Even if you prefer the slower pace of life away from the big city, there’s no such thing as too much speed when it comes to the information superhighway. Zoom meetings that freeze and phone calls that drop aren’t just inconvenient; they are quality of life issues that can make it more difficult to attract talented workers and support new business.
For residents of Elko, Spring Creek, and Lamoille, the frustrations of slow internet are about to be over. The Digital Transformation Project, a partnership between Anthem Broadband of Nevada and Nevada Gold Mines (NGM), is underway right now, bringing high-speed fiber internet to more than 15,800 homes and businesses in the area.
How much faster? Current internet speed tests in the Elko area are coming in at just under 11 megabits per second (Mbps). With the new fiber optic system, the average home would see their speeds increase by at least 23 times and likely much more.
Anthem Fiber Customers will be able to select from plans ranging from 250 megabits per second (Mbps) to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps).
Anthem Broadband is investing in premium fiber optic quality by installing an Active Internet infrastructure, a powerful network that will rival top coverage in any metropolis. This superior network will add up to 3.1% value to every home that is connected, even if the current resident chooses not to use the service. Based on the current median value of real estate in our area, that’s more than a $10,000 increase in home value versus the neighbor who declines a connection.
Residents who sign up will not have to pay any construction, rental, or connectivity fees. For Anthem Fiber customers, this also means no installation fees, no activation fees, no data caps, no contracts, no credit checks – none of the additional hidden fees that often get buried in the small print.
“We believe in making internet easy, and the best way to do that is to get rid of all the hidden fees,” said Jacob Larsen, Anthem Broadband CEO.
To explain why this system will serve our area so well, it’s helpful to understand a bit about how fiber optic networks are built. These systems come in two varieties. The less expensive Gigabit Passive Optical Network, or GPON, is like an old-fashioned telephone party line. It connects up to 32 subscribers to a single fiber link that feeds into a network node. While this option may be cheaper, this also means that bandwidth is shared with other customers. It can’t support speeds over 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) and may not be as reliable or secure. (Cue that frozen Zoom meeting.)
The Anthem-NGM Active Ethernet network will be more expensive to build but much more robust. It provides each subscriber with a dedicated fiber line and port to the network node switch that links the local network to the Internet. Subscribers to an AE network enjoy uncontested bandwidth, support for speeds over 10 Gbps and a reliable 1:1 connection for high-bandwidth activities.
For a household that includes work-from-home parents, students, video gamers, and streaming movie fans, the advantages are obvious.
But – and this can’t be stressed enough – your household or business must specifically authorize Anthem to set up your new connection. Otherwise, you will miss out on the construction process, and all the future advantages you will be in line to receive.
“If we could ask one thing of the community right now,” said Larson, “it would be to visit our website or contact our customer support team to sign an Access Agreement that will give us permission to pull a connection from the main line up to your home or business. Without that authorization, Anthem Fiber will be forced to pass you by. There is no cost to get connected and you are guaranteed to have access to the network when you decide to sign up.”
Current construction plans show that the project will be completed in under two years, installing over 440 miles of main-line conduit in the ground — enough to run a line from Reno to Las Vegas.
If you are interested in finding out when construction will begin in your area or are interested in learning more about the Digital Transformation Project, please go to anthemfiber.com or call (775) 389-2894. If you pre-register now, you will be kept up to date on construction timelines and when you can expect to switch over to faster, more reliable internet without the speed bumps.