USI expanding direct fiber service again

[dreamshark]

So, about 18 months ago (?) I freed myself from Quest, converting both my Internet and phone service to direct fibre connect through USInternet. This is the local provider that runs the municipal wireless service for the City of Minneapolis. Getting your home Internet service via USI wireless is frankly a chancy thing that I would not particularly recommend, as it is not very fast and is very susceptible to weather and to the placement of the wireless relays. This is something different. USI is running big fibre cables down city streets to serve as backbones for the wireless service. If they happen to be running fibre down your block, you get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have your house directly connected to that fibre backbone.

It's really a no-brainer to take this service if it becomes available to you. Speeds of up to 1000 Mbps are available (symmetrical - same bandwidth for upload or download). Most people don't need that kind of bandwidth now, but once the fibre is connected you can upgrade speeds at any time. In the meantime, I switched from paying $45/month for 12Mbps DSL to $30/month for 30Mbps (modem/router included). A few months later I dropped my Quest landline and converted my phone service to VoIP. So now my combined ISP/phone bill for the month is $53.

Anyway, it's spring and they're laying more cables. Here's a link to the new coverage area. If you're in the zone and you want to sign up, please let me know. If you let me refer you I get a free month of service or something like that.

No, Blaisdell Poly, I'm afraid they slipped right past you again. The only fans that I can think of in one of these zones is the Adams/Kennedy household, but there might be others that will see this. Pass it on if you can think of anybody that qualifies and might be interested. 

Comments

[mle292.livejournal.com]

We were going to get publicly owned, solar powered, inexpensive-to-subscribe-to wi-fi in our city, and then an electrical contractor committed a series of illegal and dishonest acts, like they do. There's a whole bunch of underground fiber already laid, but no plan for its use.

Occasionally, we imagine what's already buried in the street, and we drool.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I have lived at 7 different addresses in Minneapolis, and not one of them is in a Zone.

K.

[laurel]

We're wondering what they have against Bryant Avenue. Sheesh.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's easier to run fiber down quieter streets.