MVEA Fiber Broadband Expansion Update - March 2024 CCL CEO Article
By Ruth Marks, MVEA CEO
Orange spools of fiber-optic cables and cement-walled fiber huts may not look like much, but they represent the progress that is being made to bring high-speed internet access to 100% of Mountain View Electric Association’s co-op members over the course of the next four years. This is a big project, an exciting project, and one that we receive a lot of questions about. By far the most common question we receive is “when is the service going to be available at my home.”
I am happy to report that a lot of progress was made in 2023 to get back on track after construction delays in the first 18 months of the project. In fact, more than 10,000 co-op members in the Falcon and Limon areas are forecast to have access to high-speed internet service through Connect, powered by Mountain View Electric Association by the end of May (if they don’t already). We have celebrated the 1,000th member connected milestone and look forward to seeing that number grow as more areas are opened for service in the months to come.
In addition to Limon and Falcon, members in portions of Black Forest, Colorado Springs, Peyton, and Simla have received notifications about broadband-related pole audit and fiber network construction activity in advance of crews. These are exciting notifications to receive as they signify that those areas are being prepped and scheduled for fiber construction. If you receive one of these notifications, I encourage you to visit www.ConexonConnect.com to look at available service options, sign up, and check for service availability in your area. While the time frame is subject to change, it will give you a general forecast of what the current schedule looks like.
On that note, it is important to talk about the project delays that have had an impact on service availability. This project is currently one of the largest fiber broadband expansions in Colorado—when complete, the fiber network will include nearly 5,800 miles of fiber. While we are behind on the initial project schedule, as can happen with projects of this scale and complexity, we have learned valuable lessons. We know where the challenges exist and are working diligently to address them. We have contracted with additional crews, hired a fiber project manager, and worked with Conexon to adjust the project schedule to provide a more accurate service availability time frame to members.
We have also learned that if we want to tap into expanded federal funding opportunities to offset the cost of building a state-of-the-art fiber network, we need to be prepared to be more flexible with the project schedule. I am excited to share that we were recently awarded grant funds to build the network. However, in order to accommodate the grant requirements and timeline, we will also need to strategically adjust the project schedule.
We know there is a lot of excitement around our fiber broadband expansion and a lot of MVEA members who look forward to having access to high-speed fiber internet options. We hear you and want to assure you that this project’s success is a top priority. As I mentioned above, for members who want to look at available service options, sign up, and check for service availability time frames, visit www.ConexonConnect.com. You can also call the Conexon Connect customer care team at 1-844-542-6663. To learn more about the project, the partnership, and for answers to frequently asked questions, please visit www.mvea.coop/internet.