A roll of fiber optic conduit awaits installation underground in northwest Grand Junction. If you’ve seen construction scenes like this in your area, it means high speed fiber optic internet will be coming to your neighborhood in the not-too-distant future. This is a photo of Clearnetworx operations ongoing in northwest Grand Junction, near the Foresight Circle area.
Two companies are currently racing to install high speed fiber optic internet lines throughout the Grand Valley, particularly in areas that have been underserved with high speed internet.
The two companies are ClearNetworx and Highline.
Clearnetworx is based in Montrose. It is a local company privately owned by Doug Seacat, who was born and raised in Montrose. Clearnetworx has already installed high speed fiber lines in Palisade, and their system went live on December 21, 2023. Clearnetworx started installing fiber lines in Fruita in May of 2023, and have made significant progress in bringing fiber to the west central area of downtown Fruita. You can see a map of their progress for installation in the Grand Junction area here.
Clearnetworx’s most recent map of progress installing high speed fiber internet lines in Fruita
Highline high speed internet is already live in a large portion of the Fruitvale area that stretches roughly from 29 Road east to 31 Road, and south of I-70 to the north side of I-70B:
Map of where Highline fiber optic internet service is currently available in the Fruitvale area of Grand Junction. The west border on the map is 29 Road and the long line on the east border is 31 Road.
If you want to see if Highline’s fiber service is available where you live, enter your address at this page on Highline Internet’s website.
Highline’s website seems more aimed at pushing bundles of services, like including streaming TV. Their website markets their services in “packages,” like a “Gaming Package,” a “Streaming Package” and a “Working Warrior Package,” without posting prices for any of the packages on their website. Instead, people are directed to call an 888-number or open an online chat. The chat is with a real person and not a bot, though, so that’s something, anyway.
If you call Clearnetworx, a real person answers, and if you ask that person questions they can’t answer, they’ll transfer you to another real person who CAN answer your questions. That’s refreshing, to say the least.
What’s the big deal about high speed internet?
Horizontal directional drilling machine used to bore underground trenches for new fiber internet lines, shown with a 60 lb. dog for size comparison. This unit costs $130,000 to $155,000 new.
Fiber optic lines are now state-of-the-art for internet technology. Fiber uses light to transmit data through glass or plastic fiber cables. Fiber is 20 times faster than cable and way faster than traditional copper wires. Fiber can transmit data at speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps).
How fast is that, actually?
If you download an HD version of the movie Top Gun: Maverick using a 50 mbps (megabits per second) cable internet line, it takes 12 minutes. If you download the same movie on a 1 gigabit (GB) fiber optic line, it takes 42 seconds.
Fiber requires all new infrastructure to implement, which is why these companies are out digging trenches and running conduit. Fiber also is extremely expensive to repair it if gets damaged, which is why they prefer to install it underground, where the lines are better protected from weather, flooding, accidents and other calamities, even though it costs more up front to do it that way.
You can help Clearnetworx determine where it will install its fiber lines next:
Stephen Cadwallader, Sales and Marketing Director for Clearnetworx in Montrose, says they’re looking for leads to help them decide where they should go next for fiber installation in the Grand Valley. If a lot of people in a certain area express interest in fiber, that area will get fiber installed sooner rather than later. To express interest in getting fiber to your home, go to the “Get Started” page of Clearnetworx’s website and enter your
A fiber internet conduit emerges from the ground in a neighborhood, waiting to get stubbed up and extended into homes.
physical street address. If you enter your street address, Cadwallader promises they won’t use the info to spam you, send junk mail or subject you to other marketing harassment. Cadwallader says Clearnetworx also strives to be maximally user-friendly, so when you call them, you’ll get a human being. They don’t have contracts, data caps or any hidden fees. They don’t play marketing games like offering lowball introductory rates and then hiking the rates after you subscribe. They have flat rates for internet service that they post on their website, and that they say will remain the same after you subscribe.
Clearnetworx’s rates are as follows:
Fiber 300 plan: 300 mbps symmetrical fiber (“symmetrical” means the speeds are the same for uploading and downloading data — 300 mbps will download an HD movie in 3 minutes: $49.95/mo.
Fiber 500 Plan: 500 mbps symmetrical fiber (downloads an HD movie in 1.5 minutes): $59.95/mo.
Fiber 1 Gig: 1000 mbps (or 1 gigabyte) symmetrical fiber (downloads an HD movie in 42 seconds): $69.95/month
While Clearnetworx’s expansion in the valley is currently privately funded, they do accept grants to help get internet into harder-to-reach areas.
The Biden Administration announced in June of 2023 that the federal government was putting $42 billion into expanding high-speed internet access across the country into rural and underserved communities, with a minimum commitment of $100 million per state, which is contributing to the ongoing boom in expansion of high-speed internet into rural areas across the country.
Thank you, President Biden.
I have no idea as to rendering a validation for either fiber optic Co.! I’m currently with Spectrum cable. Before reading your posting, I had never heard of ‘Highline’ FO. Now, Clearnetworx’s, that is a different ‘Bundle of mishaps; miscues; poor judgment and way off of the box preparations’! Besides those in the ‘Need to know’, does anyone have any valid figures for the number of irrigation pipes damaged thus far? I am aware of several-including my pipes-that prevented me from starting my annual water polo with my lawn!
But, People, People How can anyone justify the errors and omissions for the sake of having Fiber Optic? I will offer up this pronouncement! That when I suspect Spectrum is trying to make me part of the National Debt! It is then that I will have to seek out another Cable; Satellite; FO or just nail an antenna on my roof!
There are always issues that come up with directional boring, especially with private/unmarked utilities. It’s just the way it goes. If they damaged something file a claim.
Any enterprise, no matter the size, when involved in construction; demolition or maintenance will always be expected to use due diligence before; during and at conclusion with follow-up on all projects! I am and have been fully aware of directional boring, the wire system utilized by the various Govt. entities as well as ‘ditch witching’! My early employment/training and later five years of academics, included those area’s! When you pierce a water line and ‘Duct Tape’ the opening and ‘move-on’! Is that due diligence? I vented my frustration on the Fruita Messages Board! That was Frustration! This is annoying anger! Originally, after my comment followed by-I believe- your comment on the FMB. I was not going to ‘Throw my dog into that fight’! that is, until my sprinkler system was rendered inoperable! Maybe its now a dying ‘Moral Obligation’ But, ‘Accountability is still part of Business Law:112!
This was very informative and helpful. Thanks for posting it. I’m fed up with the price I’m paying Spectrum. I tried T-Mobile but it didn’t work with my Hulu Live subscription. I pay almost $100 a month for basic interest including fees to use their modem. Ridiculous. Unfortunately neither company offers service in my area yet but I took your advice and submitted my address and email address. Thank you!
Jolie, try a service recommended by Consumer Reports called BillShark to lower your Spectrum bill. They negotiate on your behalf w/Spectrum (and other providers) to substantially lower your monthly bills. I tried them and they lowered my monthly Spectrum Internet bill from $85.99/mo. to $39.99/mo. for the next 2 yrs., saving me over $900 for that period of time. BillShark gets 40% of whatever they save you. It’s at BillShark.com