Frequently Asked Questions:
What is Fiber to the Home (FTTH)?
Why deploy FTTH?
Will FTTH increase my bill?
Will my home or business be getting fiber in 2024?
When will the project be finished?
What is a clamshell?
What is a cutover?
Will cable service be delivered over fiber?
Will cable service be available to me once I have fiber?
How deep will the fiber optic cables be buried?
How fast will my internet speed be?
Will my service still work during a power outage?
How long will I be out of service when being converted from copper to the new fiber?
Will multiple devices affect my internet speed?
How do I know the contractors are hired by Golden West?
Who do I contact if I have questions or concerns?
Currently, your home or business receives its services of home phone, internet or cable TV via a copper cable using electronic signaling. Once the fiber network is completed in your area, your services will be delivered over very long, thin, pure strands of glass called optical fibers. These fibers use pulses of light to carry data.
Fiber allows for greater bandwidth and speed, meaning you can receive more data in less time. It also provides an extremely reliable connection. Our fiber network is immune to many environmental factors that can affect the existing copper network. The core is made of glass, which is an insulator, so electric current doesn’t flow through it and water does not affect it.
The fiber network will be dedicated individually to each home and business, this means all the available bandwidth is available exclusively to you. No lagging connections during busy times, like after dinner.
In 2020, we all saw an increase in need for our internet connections whether it was working from home, students participating in classes through on-line learning, increased video calling to family and friends, or telemedicine calls with our doctors. The upgrade to fiber in your area will ensure a strong, reliable internet connection no matter how you use it.
Expanding our fiber network to your home, business and community will not directly raise or increase your rates. However, future rate adjustments may be driven by outside forces including governmental mandates like the FCC or cable TV programming rates. If that were to happen, Golden West would notify you via the contact information on your account. Much like Golden West’s past investments, this a long-term investment in your community and we are committed to serving you now and in the future.
Will my home or business be getting fiber in 2024?
Our 2024 FTTH project will add our fiber network to the areas below. Select the town below to see a map of where construction will be taking place or call our office at 1-855-888-7777 and ask for the engineering department to see if your home or business will be receiving fiber in 2024.
When will the project be finished?
The entire community project will take roughly a year; however you should only see construction in your neighborhood for a few months. You may be cutover to Fiber sooner, depending in which part of the project your home or business is located. Golden West and our Contractors will send you updates by mail and email, as well as call you to schedule appointments. Weekly updates are published on our website here.
A clamshell is the box that will be hung on the outside of your home or business. This is the point to which Golden West’s construction contractor will bury a fiber optic cable.
Cutover is the term we use to describe the process of transferring your services from the old copper cable network to the newly installed fiber optic network. During this process you may be without phone, internet and/or cable tv services for 30 minutes up to 1 hour. Panels will be installed in your home during this final cutover in the best location to maximize your connection.
Yes! Current Golden West Cable TV customers, during your final cutover, the equipment you lease from Golden West will be replaced with fiber-compatible devices. Two receivers are still provided at no charge. Each additional receiver needed will be $5.00/month. DVR recordings on your current receiver will not be available when the new receivers are installed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
If cable tv from Golden West was previously available to you it will continue to be so. Unfortunately, not all fiber served areas are eligible to receive our cable tv services. To see if cable is available in your area, visit goldenwest.com/cable.
All fiber lines and cables in towns and from the mainline to customer premises (drops) are buried in reels of orange innerduct. Fiber cables are buried approximately 18” deep in residential yards and about 36” in agricultural areas.
Golden West currently offers speeds up to 250 Mbps in most areas. Once you are converted to the fiber network your home will be able to receive speeds starting at 50 Mbps. Note: Not all devices are eligible to receive full speed based on age of the device, other network usage and proximity to the router.
Yes, Panels will be installed in your home during the final cutover in the best location to maximize your connection. These panels contain a battery backup. If your home or business were to lose power, your Golden West services will still be connected through a battery backup. Depending on the overall usage your backup battery will last up to 16 hours. The lifespan of the battery is 10 years. All replacement of batteries is done at the expense of Golden West.
During the cutover process you may be without phone, internet and/or cable tv services for 30 minutes up to 1 hour. Appointments for cutovers are scheduled in advance to allow for the planning of the service outage.
Yes, multiple devices may affect your internet speed. Other factors include the age of your device and its proximity to the router.
How do I know the contractors are hired by Golden West?
Golden West only hires reputable contractors. Each vehicle operated by a contractor will have a Golden West decal sticker affixed to it. All contracted employees, hired by Golden West will have a badge with their photo, indicating they are a Golden West contractor.
Contact Golden West by calling 1-855-888-7777 and ask to speak with the engineering department.
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