While many communications providers brag about utilizing "fiber" in their networks, unless they provide it all the way to the home, they do not compare. Randolph Communications is providing High Speed fiber optics all the way to your home with Fiber Connect. Fiber to the home (FTTH), or Randolph Fiber, is the delivery of a communications signal over fiber optics to a home or business. This fiber will replace the existing copper infrastructure such as telephone wires and coax cable. Fiber to the home is a method of providing higher bandwidth to consumers and businesses, which enables more robust video, Internet and voice services.
Connecting homes directly to fiber optic cable enables large improvements in the bandwidth that can be provided to consumers. Current fiber optic technology can provide two-way transmission speeds of up to 1000 megabits per second. Further, as cable router and internet providers are struggling to squeeze increments of higher bandwidth out of their technologies, ongoing improvements in fiber optic equipment are constantly increasing available bandwidth without having to change the fiber. That’s why fiber networks are said to be “future proof.”
Benefits
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Faster Internet Speeds
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Ability to Stream TV With No Buffering
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Enhanced Voice Services
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Secure & Reliable Connection
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Increased Property Value
Stages of Fiber Installation
Our Fiber Story:
Randolph Communications Cooperative territory spans over seven counties, which means we serve 534.46 square miles of rural communities. Our goal has always been and continues to be providing the best customer service to our customers with the most advanced technology.
Some companies choose not to provide Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) to their customers. However, that is not the case at Randolph Communications. Your Cooperative believes in you having the best. Did you know that 11,620 addresses already have fiber by them at this time? We still have a ways to go so your patience is important.
To summarize our fiber plan, your Cooperative began constructing transport fiber in 1998. In 2011, we put the plow in high gear to really ramp up our FTTH efforts. To date, we have invested over $54 Million in our fiber plant.
Will it take time to get to everyone? Yes. How soon will the Coop be 100% fiber fed? To cover our entire Coop area it is a $64 Million project. We are 76% complete. We have $7.8 Million left in mainline construction and $18 Million in drops to the homes. These remaining areas are completed using the following criteria: service issues, distance from a wire center (which impacts what speed you can get over copper) and if customers are willing to pay for additional advanced services. We know you need high-speed internet for your jobs, for your children’s school work, for medical needs, or even for entertainment purposes.
We are working very hard and are committed to having fiber throughout our territory. This is why our non-member areas like Spies, Chatham County, Sanford, Silk Hope and El Dorado are so important. The monthly revenues that come in from non-members support the fiber build within our Cooperative footprint. We would love to have 20 construction crews and be finished in two years, but that is not feasible.
Rural America deserves the same technological services that are available in metropolitan areas. Rural America cannot be left behind and your Coop is doing everything we can to bridge the digital divide in our areas.
FIBER OPTIC CABLE ADDITIONS: The chart below is based on the dollar amount that was spent on Fiber Optic Cable additions.
