Eastern Oregon Telecom’s (EOT) board of directors have voted to expand the company’s fiber-to-the-home network.
The news means more residents and businesses will be able to take advantage of EOT’s Gigabit-speed Velocity Internet ™. The service is currently available to about 475 homes and businesses in Hermiston.
“Response to EOT’s Velocity Internet has been great,” said EOT General Manager, Joe Franell. “We are excited to offer more homes and businesses in Hermiston the opportunity to get ultra high-speed Internet with excellent customer service at competitive rates.”
The company has identified 10 areas or “zones” in Hermiston where it is considering building fiber. Rather than selecting the next fiber expansion area, EOT will build where consumer demand is the strongest. People interested in a fiber connection to their home or business are asked to visit EOT’s demand aggregation website, www.eotfiber.com. After entering their address, visitors will be shown if their location is in one of the 10 zones. They can become a backer of the campaign to bring fiber service to their zone by filling out a short form and paying a nominal registration fee of $4.99.
EOT will build the zones that reach their pre-construction “backer” goal.
If their address is not in an identified zone, interested parties can leave their contact information. If enough interest is generated in the same area, EOT will consider adding additional service zones, said Franell.
EOT’s Velocity fiber network represents the next generation of high speed connectivity for homes and businesses. Benefits of fiber optics include significantly faster Internet speeds, home values increasing upwards of $4,000 (according to studies conducted by Corning and the FTTH Council), reliability and longevity of infrastructure, and increased economic attractiveness for new companies to relocate to the area. The network is made up of hair-thin pieces of glass called fiber optics. One small strand of fiber can carry 1,000 times as much information as traditional cable television and telephone networks.
When asked about the advantages of a fiber optic network like EOT is building, Franell said, “Fiber networks helps to define successful communities just as good water, power, transportation, pubic safety, schools, and other essential services have done for decades. We are committed to bringing the best services we can to business and residents in our service area.”
For more information or to sign up to indicate interest in bringing Velocity Internet to your Hermiston residential or business address, visit www.eotfiber.com.
