Some residents of the Falcon area will soon be getting improved internet service; StratusIQ is expanding its fiber optic service in the area. StratusIQ offers internet, phone and television services in Colorado Springs and El Paso County.Ben Kley, president of StratusIQ, said they completed a project in January that provides every address in Latigo Trails with access to high-speed fiber optic internet with download speeds of 1 Gbps (1,000 megabytes per second).Another project on North Meridian Road is about 60% completed, Kley said. This project will provide high speed fiber optic internet for about 290 homes. He said StratusIQ will start adding customers in the area in the third quarter of 2021, with completion of the project anticipated by the end of the year.Kley also announced that applications are pending for two new projects. One is in the area of Meadow Lake Airport and will provide internet service for a total of 416 residential and commercial lots. The other is the North Sand Creek project, which, if approved, will provide high speed internet to rural underserved areas north of Woodmen Road and south of Black Forest Road, he said. The area consists of 253 residential and 12 commercial lots. Approval is expected by the end of the year on both projects, with construction to start early next year.All of the above projects are financed by state grants, Kley said. StratusIQ also has two small projects ó Owl Place and Elkhorn Estates ó that are being built up with private funding. The Owl Place project is complete, providing high speed internet to 13 homes. Elkhorn Estates will be done by the end of the year and will furnish internet to 22 homes.In Paint Brush Hills and Bent Grass, service is expanding with private funding as new houses are being built. In each of those subdivisions, 200 to 300 new homes are expected by the end of the year.All of these projects are within the Mountain View Electric Association service area. Mountain View recently announced plans to make high speed optic fiber internet available to all their members.StratusIQ is meeting with Mountain View to coordinate the efforts of both companies to provide internet service in the area, Kley said.ìWe do not believe it is an efficient use of the member funds and resources to overbuild infrastructure when one Gbps service already exists, especially locations that the state has already helped fund fiber-to-home infrastructure,î Kley said. ìMVEA has tens of thousands of members unable to receive adequate internet service. It does not seem like good use of funds and resources to overbuild areas that already have good service.î
