Fiber to the Home Project
The Humboldt-Montrose exchange (towns and rural) is scheduled for FTTH upgrades in 2023.
Contractors:
Wiring Contractor - Travis Electric
Engineering Consultant - RVW, Inc.
Construction Contractor - Anderson Underground
PROJECT UPDATE
June 1, 2023
- Anderson Underground has a boring rig working in Montrose. They are working north of Walker Street, then will move south of Walker. A second bore rig will be working in the same area next week.
- Travis Electric has been in the town of Montrose hanging clamshells. They have left notes on homes where they were unable to contact the homeowner.
- Customers who have questions about clamshell installation or upcoming construction can call Golden West at 1-855-888-7777 and ask for the engineering department.
May 25, 2023
- Anderson Underground has started boring (drilling and inserting vacant duct underground) in Montrose. They are working north of Walker Street, then will move south of Walker.
- Travis Electric has been in the town of Montrose hanging clamshells. They have left notes on homes where they were unable to contact the homeowner.
- Customers who have questions about clamshell installation or upcoming construction can call Golden West at 1-855-888-7777 and ask for the engineering department.
May 18, 2023
- Anderson Underground will begin moving equipment to Montrose next week. They plan to start construction after Memorial Day.
- A Travis Electric technician is in the area to hang a box, or clamshell, on homes included in this year’s fiber build.
- Customers who have questions about clamshell installation or upcoming construction can call Golden West at 1-855-888-7777 and ask for the engineering department.
May 11, 2023
- A Travis Electric technician is in the area to hang a box, or clamshell, on homes included in this year’s fiber build.
- Customers who have questions about clamshell installation or upcoming construction can call Golden West at 1-855-888-7777 and ask for the engineering department.
May 4, 2023
- A Travis Electric technician is in the area to hang a box, or clamshell, on homes included in this year’s fiber build.
- Customers who have questions about clamshell installation or upcoming construction can call Golden West at 1-855-888-7777 and ask for the engineering department.
April 27, 2023
- A Travis Electric technician is in the area to hang a box, or clamshell, on homes included in this year’s fiber build.
- Customers who have questions about clamshell installation or upcoming construction can call Golden West at 1-855-888-7777 and ask for the engineering department.
April 20, 2023
- A Travis Electric technician is in the area to hang a box, or clamshell, on homes included in this year’s fiber build. He is working in Montrose this week and expects to be in Humboldt next week.
- Customers who have questions about clamshell installation or upcoming construction can call Golden West at 1-855-888-7777 and ask for the engineering department.
April 13, 2023
- Staring next Monday, a Travis Electric technician will be in the area to hang a box, or clamshell, on homes included in this year’s fiber build.
- Customers who have questions about clamshell installation or upcoming construction can call Golden West at 1-855-888-7777 and ask for the engineering department.
January 26, 2023
Golden West Will Bring Fiber Optic Technology to the Colton and Humboldt-Montrose Exchanges in 2023
WALL, SD – Golden West continues to expand its fiber network through the towns of Colton, Humboldt, and Montrose, including rural areas. Fiber optic technology allows for greater bandwidth and speeds, offering a more reliable and secure connection to the world for all telecommunications services including internet, phone, and cable TV (where available).
The Fiber to the Home (FTTH) project will convert homes and businesses from copper cable to long, thin strands of glass called optical fibers, like a strand of hair. These fibers use pulses of light to transmit data and are immune to environmental factors such as electrical currents and water. The multi-year process of upgrading all Golden West customers involves burying about 14,000 miles of fiber-optic cable.
“To put that in perspective, it equates to a cable that would stretch from Wall, South Dakota, to the southern tip of South America and back – that’s 14,000 miles,” emphasizes General Manager and CEO Denny Law. “While the effort is significant, the need is enormous as broadband access plays an integral role in our lives today, both personally and professionally.”
Golden West will host informational open houses for subscribers in and around Colton and the Humboldt-Montrose areas who are a part of this year’s construction project. Those in attendance can learn more about the projects from Golden West representatives and can talk with contractors who will assist with the local projects. Attendees can also enjoy refreshments and register for door prizes.
- Colton’s open house will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Taopi Community Hall at 102 E. 3rd St.
- Humboldt-Montrose’s open house will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb 15 at the Community Hall on 201 S Main St in Humboldt.
Three contractors will complete the projects on behalf of Golden West. For the Colton exchange these include Travis Electric taking care of wiring, North Central Service handling construction, and RVW, Inc. covering easements, permits, and inspections. The contractors for the Humboldt-Montrose exchange include Travis Electric taking care of wiring, Anderson Underground handling construction, and RVW, Inc. covering easements, permits, and inspections. Golden West will take care of customer service.
FTTH is a multi-stage project that can take up to a year depending on factors such as weather. Current customers will be transitioned to the new fiber optic technology after construction is complete late in 2023 or early in 2024. At that time, customers will be able to subscribe to Golden West’s faster internet speeds.
Golden West will prepare all homes and businesses in the towns of Colton, Humboldt, and Montrose, including rural areas – even homes and businesses that aren’t current customers (with permission) – with infrastructure for fiber optic connections. This involves hanging a small box or “clamshell” on the outside of all homes and businesses within city limits and constructing the duct work underground to the box for future fiber optics. Installing these pieces during the initial fiber construction enables quick and easy connections moving forward. There is no cost to property owners for any of the construction during the FTTH project.
Currently almost three-quarters of the Golden West service territory is served by fiber. The cooperative is committed to upgrading its entire service territory to fiber within the next four to five years. In addition to the Colton and Humboldt-Montrose exchanges, Golden West will also complete fiber projects this year in rural Custer, Enning, Maurine, and Murdo.