, which requires additional time to complete.

Drop Splicing and Testing – After all mainline splicing is complete, drops have been placed and spliced to our network, our contractors will test the continuity and signal through the fiber-optic network, to ensure there are no problems at the time of installation. After the drop splicing and testing is complete, the home or business is ready to have installation scheduled.

Installation Scheduled – After all the mainline and drop construction, splicing, and testing is complete, it’s time to get equipment installed at the customer location and activate service. This typically involves installing an ONT (Optical Network Terminal), a power supply for the ONT, and installing wiring to connect telephones and WiFi routers to serve the home or business. Installations can take anywhere from one to four hours depending on the complexity of the install, building size and makeup, and number of connected devices.

Buried networks are all about reliability, reliability, reliability! You can count on your fiber connection to work from fire, to blizzard, to windstorm. Our fiber network is 100% buried—no wireless backhauls or downed lines to worry about.

Fiber to the home could increase the value of your home by as much as $5,000 according to the Fiber-to-the-Home Council. Our investment in your home means more money in your pocket. More importantly, fiber to your home means a higher quality of life for you in this digital information age where so much of what we do to enrich our lives has moved online. More internet speed = more fun.

Fiber will also naturally lead to more economic development in your areas due to the advanced technology and internet commerce opportunities available in the area. This is especially important in rural areas, where a gap has traditionally existed in diverse economic opportunities—but in our new information economy—fiber puts us all on the same footing.

Though we may sometimes be required to dig across your yard to bury a new fiber line, our goal is always to treat your property as if it were our own. Often, we have buried conduit already in place. We always strive to promptly restore your property to a condition as close to original as possible. If you are not satisfied, please contact us! Occasionally ground can settle after rain or something may be unintentionally missed. We are happy to come back out and reassess your yard.

However, homeowners should also understand that your lot came with legal easements registered to each home for power, water and communications, and anything planted or built over these easements will always be in danger of being disturbed or removed by any public utility companies. Remember to always call 811 before you dig.