RELIABLE AND SECURE INTERNET SERVICE
to help you work, study, and stream at home
CHECK AVAILABILITY IN YOUR AREA
Is ECE Fiber coming to your area?
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Frequently Asked Questions
ECE Fiber construction started in the Dalbo area on May 8, 2023! Construction will continue through the Braham, Ogilvie, Cambridge, and Pine City areas until the ground freezes later this year. This phase of construction will need to be completed by June 30, 2025, to meet grant requirements.
We know that members are more than eager for fiber internet! ECE Fiber’s progress will be determined by where we’re able to secure grant funding and the amount of member interest in an area. The more interest we receive from each neighborhood, the sooner we can expand to that area. Encourage your neighbors to visit ecefiber.com to fill out their own form and add their address to the list of potential subscribers.
The overall cost is $350 million. Grants are an important component, but we still have a long way to go.
ECE Fiber will offer three different plans at 100 Mbps, 250 Mbps, and 1 Gbps speeds. Each plan offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, and no data caps!
You can view package pricing on the Services tab of ecefiber.com. There will be no hidden fees added to the monthly cost, but members will be charged taxes on equipment. Taxes are based on package selection and service area, so we are unable to provide a definitive monthly cost until the first bill.
We are looking to build the main fiber lines over a 5-year period. Certain areas of our territory have funding available that we’d want to target first. Supply chain issues could prolong our overall target. Our goal is to ensure all members have access to reliable, high-speed internet services!
We plan to update our bylaws to allow capital credits for fiber internet members. These credits will be on a separate retirement schedule but will still follow the cooperative model.
Glossary of terms
Broadband: The Federal Communications Commission defines a broadband connection as one with a minimum download speed of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps. Note: ECE plans to offer higher speeds than this—see “fiber” below.
Fiber: Fiber is considered the “gold standard” of broadband connections. It is incredibly fast because a glass filament transmits data through light pulses. Fiber can handle a near unlimited amount of data and users. ECE plans to offer a minimum of 100 Mbps.
FTTH: “Fiber to the home,” also called “fiber to the premises” (FTTP), is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point directly to individual buildings such as residences and businesses to provide high-speed internet access.
Underserved: An area in which households or businesses do receive service at or above the FCC threshold but lack access to wire-line broadband service at speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.
Unserved: An area in which households or businesses lack access to wire-line broadband service at speeds that meet the FCC threshold of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mpbs upload.
Symmetrical: Symmetrical connections are exactly what they sound like: a connection with equal download and upload speeds. (Most DSL and cable internet plans don't offer this; in fact, their download speed can be up to 30 times faster than the upload speed.) When you choose ECE Fiber, rest assured that you can upload as quickly as you download!