Fiber internet expanded to Gates, Curve
Shirley Dancy was fed up with her internet service company. The price went up often. Customer service was poor. And, she often had no internet connection.
“The internet went out so many times, it wasn’t funny,” said Dancy, who’s been living in the same house in Gates since 1963. “The price kept going up, and up, and up,” she said, adding that even after she called the company to get the price lower, she found it didn’t take long for it to go up again.
Dancy, who was the city recorder for the Town of Gates for many years, knew Ripley Power and Light—in partnership with Aeneas Internet and Telephone—offered high-speed fiber internet and telephone in Halls a few miles away.
Ripley Power and Light recently finished another phase of fiber installation that went south from Halls along state Route 209 into Gates and Curve.
“We know that fiber internet is important to our customers,” said Mike Allmand, President and CEO of Ripley Power and Light. “We continue to explore ways to bring fiber broadband into more of our service area.”
The response to fiber internet has been good, said Kami Wright, Ripley and Halls Office Manager. “We’re busy signing people up.”
‘Maybe it will come to me’
When Dancy saw Ripley Power and Light’s fiber installation crews coming closer to Gates, her hopes went up.
I thought maybe it will come to me,” she said. It did, and she didn’t hesitate. “I put my name on a list to get the fiber.”
The installation was easy, Dancy said. The technician even removed “the mess of lines on her outside wall” her other internet company made. Her internet costs are lower and reliability is better, she said. “I would certainly recommend it.”
Blake Barrett, who lives in Curve, has a similar story: His former internet service was spotty and slow. It also was more expensive than what he and his wife, Lily, are getting now through Ripley Power and Light, he said.
The Barretts work from home. Lily Barrett uses the internet to make phone calls from her computer. Her husband often finds himself on video team meetings.
Having a good internet connection is important to them. They heard about Ripley Power and Light’s fiber through friends and switched services in February.
Installation was seamless, Blake Barrett said. “We never have issues with our connection or buffering.”
Signing Up for Fiber
Ripley Power and Light owns the fiber network and leases it to Aeneas, which is initially offering telephone and tiered, internet services with speeds up to 1 gig. Service starts at $59.95 a month with no data caps and overage fees.
Halls, Gates and Curve residents who want the high-speed, fiber-based internet service can sign up at the Halls office at 409 S. Church St., by calling 731-836-7595 or at ripleypower.com.
By typing in their address at fiber.aeneas.com, residents can easily find out if the new service is available at their location.