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Northern Lights Fiber
Construction! What to expect with our investment?

Construction! What to expect with our investment?

Jul 10, 2023 | Construction Updates, Why Fiber Optics?

What To Expect

Northern Lights Fiber is excited to bring you fiber optic internet, with speeds up to 10,000 Mbps (10 Gigabit symmetrical service!). To future proof your community, these types of speeds and reliability is an absolutely necessity. But it would not be possible with the infrastructure that exists today.

To prepare your community for the future, we will be required to build an entirely new fiber-optic infrastructure.

If you want to sign up for service now, check out our world-class products and services HERE!

Utility Locates

Before we hit the ground running (and digging) we need to find out where it’s safe to do so. We rely on calling in utility locates to map out critical infrastructure and make sure we don’t strike anything that could disrupt, harm, or injure the community or our construction crews. You will see small flags along alley-ways, roadsides, and even through your yard if you request our service! This is to map out what to avoid, so we know where it’s safe to dig in our lightning fast fiber optic infrastructure. This process can take some time depending on the backlog of the government locate crew, but as soon as they’re performed you can expect to see us within the next few weeks to build and connect our network.

Main-Line

The first part of our construction is called “middle-mile” or “main-line” construction. You will see large equipment of ours, including “hydrovacs”, directional drills, dump trucks, front end loaders, skid steers, and even vibratory plows. Our design in Grimshaw dictates that we will be digging in public easement, and most of our design, in the area, will be in back lanes.

There are some places that this is not possible. There may be a few places where our design determines that we will use front lot easement. This means we will have to dig along the curb of your front yard.

The Drop

Having fiber infrastructure will future proof your home for generations to come. And while cities already have this infrastructure, it is very rare for rural communities in Canada.

If you sign up for services during this process, we will also need to burry new infrastructure to your house. We call this “the drop.” We will also install a small box on the side of your house.

What About My Property?

This is a big private investment to futureproof the Town of Grimshaw, and it requires heavy duty construction. We will try to be as respectful as possible to everyone’s property and we will restore all landscaping to the best of our ability, properly backfilling, and replanting grass.

We have invested in specialized machinery to get this job done fast and as discreet as possible, especially when we leave public easement to get to your house. If you have any questions about our proposed route, please call us at 1-888-CFO-2947 (ext 1) or email at info@CanadianFiberOptics.ca

All services such as electric, water, and other utilities are professionally located to prevent damage. If you are aware of any private underground utilities (like underground sprinklers), please let us know at onecall@CanadianFiberOptics.ca

How Long Will it Take?

Build a world class fiber infrastructure can take some time! Main-line construction in Grimshaw will continue through 2023 and should be fully complete, ready for all residents to connect to services by early 2024! That said, we should only be on each street for about a week at a time. Burying the drop to each house will only take about half a day.

What if I Have Questions?

Please call us at 1-888-CFO-2947 (ext 1) or email us at info@CanadianFiberOptics.ca.

How do I future proof my house and get internet that is 100% fiber?

Visit our Products and Pricing page or Sign-Up page! Or give us a call at 1-888-CFO-2947 (ext 2 , for Sales)

What is ProtectIQ?

What is ProtectIQ?

Jul 3, 2023 | Why Fiber Optics?, WI FI

What exactly is it?

Northern Lights Fiber is committed to providing the safest browsing and connectivity possible. We achieve this through our ProtectIQ software in the Northern Wifi App. ProtectIQ is a network-level security service which protects ALL devices connected to your Wi-Fi. If it’s connected, it’s protected!

What does ProtectIQ do to keep my home network safe?

  • Proactively monitors your home’s incoming traffic and automatically blocks anything suspicious.
  • Blocks attempted visits to known harmful websites, presenting users with a browser message indicating that the website is not available.
  • Provide an active security monitoring service that uses a large and constantly growing database of threats (database is updated weekly).
  • Uses IPS to monitor, notify, and prevent activity like hacking. It will stop a device from trying to gain access to technology like Wi-Fi connected doorbells or baby monitors, virtual meetings, and streams.
  • Actively terminates data transfers before a malicious payload is delivered to any network device.
  • Notifies users whenever security is triggered, with details about the device that was attacked, where the attack came from, and when the attack occurred.

Northern Lights Fiber is commited to providing its customers with the safest, fastest and most reliable connections possible. ProtectIQ is just one more way that we strive to provide a world class experience to our customers. By providing ProtectIQ as a service we ensure safety and security for everyone using their in-home network. Sign up with Northern lights Fiber now and download the Northern WiFi App so you can enjoy premium, managed WiFi today!

 

What is ExperienceIQ?

What is ExperienceIQ?

Jul 3, 2023 | Why Fiber Optics?, WI FI

What exactly is it?

ExperienceIQ is a service that protects children or grandchildren from harmful or inappropriate content, limits screen time on devices or applications, and displays online usage through our enhanced parental control app.

How is this going to benefit my family?

  • Block inappropriate categories like pornography or violence
  • Block applications that you deem inappropriate (e.g. gaming applications like Call of Duty, or social applications like Snapchat
  • Set time limits for specific applications, like TikTok to cap screen time
  • Set Safe Search and YouTube Restriction to block harmful or inappropriate content with searching on Google, Bind or YouTube. YouTube restrictions also
    blocks all comments on videos which often include inappropriate language.
  • View usage for all devices to better understand HOW the internet is being used in your home.
  • Prioritize application groups or specific devices to ensure the best possible experiences for your most important needs.
  • Set schedules so that work applications get priority during the day, and streaming applications get priority in the evening.
Why Upload Speed Matters

Why Upload Speed Matters

Jul 3, 2023 | Why Fiber Optics?, WI FI

The future of the internet is sharing―from capturing Instagram-worthy meals to enjoying video chats with friends―and Northern Lights Fiber’s unmatched upload speeds make that future a reality. 

Here are a just few ways Northern Lights Fiber’s fast, reliable upload speeds make your life easier:

Video chat and live sharing

Skype, FaceTime, and other video messaging services all require robust upstream connections to ensure clear audiovisual quality and to prevent freezing and blackouts. Sharing big news on Facebook or Instagram Live also works better with greater upload speed.

Working or going to school from home

You need a robust upstream connection to interact with colleagues during video conferences, collaborate on team projects, and share important files. Online studies also can tax your upstream connection, especially if you join a virtual classroom or share large portfolios. 

Keeping family, friends, and followers in the loop

Upload new videos to YouTube or share photographs with Flickr faster with a better upstream connection. 

Faster data backups and online file synching 

If you back up your data with a service like Backblaze or Carbonite, you need upload speed that meets basic requirements to ensure your data is protected quickly and without glitches. File and photo synching services like Dropbox, Google Photos, and Microsoft OneDrive all require a minimum of 5 Mbps upload speed to operate properly, and the more upload capacity available, the faster these services can sync and share files.

Online gaming, remote security and much more…

From online gaming to connected security systems that send real-time images through an internet connection, a fast upload connection is key to ensuring all your interactive online activities function well.

Why You Should Ditch DSL and Cable for Fiber

Why You Should Ditch DSL and Cable for Fiber

Jul 1, 2023 | Why Fiber Optics?

Not all internet options are created equal. All it takes is one missed virtual meeting or one lagging video game to realize that your current internet speeds may not be sufficient. If you aren’t happy with your current speeds, you may want to look into other options. But which service is best for you? Let’s explore the speed, reliability, and bandwidth of the three major service delivery options—landline telephone line (DSL), cable TV line (cable), and fiber-optic line (fiber)—to understand why fiber is the clear choice for today’s citizens of the internet.

Internet Speed

Fiber-optic broadband, which uses glass, offers faster internet speeds over greater distances than its copper-based competitors such as DSL and cable. “Fiber to the Home” (FTTH) internet service providers (ISP) boast gigabit-level speeds up into the 100–1,000 Mbps range—several times faster than the maximum offered by its counterparts. Comparatively,DSL speeds max out at about 45 Mbps, while cable hits top speed at 300 Mbps. While that may sound like more than you’ll ever need, the capacity and speed of cable and DSL fluctuate during times of demand, which can leave you lagging when you have a pressing deadline or virtual meeting to attend.

Internet Reliability

Simply put, if reliability is important to you, choose fiber. DSL and cable experience significant slowdowns during peak hours and during extreme weather conditions such as drastic temperature changes and flooding. Fiber alone withstands all of these conditions, including the heave usage of peak hours. Keep in mind that unplanned downtime adds a serious cost to both your productivity and bottom line.

Internet Usage

Don’t make the mistake of underestimating your internet usage. The reality of technology advancements is that most of us are now high-capacity users. How many desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, and gaming systems are competing for bandwidth in your home? Do you stream Netflix or Hulu or videos on YouTube? Do you play video games or games on your phone? Do you have a security system or a video doorbell monitor that requires internet connection to function? What about a home assistant device? Even smart appliances like washers, dryers, and refrigerators usually need an internet connection. As we get more connected, a lightning-fast internet connection becomes increasingly important.

Ready to make the switch to fiber? Sign up today!

Understanding Speed Test Results

Understanding Speed Test Results

Jul 1, 2023 | Why Fiber Optics?, WI FI

Testing the speed of your internet connection is easy, but it’s also easy to misunderstand the results. Your devices — TVs, routers, smartphones, laptops, desktops, etc. — have different capabilities, and you can get different results on each one, even while using the same internet connection. 

This is particularly noticeable to users taking advantage of higher speed packages offered by Northern Lights Fiber. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind when evaluating your speed test results:

HARD-WIRED VS. WIRELESS 

That old-school cord-and-plug is simply more reliable than WiFi (wireless) connectivity. Even those super-fast 1 Gbps connections, now widely available across the country, won’t test out at higher than 500 to 700 Mbps when tested over WiFi. For the most accurate speed test result you must test with a hard-wired device. 

Why? Because there are nearly endless variables that can negatively affect a WiFi signal, everything from nearby construction or the wireless printer in the home office to a baby monitor or microwave in use in the home. 

Keep in mind that one limitation with a hard-wired connection is testing with a device that has a 100 Mbps NIC (Network Interface Card). This can cause you to consistently receive speed test results at 90-98 Mbps. Northern Lights Fiber recommends testing on a device that has a 1 Gbps NIC. 

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS AFFECTING SPEED AND SPEED TESTS 

Slow internet speeds are sometimes caused by malware such as adware and viruses. There are several free and inexpensive programs and apps to deal with that, and they’re important to use for many reasons. 

This also sounds obvious, but it’s very easy to overlook any ongoing downloads or programs like video chat that may be turned on while you’re conducting a speed test on your device. Close these applications, reboot your device, and test again. 

Even the browser you use — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft’s new Edge, etc. — can affect your test speed. Try different browsers to see if that’s the case on your system. 

If you have a WiFi extender, make sure you turn it off before you run a speed test. Otherwise, your computer may test the wrong connection. 

This brings us to a final point about equipment. Technology advances constantly, and many older routers and computers simply cannot take full advantage of the blazing speed and bandwidth of today’s fiber broadband connectivity. 

When you’re ready to upgrade your technology, make sure your new equipment has the network cards and internal processing power that can leverage the speed of market-leading fiber broadband like that from Northern Lights Fiber.