ELEVATE FIBER – ONE YEAR IN THE MAKING

1:19PM June 29, 2017

1,000+ customers installed

Elevate Fiber, powered by DMEA, was introduced one year ago at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Members. The introduction of the project was one of the most exciting moments for DMEA and our members. The story has always been the same—our members asked us provide high-speed internet to our area. We listened and we acted.

 “Elevate is truly an example of the power of cooperative membership. Without the passion and support of our members, we could not have brought the company to life. It has been overwhelming to see members from all parts of our service territory express their need for high-speed internet and their appreciation for our efforts. I commend our board for representing our members’ best interests and working to improve the quality of life in the region by building a fiber network,” said Jasen Bronec, DMEA CEO.

 Fiber builds are expensive, time consuming, frustrating, rewarding, and more. Every day brings something new and it is not always easy making sure all members have the chance to be involved in the project updates. We send a sincere thanks to every single member for their continued support, even during the challenges and frustrations.

 We are proud to say that before we hit one year of the project being live, we have connected more than 1,000 members to Elevate Fiber. To continue to be successful, we will constantly evaluate the construction process, how we install the fiber to communities (boring underground vs. aerial, as an example), the equipment we use, the speeds we offer, new solutions that may be offered, the actual in-home installation process, and much more. There was no way that one year ago we could have predicted every bump or the outpouring of member requests to get fiber to their area first. The realities of construction and member feedback have changed how we complete the work.

 “Response from our members has been extraordinary. We know it can be frustrating for people to realize that their community may not be able to get fiber this year. With more than 3,000 miles of fiber to build across Montrose and Delta counties, it will take years to provide service in all DMEA communities. The success in the areas that already have service is contagious. The more communities that get live service, the more the excitement grows—let’s keep the momentum going,” said Bronec.

 Which zones will be next?

Fiber is being delivered first to communities who have shown the most interest by preregistering at join.elevatefiber.com. However, this is just one way we evaluate when and where Elevate can build. We also evaluate factors that influence overall costs, such as a community’s geography and timeline for seeing a positive financial return on our investment, among other factors. The end goal is to provide access to our network to every DMEA member, but there must be interest from the members and the incoming revenue from areas that have service to support the continued build. One year down and many more ahead, but that has always been the reality of this project. An entire fiber project cannot be built overnight or even within two years. The continued patience and support of our members is what will make Elevate a long-term success.

 Communities in construction

Home and business installations are currently taking place in multiple zones. If you live in one of the zones listed below, it is extremely important to contact us as soon as possible. Call 877-687-3632, visit join.elevatefiber.com, or stop by one of our local DMEA offices during normal business hours to get signed up for service.

• Paonia 45: $100 installation special is no longer available as the initial construction phase is complete. Service installations can take place at the regular $199 installation fee, so contact us now to get service.
• Montrose 721: installations are still taking place and the $100 installation special is still valid. We need more active members in this area. If you are already signed up, tell a neighbor to not miss getting connected.
• Orchard City 104: $100 installation special is no longer available as the initial construction phase is complete. Service installations can take place at the regular $199 installation fee, so contact us now to get service.
• Paonia 47: installations are still taking place and the $100 installation special is still valid. We need more active members in this area. If you are already signed up, tell a neighbor to not miss getting connected.

 Communities coming soon – make ready

Our goal is to get multiple areas in this stage over the next few months. The make ready stage is when our crews come into the area and lay the main network and bring fiber to each meter on the outside of a home or business.

• Hotchkiss 48: installations will be starting this summer
• Cedaredge 125: almost to goal, tell your neighbor to get signed up
• Montrose 418: almost to goal, tell your neighbor to get signed up
• Montrose 425: almost to goal, tell your neighbor to get signed up

 Construction summary

If your community is not listed above, do not worry, with continued support from you and your neighbors you may be next. You can follow how close your community is to reaching its goal by visiting join.elevatefiber.com and clicking on the Zones tab. The first step to bringing fiber to your community is to reach the set goal—become a champion for your community to help spread the word—just ask us how.

 Stay updated and show your support

Follow our Updates section at join.elevatefiber.com, follow us on Facebook by searching for Elevate Fiber, RSVP for our community events through Facebook or the Events section at join.elevatefiber.com, or stop by our Customer Experience Center at the DMEA Montrose office to ensure you are always in the know. This is a long road and we need our members’ support to make Elevate Fiber a reality for all our communities. Having a solid, reliable, future-proof network will change the way we live, work, and play. Elevate Fiber is here and moving at 1 Gig speeds.