Elevate is coming to Paonia

9:48AM August 19, 2016

Thank you to all of the DMEA members who are supporting the Elevate Fiber project, spreading awareness, and for being patient while the fiber build process takes place. Help DMEA take our communities into the future by continuing to support Elevate.

DMEA is proud to energize and serve more than 27,000 members in Montrose, Delta, and Gunnison counties. As your not-for-profit electric utility we put you—our members—first, which means our programs and services, including Elevate, are designed to benefit you. This project would not be possible without our member support. We are building the future of our area together—a reliable fiber network to every community will ensure we are ready for new technologies and that every home and business has a reliable and extremely fast connection to the internet. Best part, Elevate is coming to Paonia soon. 

The community of Paonia exceeded the goal of preregistrations in less than 6 weeks.  What that means is construction is starting soon and Paonia will experience 100x faster internet speeds compared to the majority of the nation as early as this fall. Our team has been building out the plans the past few weeks and starting next week will be taking 'fiber to the curb' throughout the community. This process will take a few weeks and as soon as it is complete we will start taking fiber to meter, which will be followed by actual installation of services. Details of this process and timelines will be emailed to all those that are preregistered in Paonia. If you know your neighbor has not preregistered remind them NOW IS THE TIME—once we leave the area the $100 installation fee increases.

Why is Elevate different compared to other providers in the area? Elevate is delivering a 100% fiber network. Meaning our network is not just backed by fiber, we will bring fiber right into your home or business—and plan to bring the connection to EVERY DMEA member as long as the interest is there. Plus, Elevate is powered by DMEA your local electric utility who you know and trust and has a long history of being a community partner—our members come first.

Fiber benefits:

• RELIABLE. Fiber guarantees the most reliable high-quality connection—less affected by weather and other elements.
• SUPER FAST. Access to the fastest speeds—up to 1 Gig (1,000 megabits per second). There is no other provider offering speeds up to 1 Gig or even 100 Mbps—Elevate's basic package is 100 Mbps. If you think a 'up to 30 or 60 Mbps' connection will compare, it won't.   
• NO BUFFERING. With 1 Gig you can download a 2-hour HD movie in 25 seconds, download a 9-hour audiobook in under a second, and so much more.
• FUTURE-PROOF. The fiber optic cables we install today are considered 'future-proof' and will be able to handle increased data loads as the need for more and more speed grows.
• NOT JUST INTERNET. Elevate plans to deliver voice service and video (TV) service over the same connection. The voice offering will operate the same as your local telephone service but includes unlimited long distance and advanced calling features. DMEA also hopes to offer a video (TV) service in the future that will be an affordable option giving you access to local channels and popular streaming solutions for one low price.
• PROPERTY VALUE. Fiber tends to increase property values by as much as $5,000 per property (value provided by RVA, LLC home owner and developer survey and research commissioned by the FTTH Council).

Will Montrose be next, Orchard City, Hotchkiss, or your community? All communities are up for preregistration, even if a goal is not listed. Construction will begin in the next community that shows the most interest. Preregistering now also guarantees an installation fee of just $100, which includes a WiFi router so that every device in your home can be connected wirelessly to the internet. Don't wait to preregister—help us bring fiber to all members and get your neighbors, friends, and family to preregister today.