What are those trucks? Fiber is coming!
Have you seen more trucks and flaggers on the roadside than usual? Have you noticed crews climbing the poles and stringing fiber? That’s because Fidium Fiber is bringing multi-gig service to more than 8,000 homes and businesses in Lamoille County this summer. This upgrade and expansion is made possible by a partnership between Lamoille FiberNet Communications Union District and Consolidated Communications, which owns Fidium.
“We are thrilled that Fidium’s construction is underway in Belvidere, Cambridge, Eden, Jeffersonville, Johnson, Stowe, and Waterville, and its fiber expansion will begin soon in Elmore, Hyde Park, Morristown, and Wolcott,” said Jeff Tilton, Waterville Delegate and Lamoille FiberNet CUD Board Chair. “And we’re even more excited that Fidium is expanding its investment beyond our grant-funded build to reach areas, such as Pleasant Valley in Cambridge. When the project’s Phase I is completed this fall, universal fiber broadband service will be available in almost all of Lamoille County.”
Note: Internet services will be provided by and through Fidium; Lamoille FiberNet is helping to fund the construction and is not a service provider.
What to expect with network construction?
Fidium is overbuilding Consolidated’s existing network, so it is using its existing permits, easements and rights of way to install new fiber. If your road has existing Consolidated service and is part of Phase 1, you can expect to see construction crews this summer.
This work may require some temporary traffic delays and detours, noise and dust. Stringing fiber means vehicles and flaggers along roadsides and pole lines. Installing new fiber optic lines may also require some digging to access existing conduit or even bury new lines. Paint markings and flags, principally “Dig Safe” markings, may be placed in areas in advance of construction; actual digging typically takes place within a few weeks of such markings. Flags will be removed once work is complete in the area. Crews will work quickly, clean up after themselves and aim to minimize any disruption. Your patience while Fidium upgrades neighborhoods to 100% fiber internet is appreciated.
When can you get service?
Depending on where you live, late summer or early fall. Construction of the distribution network will take 2-3 months. Service will not be available until all the necessary engineering and system checks are complete and addresses are verified and activated for service. Fidium will be using mailers and construction alerts to keep the public informed. Once service is activated, then installations may be scheduled. To see your town’s map and timetable for the 2024 Phase I construction, go to: Is your address eligible for fiber? – Lamoille FiberNet. To see details for which construction phase your town is in, find your town on the Fast, Reliable Fiber Internet Service Locations | Fidium Fiber page and scroll down to the Phases section; that page also shows Fidium’s pricing options.
How does installation work? And what about my long driveway?
You can pre-order so Fidium knows you want service. To pre-order fiber internet go to: https://www.fidiumfiber.com/pre-order. For additional updates on Fidium’s progress, visit FidiumFiber.com/Expanding. Residents with specific construction questions or concerns should call (877) 769-4771.
A “drop” is the connection from the roadway pole or pedestal to your premises and is necessary to activate service in your home or business. Fidium has a very generous drop policy. Fidium’s free installation policy covers all addresses with existing Consolidated facilities — poles or conduit — that Fidium can use as well as all addresses that are 500 feet or less from the access point (pole line or street). If your address is more than 500 feet from the access point and does not have existing telephone poles or conduit that Fidium can use, you will need to work with a contractor to install conduit on your property. Fidium does not cover the cost of the contractor. We will provide more information about drops and installation as the summer progresses.
OUR LAMOILLE FIBERNET VISION:
Every home and business in our territory will be connected to fast, reliable internet service.
OUR LAMOILLE FIBERNET MISSION:
To prioritize access of unserved and underserved addresses to symmetrical, high-speed, and affordable internet service – as soon as possible.
For more info about Lamoille FiberNet, go to http://www.LamoilleFiber.net.
