You may have read or heard about the recent FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction announcements that awarded funding to help underwrite the construction and operation of high-speed broadband networks to many rural communities where residents still lack adequate access to the internet. RDOF’s aim is to bridge what is often referred to as the ‘digital divide’ – the gap between those who have access to high-speed internet and those who do not.
You also may have seen in the media that Hunter Communications was awarded $19.2 million in RDOF funding to deploy 100% fiber-optic broadband networks to offer up to 1 gigabit symmetrical internet services to 5,771 underserved homes and businesses in rural Oregon and northern California communities. If you are wondering if you will be seeing Hunter trucks in your neighborhood soon, the following are answers to some frequently asked questions.
What is considered rural?
The goal of the FCC’s RDOF program is to provide funds to companies like Hunter Communications to expand high-speed internet service to underserved markets lacking acceptable bandwidth. Underserved does not necessarily from a population standpoint, it can also mean from a pricing standpoint. You can learn more about the RDOF program by visiting these sites:
BroadBandNow RDOF Map, Auction and Analysis
Where will Hunter be expanding internet services?
Hunter is expanding our network to bring fiber-optic internet to numerous towns and cities in the Southern Oregon and Northern California areas. For a current listing please click here to see if your address is currently serviceable and to let us know you are interested in sign-up for fiber-optic internet.
How long does it take to get service after I have placed my order?
The length of time it takes Hunter Communications to install your service after you place your initial order depends on many factors, including demand in your neighborhood and our construction and installation schedules.
How do you decide where to expand services?
Hunter’s fiber-optic network involves a significant investment in design, planning, and construction to lay hundreds of miles of new fiber-optic cable. Where and when Hunter builds is based on numerous factors, including customer demand, cost and complexity to build, and the number of easements and permits required. If you would like us to come to your neighborhood, please be sure to let us know by clicking here.
Why is it so expensive to expand a fiber-optic network?
Providing fiber-optic internet and voice service to homes and businesses in rural areas takes substantial resources and funds. Long driveways and low house density can drastically raise the price to provide service to the areas where we are expanding. That is why Hunter is sincerely appreciative of the funding grant we are receiving from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.
Why does my neighbor down the street have service and I don’t?
For your home to be connected to fiber-optic internet from Hunter, a fiber line must be attached to the poles in your neighborhood or run underground. That line then needs to be connected to a junction box, and then back out to each individual home. In some cases that junction box could be located up to a mile down the road. If you would like us to provide service to your home, please be sure to let us know by clicking here and fill out an interest form.
Your competitor is going to offer me service. Why can’t you?
The goal of the RDOF program is to ensure everyone has internet service available. The program fosters competition to give consumers numerous options for high-speed internet. To determine if another provider may be expanding to your area, visit BroadBandNow RDOF Map, Auction and Analysis.
At Hunter Communications, we welcome competition if that means everyone will have the opportunity to access the internet.
If Hunter is not coming to my neighborhood now, what about in the future?
If your address does not fall in any of our current planned fiber expansion areas, your interest is valuable to our future fiber network expansion plans. If you would like us to come to your neighborhood, please be sure to let us know by clicking here.
