July 2022 - Northern Lights Fiber

Sturgeon County Construction Update – August

Jul 27, 2022 | Construction Updates

What to expect:

We have been hard at work to ensure everyone knows that we are bringing your community fiber optic internet! More importantly, our project is bringing speeds up to 1,000 Mbps! And because Sturgeon County has been so poorly served, this means that you will have an opportunity to get internet that is 1000x faster.

Progress so Far

Although our project was only recently announced, the project has already started the construction phase.

At this time, you will see our transport construction crew plowing and direction drilling along the many highway and grid routes. IMPORTANT: You will also see our middle mile crews building underground infrastructure in the hamlets of:

Villeneuve – Complete

Calahoo – Beginning soon

Hansen’s Estates – In progress

Turfside estates – Complete

If you have already signed an Access Agreement, our drop crew will be placing underground conduit and fiber on your property.

As a reminder, the transport fiber is the fiber that will connect hamlets to each other. The middle mile fiber is the fiber infrastructure that runs along streets and alleys in population centers, and the drop is the fiber the connects your individual home or property.

Underground Construction

To prepare Sturgeon County for their digital future, new fiber-optic infrastructure is deeply important. This will ensure that the upgrades will service and last for generation’s to come. And to ensure that the network remains reliable, we will burry this infrastructure! But even in the best weather conditions, installing new underground infrastructure is hard and dangerous work, so here are some things you should know about the project:

Access Agreement

At this time, the most important thing for you to do is sign an access agreement. You can find the link by visiting HERE. Our blog has easy to follow steps.

It Can Get Messy

Construction through our changing seasons and climate is always hard. During periods around spring or rainfall, construction is prone to creating plenty of mud. Because the project is building buried infrastructure under/in wet ground, progress on the new construction will require a bit of a mess to complete properly. Weather may also change the crew’s priorities, so please follow our Facebook page to keep yourself updated as we push through this summer to connect you sooner!

Flagging

Before the project begins constructing in your area you will see flags begin to pop up all around the area. These flags are incredibly important as it tells the construction crew where important infrastructure, like gas and electric, is located. If you see these flags, please ensure that you do not touch or remove them from the ground. If a crew is unable to see a flag or the utilities below it could cause serious damage to your utilities or cause harm to the crew! If you would like to let us know about private utilities on your property where we will be building, please call our main line and let our team know. For more information on locates, visit UtilitySafety.ca.

Remediation

The project is building underground construction, which means they dig holes and small trenches for the fiber lines to run down! Although they deploy directional drills and vibratory plowing equipment that reduces the amount of soil turned, it can still create a small mess. But fear not, we always try our best to remediate anything effected by our work and ensure that it will return to its healthiest form in suitable time.

The team will often wait for the soil can properly settle. At that point, we set the earth to final grade and plant new seed for your lawn to regrow to its previous health! It is a small price we need to pay to keep construction moving so we can continue to connect homes and businesses as fast as possible!

How do I sign up!?

If you would like to register for service now, check out our world-class products and services HERE! (And remember, you will NOT be charged anything until the service officially begins after installation).

Visit our Products and Pricing page or give us a call at 1-888-CFO-2947 (ext 2, for Sales)

Fiber Internet Increases Home Values

Jul 6, 2022 | Why Fiber Optics?, Why Fiber?

Post Covid Landscape

In the wake of COVID-19, more people than ever before want to work, learn, and access telehealth applications from home. Modern rural lifestyles require modern internet powered by a fiber network—and homebuyers know it. In fact, a 2015 study showed that fiber-delivered internet access could increase a home’s value by up to 3.1%. And that was before a pandemic increased the demand for fast, reliable home internet.

What’s the Data Saying?

A 2015 study, conducted by our neighbors to the south, experts from the University of Colorado and Carnegie Mellon University, was based on national real estate market data collected between 2011 and 2013. It found that fiber internet could boost the value of the average American home by as much as $5,500—a payout on par with adding a brand-new fireplace.

Beyond that, there is an ever-growing body of research linking the investment in broadband networks with accelerated economic performance. Communities with fast and reliable fiber networks often exhibit higher rates of per capita GDP. This is because they can grow, adapt, innovate and support higher flexibility in careers that require critical functions such as remote work. These aspects are invaluable when creating a workable, adaptable town wherein community members have the opportunity to thrive.

The Online Superhighway

Because cable internet and wireless technology is significantly slower and far less reliable than fiber, remote workers who depend on a fast, reliable connection are looking for fiber internet.

Cable internet speeds typically range from 10-250 Mbps for downloads and 5-50 Mbps for uploads. Fiber internet, however, can provide 250-1,000 Mbps each for download and upload—a critical benefit for those looking to use video conferencing tools at home.

The 2015 study found that in homes where 1,000 Mbps (equivalent to 1 Gbps) broadband was available, real estate sale prices were over 7% higher than homes with available speeds of 25 Mbps or less! The need for broadband services in rural communities is even greater than in that of cities and developed metropolitan areas. This means that your properties value is even more likely to benefit from that of fiber infrastructure!

The Future of Fiber

Agn, it’s worth noting the time frame of this study, which was conducted almost ten years ago now. Over the past decade, residential internet access has only become more critical and considerably more valuable.

With over 30% of Canadians working from home as of January 2021, fast, secure, and reliable internet has become an invaluable asset. Not only is the internet a prime source of communication and entertainment, but it’s also essential for the Canadian white-collar workforce.

Even those who don’t work from home are more likely to want high-speed internet for telehealth applications than they were ten years ago. Data show that utilization of online medical services is now a staggering 38 times higher than it was at the beginning of the pandemic.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, better broadband equals more opportunities for remote work and the delivery of digital services. And, of course, better opportunities yield subsequent innovation, including job creation, upward mobility, entrepreneurship, expanding local businesses, and attracting new ones.

Fiber brings massive benefits to communities, so it’s no wonder fiber increases individual home values, too! Sign up HERE to get your home connected to fiber infrastructure so you can work and play faster, easier and better.