VILLAGE OF WESTON, WI (WSAU) — An agreement between the Village of Weston and Madison-based TDS Telecom to install a fiber optic network was approved by the Board of Trustees on Monday.
The agreement calls for work on the network to begin as soon as the ground thaws with the goal of having the service switched on by the start of the new school year. TDS Manager of Business Development Josh Worrell says when completed, the new network will provide a different home entertainment experience than many are used to.
Instead of wiring an entire home with coaxial cable hookups, a single fiber-optic line will come into your home to provide one internet, TV, and phone connection. “The Coax in your home is not going to work with this service,” said Worrell. “We will bring a fiber line into your house, with new boxes and new equipment.”
That single fiber line will power all connected devices in your home. Worrell says TV service will be delivered to wireless connected set-top boxes which will have access to a central DVR. A wireless router will then provide whole-home wifi at symmetrical speeds.
“Our entry-level speed is going to be 300 meg, and it’s a symmetrical service meaning 300 meg [upload] and 300 meg [download], it will be a completely different online experience for you.” Those speeds will go all the way up to 1 gig upload and download.
Worrell also pointed out that the fiber-optic technology helps the village prepare itself for future technologies as well, saving them from having to do future installations.
As part of the agreement, Weston’s Tax Increment District 1 will be completed first. After that is complete the village will provide a $180,000 grant payment to TDS for the rest of the village. A second $45,000 payment will then come in four years to complete the funding, but that payment could be waived if they have a 60% market share in the village at that time. Additionally, TDS will provide free 1-gig internet to village hall and other municipal facilities for three years and budget $12,000 annually to sponsor community events in Weston.
Worrell says sponsoring community events is something TDS strives for in all of their markets. “We will out-local our competition. We will stand up a workforce here, we will have people that become part of the community. Field marketing representatives will partner with the local chamber to fill their needs, sponsor events and local charities, anyway we can be involved in the community. We don’t want to feel like we are just an outside provider.”
Even those who don’t sign up with TDS will see a benefit from the deal. Worrell went on to say the competition will likely prompt a move by Charter/Spectrum to either improve service or lower prices. “Ultimately, the consumer wins.”
Residents in Weston will soon be able to reserve service through the TDS website to be at the front of the line for installation later this summer.
TDS has a similar agreement with the city of Stevens Point and is in negotiations for an agreement in Kronenwetter. Worrell said the company is eyeing other Central Wisconsin markets as well including the city of Wausau, but those projects will likely not happen until 2020 at the earliest.
