Pioneer Telephone to install fiber in western county

Pioneer Telephone Company of LaCrosse is expanding its network to include high-speed broadband access for all of its customers. The company announced through a letter to its customers that it plans to install fiber for all customers.

“We are going to do fiber to the home,” said Dallas Filan, general manager. “It’s a 10-year project, and we’re hoping to do it in five.”

Filan said the company plans to get the project off the ground this spring by starting in Hooper. The start of the project now is conditional on the weather.

“It’s not a very good year for this right now,” he said.

He plans to start the installation in Hooper and southwestern Whitman County this year, possibly extending to Hay by the end of the year.

“This year, I’m doing around Hooper,” he said. “The fiber I need for Endicott and LaCrosse is 35 weeks out, so I’ll do Endicott and LaCrosse in 2018.”

He said he plans town hall meetings in both towns to discuss the fiber installation with residents.

“It’s going to be quite a process. We have to go through a lot of neighbor’s yards,” he commented. “But we did send out a bill stuffer to our subscribers.”

The letter stated that the project will begin when the ground thaws, and orange conduit will be put in the ground to homes.

“Once the conduit is in place, we will begin other preparations to complete the process,” the letter read. “This includes blowing fiber into the buried conduit and making the electrical connections.”

In total, the company’s service area is more than 800 square miles.

“It’s going to be to every home, as long as it’s in the budget,” said Filan.

He noted the fiber installation will replace the company’s copper plant which was completed in 1984.

“Construction would be the same as if I did copper or fiber,” he said. “This project has the potential to enhance LaCrosse and Endicott to where people could work from home.”

The letter explained the benefits of the fiber installation.

“Fiber is the future of communications giving you access to the same speeds and services you find in some of the largest cities in America,” it read. “Fiber will increase the value of your home and it will make your service more reliable and faster.”

Filan noted rates will not go up for customers, unless they opt into a higher package.

The project is being funded with the help of the Federal Communication Commission’s ACAM (Alternative Connect America Fund), which Pioneer Telephone Company participates in. Filan said it is a high-ticket project.

“It’s going to be a multi-million project. It’s a lot of money,” he said. “I’ve been penciling things in, and thank God my pencil’s got an eraser.”

Filan said the town hall meetings will be announced at a later date. If any customers have questions about the fiber installation, he welcomes them to call the company.

509-549-3511