By this time next year, Mountain View Electric Association members will have fiber optic broadband internet service available to them through MVEA itself.Construction on Mountain View’s fiber optics network will start in November, said Sarah Schaefer, public information officer for MVEA. Fiber optic cables will be placed wherever there is Mountain View electricity; the cables will either be strung on power poles or run underground. Fiber optics are more reliable and less susceptible to weather than other types of internet service, Schaefer said.Mountain View is building the fiber optic broadband service ìto strengthen our service to our members,î she said. The 51,000 Mountain View members in portions of Arapahoe, Crowley, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Lincoln, Pueblo and Washington counties have been considered underserved with slow or no internet service.Completion of the system is expected to take five to six years. However, the construction will be done in segments, and fiber optic internet service will be available to some Mountain View members in the second quarter of 2022, Schaefer said. There is no information at this time as to which area will be first to receive the service. When completed, the estimated $190 million system will consist of nearly 5,800 miles of fiber network, she said.îIt seems fitting that as we celebrate 80 years of powering possibilities through decades of innovation and industry changes, that we announce our plans to bring fiber-to-the-home broadband to our co-op communities to bridge the digital divide,î said Jim Herron, chief executive officer of Mountain View, in a June news release.ìAccess to fast, reliable internet is important for our economy and Colorado families. From helping a student log on for virtual learning to powering a conference call for Colorado’s small businesses, helping them reach new customers and markets, universal broadband connects us all,î said Gov. Jared Polis in the same news release.And Rep. Tim Geitner was also quoted: ìThe ability to connect with family and friends is critical in maintaining a positive outlook on everything around us.îAccording to the June news release, benefits of the new service will include online teaching capabilities, health care benefits, work-from-home capability and quality-of-life improvements through better communications and economic growth in rural areas.The system will allow Mountain View members to run multiple devices such as cell phones, computers and laptops simultaneously in their home or business without decreased download and upload speeds.Design and construction of the system will be done by Conexon, a company that works with rural electric cooperatives to bring fiber optics to the home in rural communities, according to the news release. Upon completion, the network will be managed and operated by Conexon Connect, an arm of Conexon, that operates and manages cooperative-owned networks.Mountain View Electric members can go online to http://mvea.coop and record their interest in signing up for the new internet service when it becomes available.
