How Plattsburg joined United Fiber’s Optic Network

Travelling can be difficult when you need internet, either for work or to locate your next destination for entertainment, restaurants or lodging. When you travel in forested area or high in the mountains, the signal can be weak, and sometimes even inexistent. But back in 2019, Plattsburg made sure to solve that problem for their residents, as Uniter Fiber installed an optic corridor, passing through the city. A plus for visitors who stay in town.

Commercial Service came First

When United Fiber started installing fiber optic networks in Plattsburg, it was first meant for businesses and commercial buildings. That process was initiated back in 2018. Talks between the mayor’s office and the company to request that general public also be offered optic fiber internet inside their home, came afterwards. It is partly because it was such a success that there were discussions for a second phase, regarding individual properties. Most companies jumped on the band-wagon as soon as they were made aware that fiber optic internet was now available to them, in Plattsburg. It is easily understandable, when you think that companies don’t want their employees wasting time, waiting for web pages to download.

United Fiber is a local company. It is based in Savanna, Missouri, and it is part of United Electric CO-OP. They have had great success installing optic fiber in rural communities in northwestern Missouri, for a while now. Their network is already in place and getting larger every month. For them, to move from commercial installation to private properties in 2019, was very easy to do. They only needed to have an idea, at first, of how many people in Plattsburg wanted to have optic fiber installed in their home. Once that happened, they went to work. To know more about how to get fiber optic installed in your home: https://www.plattsburg-mo.gov/files/documents/UnitedFibernews58831314012419-083820AMa.pdf

A High Demand for Private Properties

The news spread fast around town, when United Fiber started installing the fiber optic network and connected it to various commercial buildings. Soon, the phone was ringing frequently in the mayor’s office. On the line, were town citizens wanting to know when the optic fiber installation would be offered to private homes. That pushed Dave Schauer, the Mayor of Plattsburg, to enter into discussion with Fiber United, in order to entice them into moving forward more rapidly with the second phase. The residential customers were ready and waiting.

The response from United Fiber was that they needed to know how many homes in town wanted to be connected to the fiber network. And so, the Mayor’s office sent out an open letter to the citizen of Plattsburg, asking them to come forward and register. To do so, those interested had to go to City Hall where they could find signup sheets.

A Global Offer

United Fiber came in with an offer that was difficult to deny. First of all, it included phone lines and television as well; not just internet. The internet speed that was part of their basic offer was five to ten times faster than a DSL line (which was already available in Plattsburg, at least in some part of town), and it cost less. The television packages were also cheaper than the ones offered by DirecTv and Dish Network, and so was the phone land line. The great thing about it was that Plattsburg citizens could already verify the companies’ promises, since they had installed fiber optics into town’s businesses. When asked, they confirmed that they were saving money, thanks to United Fiber and that the service was also more reliable and faster than their previous suppliers. The mayor went on to tell the town’s residents that even City Hall was saving $500 per month thanks to their move to United Fiber.

To get the service installed faster in Plattsburg, the company was requesting a list of 500 people wanting to signup. They were not obligated to do so when the process would start, but the company would contact them as soon as the offer was made available. This worked, and the result was that Plattsburg moved up on United Fiber priority’s list of cities to develop. Now, many citizens already have optic fiber installed in their home and benefit form a faster and cheaper service than the one they had before.

Effect on Tourism

It is now easier than ever to stay in Plattsburg for tourists, even those who are looking to stay mid to long term. They can find lodging that are connected to the optic fiber network, so that they can check on the web, anything they have to and even continue to work if they are passing through for business reasons.

Today, visitors have become more difficult when it comes to internet, since it plays a big role into everyone’s lives. Now that optic fiber has come to Plattsburg, that is not something they have to worry about anymore.