Internet Service for Your Fort Collins Home

General

• What is Fort Collins Connexion?

  Fort Collins Connexion is the new community-owned fiber network that brings high-speed internet, advanced video, and telephone services to the residents and businesses of Fort Collins.

• How will I know when I can sign up?

  The Connexion Team will be notifying residents and businesses directly as soon as service is available to order via email (if we have a valid email on file) as well as direct mail letter. To ensure you receive an email notification, visit fcconnexion.com/service-availability and fill out the form at the bottom of the page.

• I’ve signed up for Connexion Service. What happens next?

  If signing up by phone, a Customer Service Representative will schedule your installation time. If you sign up online, you will be able to schedule your install during the order process.

  Next, locates will be done on your property to mark existing utility lines prior to Connexion crews digging. An outside installation crew will come to your home a few days prior to your in-home installation to run fiber to your home by digging a small trench to bury the fiber underground. We are connecting a small vault in the right-of-way called a “flowerpot” to a small box called a Network Interface Device (NID) on the side of your home. Crews take measures to help keep the construction area clean and reduce impact on your landscaping as our goal is to leave your property looking perfect after installation is complete.

  On the day of your in-home install, our inside installation crew will bring fiber from the NID to the inside of your home and connect it to the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) provided by Connexion.

• What is broadband?

  Broadband is a high-speed communications network that can support many different communication services. This term is commonly used to describe different types of internet services delivered at speeds significantly faster than those available through “dial-up” connections. The Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan now defines broadband service as providing a minimum of 25-megabit (mbps) download speeds and 3 mbps upload speeds.

• What is a public right-of-way?

  Right-of-Way (ROW) is the city-owned strip of land from the edge of the street back about 3 to 10 feet. Its purpose is to allow the city to build and maintain the street, curb and gutter, storm sewers and possibly underground utilities. This land is the responsibility of the landowner but the city has the right to determine what takes place there. A right-of-way may include curbs, sidewalks, and utilities. Since the depth of a ROW varies from location to location, a survey needs to be conducted or property records reviewed to determine the exact dimension of any given right-of-way.

• What is the difference between broadband and internet?

  The term broadband refers to the communication network and also means high-speed internet access that is “always on” and faster than the traditional dial-up access.

• What is fiber?

  Fiber to the home (FTTH), 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, apartment buildings and businesses to provide unprecedented high-speed internet access. Fiber is more cost-effective, eco-friendly, provides virtually unlimited bandwidth and is more reliable, requiring less maintenance once it is installed.

• Why fiber? Why now?

  The City recognizes that a fiber-connected city creates advantages over a disconnected city.  With the growing importance of high speed internet within the economy, to support the needs of our community and local businesses as well as improve our citizen’s daily lives, securing gigabit-speed internet across the City’s growth management area (GMA) is crucial. More than just nice to have, fiber internet will drive business growth, innovation, and community transformation.

• Why is fiber optic cable now being connected directly to homes?

  Connecting homes directly to fiber optic cable enables enormous improvements in the bandwidth that can be provided. While cable and DSL providers are struggling to squeeze small increments of higher bandwidth out of their older technologies, ongoing improvements in fiber optic equipment are constantly increasing available bandwidth without having to change the fiber. That’s why fiber networks are said to be “future proof.”

• What is gigabit internet?

  Gigabit internet means that 1,000,000,000 bits of data is transferred through fiber optic cables in one second. Fort Collins Connexion (1 gigabit internet) is roughly 85x faster than average DSL speeds. Note: Speed comparison based on maximum download speed of Connexion service (1 Gbps) vs. average DSL speed of major U.S. DSL providers (< 11 Mbps) per 2016 Measuring Broadband America – Fixed Broadband Report.

• What is the difference between a symmetric and asymmetric connection?

  Symmetric connections have the same upload speeds as download. This means that you can send a file to someone else just as fast as you could get it from them. Traditional internet connections are asymmetric and offer much slower upload speeds, which can slow usage of the modern internet to a crawl. Both cable and DSL networks are typically asymmetrical by design.

• Will this affect my taxes or electric rates?

  No. Only Connexion subscribers will be billed/pay for the service. Fort Collins Connexion network is funded by bonds which will be paid back using subscriber fees.

• I live in the GMA (Growth Management Area), when will I be able to get service?

  Under the current business plan broadband would extend throughout the current City limits and will extend into the GMA when those areas are annexed.  Current capital spending estimates are for the City limits only.

• How do I get Connexion in my apartment?

  Yes, we are working on installing Connexion in apartment complexes in Fort Collins. To learn more visit: https://fcconnexion.com/i-live-in-an-appartment/