The million-dollar question, “When will the fiber internet service be available to me?”  We know that higher internet speeds are a necessity in today’s world.  We feel your pain.  We know that our Bloomingdale area customers have dealt with inadequate internet speeds for YEARS.  We know that everything is done via the internet.  The problem is, you live in rural America. We know the antiquated internet speeds aren’t fast enough to do all of the things online that this world calls for. For instance, you want to watch the latest Netflix series everyone is raving about, but you can’t; guess you watch Wheel of Fortune at 7:00 pm.  You want to work from home, but you can’t; so out the door to the office 25 miles away you go. Your kids want to game online like all of the other kids in America, but they can’t; outside to play they go.  The list of barriers faced by rural Americans without sufficient internet speeds goes on. 

You are probably asking yourself, “why is rural America being singled out?”  Rural communities miss out on a lot of amenities that city-folk get to take advantage of; natural gas, city sewer, & city water.  The alternative sources available to rural America for those utilities; propane tanks, individual septic tanks, & individual water wells are adequate replacements. Those replacements provide you the same level of service that residents within the city get from their sources.  But, the one “utility” that doesn’t have an adequate replacement for rural American citizens is high speed internet.  Why?  It’s simple, when natural gas, city sewer, & city water are put through a community, who pays for that; you, the tax payer.  You see a special assessment for the next 20 years on your property taxes.  So instead of paying once every 5 years to have your septic tank pumped; you are going to pay for the next 20 years to have your sewage join everyone else’s.  So, because internet is not considered a utility; who pays for rural America to get quality high speed internet?  The good ol’ rural America local internet service provider.  

Most, if not all, know that if you are currently a Bloomingdale Communications customer or you live in our Bloomingdale area footprint, you’re on deck for Fiber. But here’s what many do not understand; building a fiber optic internet network in rural America is an intense & extensive process.  To sum it up; it’s similar to building anything.  The first step is devising a plan; which we have.  Second step is to obtain funding; which we’ve done.  Third step is implementing the plan; which is where we are currently at. Sounds simple, right?  The part that most don’t realize is this; there are SEVERAL phases of the plan. And because there are so many phases, that leads everyone to the probing question, “what phase of the plan are you in?”  The answer, the truth; unfortunately, different areas are in different phases.  Some areas have flags in their yard, some areas have orange tubes coming up from the ground in their yard, some areas have lines ran with new Optical Network Terminals already installed on their homes, & some are getting ready to be fully installed within the next few weeks.   As frustrating, yet as exciting as it is, the truth of the matter is, there are a tremendous amount of determining factors that play an important role ensuring that when we do finally install your fiber internet and you begin paying for it, you’re getting what you’re paying for.

With all of that being said, know this, we are not stopping our fiber builds with the Bloomingdale Area project; We are seeking other rural areas to expand in.  You the rural American resident deserve quality, reliable high-speed internet.  Every area that we seek expansion in requires us to go back to step one of the plan; to obtain funding.  We have submitted additional grant applications and are eagerly awaiting a response.  Furthermore, we appreciate your patience through this process, but more importantly we LOVE your excitement.  Stay tuned…