Ask Us: As fiber lines go in old cable TV nearing an end
Q: There is a lot of fiber optic cable being installed in Mankato now. It is being installed by the street in the right-of-way. Do you know when it will be available for use? Will each property owner have to pay to get it run up to their house? If yes, how much will it cost to install and what will be the monthly service fee?
A: Stand-in Ask Us Guy contacted Sam Gett, corporate communications manager at Consolidated Communications.
“The reader is right. Consolidated Communications has been building fiber to homes and businesses across Mankato and North Mankato, as well as Eagle Lake, Nicollet, Mapleton and Lake Crystal.”
Gett said the process involves using right-of-way (which is the city-owned property that connects to a resident’s property) to install fiber in underground conduit or hanging new fiber on poles.
“While there is a short-term disruption with this connection, the fiber network will benefit generations to come,” Gett said.
The fiber service from Consolidated is branded as Fidium and, he said, there is no installation cost to those who want to get the service.
Symmetrical speeds (same upload and download speed) of up to 2 gigabit are being offered for $75 per month, with lower cost plans starting at $35 per month.
“Fidium is already available to thousands of homes and businesses in the area, with more addresses being added all the time,” he said.
Gett said there are no data caps with the service and it supports unlimited devices.
To learn if it’s available or coming to your neighborhood, visit FidiumFiber.com.
Q: Is there any truth to the rumor that Consolidated Communications will be discontinuing their cable television service in the near future?
A: Many people have long had the traditional cable TV service from Consolidated and the company is transitioning out of providing it.
“Consolidated has not marketed traditional TV services for the past two years as it shifts to next-generation TV services,” Gett said.
As Consolidated Communications builds more fiber lines, it is transitioning from linear cable TV service, which runs over copper lines, to streaming entertainment services over its all-fiber network.
He said there is no timeline for a full transition. Consolidated has been focused on providing streaming TV services such as DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV, FuboTV and Philo, “which are in high demand and represent the future of TV viewing.”
Gett said that when the cable TV service is discontinued the streaming partners will be in contact with customers to offer their streaming services.
Tim Krohn is Stand-in Ask Us Guy. To contact Ask Us at The Free Press, 418 S. Second St., Mankato, MN 56001. Call Mark Fischenich at 344-6321 or email your question to mfischenich@mankatofreepress.com; put Ask Us in the subject line.
Read the article from The Mankato Free Press at: https://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/local_news/ask-us-as-fiber-lines-go-in-old-cable-tv-nearing-an-end/article_9dae5436-4d0f-11ee-b706-7b676fd2591d.html