What is the Idaho Falls Fiber Network? This is the question most people have when they drive down 17th St. and see all of the signs declaring, “I am connected with the Idaho Falls Fiber Network,” in the front yards of homes lining the street that draw the attention of passerby and neighbors alike.
The signs often draw questions from neighbors, wondering why their friends and family members have switched from familiar internet networks to one managed through the city. When asked, those connected to the network excitedly share information about competitive prices and higher internet speeds. This system of word of mouth is how many neighborhoods have switched over to the internet through the Idaho Falls Fiber Network, connecting first in person with their neighbor before lighting fiber in their homes.
To answer that initial question, Idaho Falls Fiber Network is a regulated source of internet provided by the city to meet increased demand and provide more robust data delivery. Owned by Idaho Falls Power, this fiber optic infrastructure transmits data at the speed of light, a speed unmatched by other providers in the region. This network is now providing speedy, affordable internet to students, educators and families throughout Idaho Falls.
Connected at Home
The Braithwaite family was the first to join the Idaho Falls Fiber Network in their subdivision. Their willingness to participate in the city’s pilot program not only paved the way for future homes to receive fiber, but informed the entire neighborhood about the positive impact of fiber. After viewing the difference the Idaho Falls Fiber Network made in her home, Jamie Braithwaite used her position as the president of the community Homeowners Association (HOA) to inform her neighbors about the program’s benefits.
So, what is drawing people like the Braithwaite family and their neighbors to the Idaho Falls Fiber Network? According to Jamie and Garth, the parents of seven children, it is the low prices, high internet speeds and high-level customer service. The new source of internet has filled their needs and provided them with a sense of control, which is much needed in their busy lives.
“I do a lot of video conferences,” Garth said. “One of the big things is not just the download speeds, but the upload speeds as well. Having everyone on the internet and not having to worry about it hitting the performance to the point where it's impacting us is important.”
Some might worry that the setup process to join the fiber network would devalue its worth. No one wants to go through an absurd process to install something new, especially when change can be nerve-wracking enough on its own. However, Jamie shared that the fiber installation process was quick and easy for their home.
“They came out before and explained where things are going to go and what it's going to be like,” Jamie Braithwaite said. “And then they came out and did the work and they came out and repaired any of the damages that happened because it's hard to see immediately what sprinkler got hit or anything like that. And they came back out and repaired it and the internet was live in moments. It was fantastic.”
Connected at School
Idaho Falls Fiber Network isn’t just a resource enjoyed by local residents. The network has also had a major impact at Idaho Falls School District 91, allowing network administrators to utilize dark fiber (lighting the equipment they receive themselves without the supervision of an outside network). This switch not only saves District 91 money, but also allows them to better monitor their district wide network and meet its growing needs.
If the network needs to be updated, district administrators have the power to simply do it without worrying about upcharges for usage or other fees. For example, back in 2014 the district ran all of their network on 1 gigabyte of internet, which has since increased to 10. That transition can now occur seamlessly.
“I'd say the other benefit [of utilizing the fiber network] is security,” District 91 School Network Administrator Eric Bodily said. “If we were not operating under a ‘dark fiber’ scenario, if we were using a company that had their own equipment, we would have to then worry about security between from one school to the other.”
Dark fiber prevents outside sources from interrupting traffic between the schools, making it more secure than other local options. Because it's more secure, District 91 doesn’t need to invest in expensive firewall equipment to handle security between buildings. Educators and students are able to utilize the network to continue their education without any of the hassles of slow loading speeds. Idaho Falls has been providing this ‘dark fiber,’ which is mostly a business service or product since 2002.
Connected throughout the Community
Over the next 2 years, the Idaho Falls Fiber Network is expected to be available to all residents throughout the city. For details, we sat down with Bear Prairie, manager of Idaho Falls Power, who reemphasized the goal when the city welcomed another provider, ConnectFast, to the network in 2021. He says that to achieve this, the city will need to install fiber to 25 percent of the city per year, a lofty goal set in motion in 2019.
Q&A with Idaho Falls Power’s Bear Prairie
IFM: What is the construction process for getting fiber installed?
BP: Depending on where you live, it's overhead or underground service. We make sure to explain everything from start to the finish. We visit the property beforehand to show residents everything we will do before taking any action.
IFM: Who has access to the network?
BP: Currently, we're halfway through the construction process and we plan to have the second half done over the next two years.
IFM: Why should I put my trust in the fiber network when there are other options available?
BP: First, we're not for profit and our owners are our customers. We're focused on service and keeping the price as low as possible, and the service as high as possible and widespread. So, the big focus of the city is to expand our fiber optic network into residential areas. The goal is to have it be a community-wide network. Regardless of your location or economic situation, it is very important to the city council and the mayor to have this network reach everybody so they can utilize the benefits.
IFM: Where can people go to learn more about the Idaho Falls Fiber Network?
BP: We've tried to make it really easy and seamless. We built out our website with the domain, idahofallsfiber.com, which is a really simple name for people to remember. And then we have educational tutorials. We have videos on there that explain how the network and they can sign up right from the website. From there, we follow up with a phone call to answer questions and walk them through the installation process and scheduling.
For More Information
Idaho Falls Fiber Network
140 S Capital Ave • 208-612-8725
www.idahofallsfiber.com