top of page

  Get Ready for Fiber.

READY TO SIGN UP?  CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE FIBER SURVEY

READY TO SIGN UP?  CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE FIBER SURVEY

d76a85d59c0332989422b536b51c277a.png
Why Fiber?
Why Fiber?
d76a85d59c0332989422b536b51c277a_edited.
b7db81a0d8903f7113c31b3f5658667d.png
How Much?
How Much?
b7db81a0d8903f7113c31b3f5658667d_edited.
How Soon?
dc0a8e223859d07d9157e03415ad51a3.png
How Soon?
dc0a8e223859d07d9157e03415ad51a3_edited.
F.A.Q.
1503f113b0a65ac409f21031aeb4da7c.png
F.A.Q.
1503f113b0a65ac409f21031aeb4da7c_edited.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are we trying to get fiber internet?

Farr West is an amazing place to live!  Sadly, we're very behind when it comes to broadband availability.  Less than 40% of the city has broadband access.  Many residents in Farr West are not satisfied with the available speeds and provider choices for internet.  Future technology will demand better internet infrastructure than what we currently have.  In order to prepare our city for the future, fiber internet is the most reasonable choice.  Even if you have internet you're happy with right now, a new fiber network could end up costing less and giving you higher speeds, more reliability, and more choices for providers.

Do I have to pay for this if I don't want it? Will I be taxed for this service?

Absolutely not.  The fiber project model is strictly opt-in and opt-out.  If you don't want fiber internet, you will NOT be forced to pay for it through taxes or any other means.  Only those who choose to opt in will pay for wireless and/or fiber internet.   Be advised that if you change your mind later and choose to opt in after the initial round of installations are done, it may be more expensive than if you choose to opt in initially.

How has the plan to get fiber changed recently?

Initially the fiber plan involved a $2,000 commitment for 50% of the homes in a given area in order to get fiber service.  COVID-19 changed the world (including our economy) and many people may find that $2,000 isn't feasible anymore.  The plan was then changed to increase the number of homes needed but decrease the up-front costs.  Now, the goal is 60% of homes in a neighborhood need to sign up for service but they only need to pay a total of $300 to get fiber.   For those who sign up for wireless service NOW, $99 of that gets paid for the wireless installation and the remainder gets paid when fiber gets installed.   With more people to shoulder the cost, everyone pays less.  But we need your help!  

Can I help spread the word so we can get fiber FASTER?

Of course!  

Download a pamphlet you can hand out to your neighbors HERE.

You can use the alternate version HERE.

Don't forget to join our group on Facebook.

Last (and most importantly) - take the Fiber Survey HERE and sign up to be a Fiber Champion.  This may include something as simple as getting a yard sign or (if you feel particularly motivated to get fiber) volunteering to go around the neighborhood to get others to take the survey.

How much will I pay for the new service?

New wireless customers will pay a one-time installation fee of $99 and will pay $30/month for speeds up to 50Mbps.  Once fiber becomes available, existing wireless customers pay a one-time fiber installation fee of $199 (customers who didn't get wireless initially pay a $299 one-time installation fee).  Fiber plans are $35/month for 100Mbps service, $45/month for 250Mbps service, and $65/month for 1Gbps service.  Additional plans may become available.

How long until we can get the new fiber service?

Once your neighborhood has reached the goal of 60% of homes that have signed up for wireless service and/or pledged for fiber, Connext will begin to lay fiber to your area and you will be able to sign up for fiber service.  If you want this process to go faster, please consider becoming a fiber champion for your neighborhood.  You can also see your neighborhood's progress on the How Soon page.

If I sign up, when do you actually process my payment?

New wireless customers can pay their installation fee immediately to get new service.  Fiber customers will pay the installation fee for fiber once the neighborhood goal has been met and Connext begins the fiber build to their area.  

What choices of ISPs (Internet Service Providers) will we have?

Initially, Connext will be the ISP of choice when it comes to fiber.  Customers who would like to have more than one choice in their ISP will have the option of paying for their infrastructure to unlock this feature (and other features).  Customers who are interested in this option should discuss it with Connext once their neighborhood goal is met.

Isn't 5G going to make fiber obsolete?

5G is a much-hyped, poorly understood technology.   5G is nothing more than fixed wireless, which is a technology we already have available (TXOX, Rise Broadband, etc) and will still be subject to line of sight and interference, just like we deal with now.  Even though it will be faster than what we have available, it won't be anywhere near as fast as fiber.   See our Why Fiber page for more information.

Can I cancel if I already signed up?

You can cancel as long as you do it BEFORE the fiber construction deadline.   Usually that means once the construction crew passes your home, it's too late to change your mind.  

Can I have more than one ISP plan at my house with fiber?

Yes; however, there may be additional costs to pay for the equipment necessary to allow you to have two different service plans through a single fiber line.   Some residents want more than one ISP plan at their home so they can separate home business plans from personal use plans.  There are other possible use cases as well.  We don't think this will be very common, so we plan to work it out on a case-by-case basis.  Please contact us if you expect you'll need two different service plans at a single location.

How do they run fiber to my home?  Will my yard be dug up?

In many instances, running fiber in areas that have already been developed will involve digging trenches.  However, instead of digging trenches in the street (which is very difficult and costly), digging will occur in the easement located on the inside of the sidewalk running in front of your home.

 

 The process consists of the following steps, whether you sign up for service or not:

  1. Blue stakes will mark any important utilities buried in the fiber pathway.  You may see temporary chalk paint when lines are marked.  DO NOT erase these marks purposefully or you may be liable for delaying fiber crews or for causing serious damage to previously marked utility lines.

  2. The grass (if any) will be cut with a sod cutter (a single pass) and carefully peeled to the side until the trenching is complete.

  3. A trench is dug about 12'' down and the conduit and fiber are placed.

  4. Repair work is done for any instances where sprinklers were damaged.  In the rare cases where a sprinkler line was unknowingly damaged and not repaired immediately, you will be able to contact Connext and they will send out a crew to perform the repair as quickly as possible.  

  5. The trenches are filled and the sod is replaced and watered.

  6. Pneumatic drills will be able to place fiber underneath driveways and sidewalks without damaging concrete.

​

Additionally, if you signed up for service, another trench will be run from the sidewalk to the side of your home.  

​

Even though this may sound invasive, you should hardly notice a thing  after the sod has re-knitted with the ground after a few days.  In some cases, you may have additional landscaping or fencing that crews must work around.  In such cases, please feel free to ask the crews any questions.  All landscaping will be returned to the same state it was found in.

​

You will receive door hangers ahead of time letting you know when fiber crews are in the area and about to trench in front of your home. 

After my neighborhood reaches the goal, how long before I get actual internet service?

Once construction begins in a fiberhood, we anticipate being able to pass/hook up between 100 and 120 homes per month.  Because of the way fiber is laid, we will be able to start service for groups of homes as we go along.  So you should anticipate some delay (perhaps a few days to a few weeks) after your fiber is installed before you begin to get actual internet service; however, you do not need to wait until the entire neighborhood has been finished.

If I sign up for fiber or wireless, what happens to my old email address?

If your email address was specific to your ISP (e.g. jdoe@txox.com), then your email will typically go away when you cancel service with your ISP.  We recommend using a free email account that isn't tied to your ISP (like Gmail, MSN or Yahoo). That way it will remain the same regardless of who you use for internet service. 

What if I want crazy-fast speeds like 10Gbps?

We can make that happen, but it costs more.  10Gbps is cutting-edge residential speed and we only anticipate a handful of homes would be interested.  If you want 10Gbps service, make sure to talk to Connext about it BEFORE you get your fiber service hooked up.  

More Questions to Come!

When we get more questions, we'll post the answers here!  Check back soon!

bottom of page