FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have questions about RURALBAND Fiber, please read through these FAQs. If we didn’t get to your question, please contact a Member Service Representative at 804-834-2424.
We encourage everyone to check back on our RURALBAND Facebook page as we will be posting our construction and project updates there most frequently.
What is Fiber to the Home?
Fiber to the Home (FTTH) is the installation and use of fiber-optic cable directly to your home.
Why is Fiber to the Home important to me?
Fiber technology is unique because it can carry massive amounts of digital information, called data, over long distances without degradation, and at the speed of light. Copper can also deliver high data rates, but only for a few hundred yards, after which the signal begins to degrade, and the data rate declines. Fiber is fast becoming a necessity, not a luxury. In large part, its importance comes from the speed it offers.
Connecting homes directly to fiber optic cables instead of copper and coaxial cables or wireless solutions enable homes to receive a wider range of products and services. Typical "triple-play" services, ones that offer telephone, traditional set-top box television, and internet services in a bundled (and typically expensive) package, are largely being rendered obsolete with the advent of fast, low-latency FTTH services. Envision your light-speed fiber connection as a pipeline to the content and services you want. You can ditch the bloated, 400-channel television package and instead subscribe to ad-free, on-demand streaming services for all your television and movies at a small fraction of the cost. If you need a landline phone service, there are internet-based options for that as well-they connect directly to the back of your router.
You can be sure the leap into the next-generation internet will inspire further innovations that we cannot even imagine at this point - just look at what the past few years have brought.
How many homes have access to RURALBAND Fiber to the Home?
We have made it available to over 10,000 homes and won't stop until we reach all our areas in Prince George, Sussex, Surry, Dinwiddie, Isle of Wight, and Southampton counties! Fiber to the Home is a massive project with many different steps and many considerations.
I've been waiting a long time for Fiber. When will it be in my area?
The best way to determine if RURALBAND is in your neighborhood or community is to
visit join.ruralband.coop and enter your address. After you enter your address, it will determine if you live in a “served” or “not yet served” area.
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If you live in a “served” area, you will register for service and complete an application.
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If you live in an area “not yet served,” we encourage you to pre-register. That way, we will be able to quickly notify you when service becomes available. When your service becomes available, you’ll receive an email with instructions on completing your application.
We encourage everyone to check back on our RURALBAND Facebook page as we will be posting our construction and project updates there most frequently.
I live across the street from someone who has RURALBAND. Why can't you just extend the wire to my house?
We know it can be frustrating to be literally yards away from someone who has service when you're unable to access it. RURALBAND’s fiber network is following a specific path that aligns with our electric footprint. The manner and method of our build ensure that we are building efficiently and able to offer the best possible pricing for services.
But we will ultimately reach all members!
Why is service not in my area?
There are many considerations that go into a network construction and deployment – population density, significant need, critical services in a specific area and more. RURALBAND’s methodical approach to deploying our network takes all that into account. Our ultimate goal is to bring service to our members as soon as we can.
I'm a Dominion Energy customer. Can I get RURALBAND fiber?
We will be building in select areas served by Dominion Energy. The best way to determine if you are in those areas is to visit join.RURALBAND.coop and enter your address. Additionally, we will be communicating our plans of expanding outside the Prince George Electric territory as they are finalized.
What are the advantages of Fiber to the Home?
Greater Speed and Reliability—Today's homeowners are using technologies that require higher data rates, and optical fiber is the only transmission medium that can serve both current demand, as well as expected future demand for decades to come. And because fiber is made of glass and does not conduct electricity, it is not affected by certain weather conditions, such as lightning.
Low-Latency—Fiber is fast in two important ways: data rate, which is the amount of data transmitted per unit of time (measured in Mbps or Megabits per second—for example, how fast you can load a video), and latency, which is the time it takes to establish a connection between your home and the computer at the other end. Since data transmission occurs at the speed of light, this contact time is nearly instantaneous. This is highly beneficial for time-critical applications, such as online gaming or video chat.
Secure—Data transmissions via fiber are more secure than when they are sent over conventional copper cable connections. The use of fiber eliminates the ability to tap, or eavesdrop, through contact with the delivery system.
Future-Proof—Once installed, fiber is usually upgraded by changing the electronics that create the light pulses, and not by replacing the cable itself. That's why fiber networks are said to be "future-proof."
Why does it take so long to build?
The global pandemic has made it more apparent than ever that our cooperative members need lightning-fast broadband Internet service – and they need it now. RURALBAND is working hard to make this happen.
The magnitude of establishing the world-class fiber network required to deliver the fastest and most robust Internet in the nation is similar in scope to when electric cooperatives brought electricity to rural America in the 30s and 40s. Ensuring reliable, symmetrical gigabit-speed service to 100% of our members is just as no small endeavor but one we are committed to advancing.
What is involved in the process of building a fiber-to-the-home network?
Construction of a fiber network is a complex process involving numerous contractors and dependent on a number of variables that include length of the circuit, terrain and soils, weather, and other external factors. For an overhead distribution project like ours, construction is divided into seven phases for each zone we open.
Can I use my current computer or laptop?
Yes, you will use the same computers, laptops, tablets or other devices that you are currently using.
Will I need a router?
The equipment provided to you by RURALBAND will include a router.
Will I have Wi-Fi?
Yes, you’ll be able to use Wi-Fi throughout your home through the provided router.
What are the router specifications?
We provide an 802.11ac Wi-Fi router with four available ethernet ports for hardwired connections. You will have network configuration management access through a web browser portal or a mobile app. The specifics of how to access this management tool will be provided upon installation of your service.
Examples of Daily Applications for FTTH
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Computers (e.g. laptops, desktops, servers)
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Gaming systems (e.g. PlayStation, Xbox, Wii)
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Televisions with the ability stream video or music (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, Pandora)
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Devices that stream video (e.g. Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast)
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Devices that stream music (e.g. Sonos, Bose, Logitech)
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DVRs (e.g. TiVo, Hopper, Sling, Genie)
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Mobile devices (e.g. Androids or iPhone smart phone, tablet)
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Web-enabled surveillance cameras (e.g. Swann, Q-see, Netgear, Lorex, x10)
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Web-enabled security systems/home automation
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Other routers, switches, VoIP phones, wireless printers