TechTonic Tuesday TV – Symmetry with Fiber Optic Broadband

Wonder why you can stream a movie in HD to your heart’s content but keep encountering glitchy video conferencing?  Most internet service providers offer asymmetrical speeds, allowing you to download information quite rapidly but not to upload content at anywhere near the same speed.  The fiber optic broadband revolution that is slowly coming to Nevada County will radically change this disparity.  Fiber will allow symmetrical download and upload speeds, currently at a gigabyte per second, a shockingly fast connection compared to most home internet connections.  Chris Hajj at Race Communications tells us that “Fiber is future proof, it’s a 75-100 year lifespan for fiber right now. Fiber is the future and we don’t see anything past that.  With fiber’s capabilities you can do pretty much anything.” 

Broadband access is a perennial topic of interest at the Tech Connection, on social media forums and at just about every single house for sale in Nevada County as our modern work from home world keeps going.  This month, the Tech Connection and the Nevada County Economic Resource Council present a timely and exciting TechTonic TV on Tuesday, November 10th at 6pm that will look at the current state of fiber optic broadband in Nevada County. 

Our panel discussion will include representatives Chris Hajj and Jim Miller from Race Communications, the company that is currently installing and hooking up customers to the largest (so far) fiber optic network available in our county.  We’ll be asking Chris and Jim what’s up and running, who is next to get service, and what the prognosis for expansion is beyond the existing grant zone.  Steve Monaghan from the county will be on hand, illuminating the process from the county’s perspective, including how the county chooses the current zones Race is building in for grant funding.  We’ll also be talking to Andrew Wilkinson from Nevada County Fiber, who is bringing much-needed high speed internet to the backwoods of Banner Mountain.  Nevada County has a wide range of neighborhoods, and some will certainly be left out in the first waves of fiber installation, providing opportunities for smaller scale projects such as Andrew’s to fill the gaps. 

Join us on Youtube and Facebook, or email questions ahead of time to communications@nctechconnection.org.  This panel will be live-streamed, and as always will be available to watch at your leisure on the NCTC YouTube channel and on Facebook if you are unable to attend live.