Mayor's Minute Fiber Edition

Hello neighbors,

Summer is in full swing and thanks to the hard work of our businesses and residents the Village has never been more vibrant. Since March, our entire community has pulled together to create a safe environment so that we can all keep moving forward – resilient, healthy, and prepared for an ever-shifting new normal.

Today I would like to address a few of the questions I have received about our Fiber to Home project over the last few weeks. If you have questions or concerns about this or any other issue, please call me at (970) 708-2408 or email at .

1. When and where is the new high-speed internet fiber being installed?
   
   The Town of Mountain Village is upgrading its internet infrastructure from cable service to a fiber service. The Town is investing $3.25 million to upgrade our broadband infrastructure to deliver 1-gigabit internet to Mountain Village. Recent county and state COVID orders have delayed much of the town’s original timeline for fiber construction and installation; however, we continue to install fiber pathways along all our roadways.
   
   The fiber construction and installation process have been broken down into phases and we will notify customers as we move forward in your neighborhood. In the week or two preceding fiber installation, residents of the street and/or neighborhood can expect to see door hangings at their residence notifying them of an upcoming inspection and scheduling their installation. Once a residence has been scheduled, TMV will inspect the property from the curb to the home and inside the home explaining to the owner what steps will be required to get installed.
   
   All homes in phase 1 have been noticed via door hangers. Property owners who use AV companies should notify them respectively to prepare for fiber installation. Within phase 1, a second round of door-hanging notification is happening for those property owners who need to but have not yet scheduled an inspection.
   
   Installation has begun throughout lower Adams Ranch Road/Meadows neighborhood. Over the next four weeks, homes on Benchmark Drive and streets off of Benchmark will be noticed and will then be followed by homes on San Joaquin Road. Please check the interactive map for the latest progress on this work.
   
   You can also review our preinstallation frequently asked questions for more information.
2. What is required for a homeowner to get hooked up? What is the estimated cost to get connected?
   
   There are a number of factors that determine each homeowner’s costs. Residents who already have conduit installed can expect an approximate cost of $500 to get connected. For those who live in multi-dwelling units, such as condos, the cost is $95 per unit.
   
   Due to when they were built, a small number of homes do not have conduit from the road to the house and will need additional work to bring fiber to their homes. Residents/properties who need to install conduit from the curb to the home can expect a cost of $1,700. The town has begun contacting these properties with information on how to prepare their homes. For more information about cost please visit our website.
3. Is there a new monthly charge for the new service?
   
   Subscribers can keep their old service for the same price at the same level. Whatever you pay monthly can and will remain the same, unless you would like to upgrade to a faster service.
4. Is a homeowner obligated to connect to the new system or can one continue with the existing service?
   
   There is no obligation to connect to the new service. However, once fiber has been completely installed in the town we will eventually discontinue all legacy services (internet, cable tv, and phone) running over the old cable network. In order for these services to work, you will need to be on fiber or find an outside provider to provide these services.
5. What is the new capacity of the internet connection compared to the old existing service?
   
   The fiber network is much faster than TMV’s existing cable network which is copper-based. Fiber is more efficient than copper and offers a much faster connection. Subscribers may choose to upgrade to 1 gigabit per second (1000 x 1000 megabytes per second (mbps) versus the cable network which tops out at 50x10 mbps. This can translate to a 100% increase in download speeds and a 900% increase in upload speeds.

Ongoing Commitment

Outside of the fiber world, I would like to thank the hard work and team effort on the part of our Business Development Advisory Committee, TMVOA, TSG, and our local businesses, we have enjoyed a robust Market on the Plaza, Bike Park, vibrant Village Center, and much more this summer. Let’s keep working together to keep Mountain Village safe, healthy, and open for our full and part-time residents, businesses, and guests.

Remember the Five Commitments:

1. Wash hands frequently.
2. Wear a mask in public.
3. Maintain 6-feet of physical distance.
4. Stay home when you are sick.
5. Get tested immediately if you have any symptoms. (Please contact the Telluride Medical Center for testing.)

Please reach out to me, Mountain Village Town Council members, and town staff with questions, concerns, or potential assistance you may need or can offer.

Warm regards,
Laila Benitez
Mountain Village Mayor

For more information on other ways Mountain Village is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to submit your questions or concerns, please visit townofmountainvillage.com/coronavirus.