“We’re a one gig city!” remarked Fort Collins Mayor Wade Troxell during the Fort Collins Connexion launch party Aug. 29.
The party, which featured several speakers, including Troxell and Fort Collins City Manager Darin Atteberry, signified the launch of the city-wide broadband program that was first approved by voters in 2017. Full implementation of the program will involve the placing of roughly 1,000 miles of fiber cables.
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“This is a big day for Fort Collins to become a gigabit city,” Troxell said. “It’s been an important process that engaged our citizens, and there’s a huge appetite for connection. We’re going to keep building out until every premise in our community has gigabit service.”
Prior to the party, FCC also posted its prices for different services and bundles, with one gigabit internet service costing $59.95 a month and 10 gigabit service costing $299.95 a month.
FCC will also offer phone services, with the lowest package costing $19.95 a month. Bundles, such as phone and internet services, will be offered starting at $74.90 a month.
There will be no contracts or data caps with the program targeting homes in northern Fort Collins before expanding.
Many attendants at the event expressed their excitement over the launch of FCC.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said launch party attendant Joey Brown. “It’s been about four years in the making, and I voted for it when it came on the ballot. For me personally, I’ll be saving about $130 every month for internet.”
Though services have been offered since last week, full implementation of the project isn’t expected to be completed until the end of 2020 or 2021, according to the City’s website.
“I think Connexion is going to be a great asset for our community,” said launch party attendant Connor Wilkinson. “Fort Collins is a high tech community, and the more people that can get online with reliable and affordable internet, the better.”
Karen Weitkunat and Susan Kirkpatrick, both former mayors of Fort Collins, were also in attendance.
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“I think it’s so exciting that the City had the forward thinking of moving broadband into a utility. That’s not a thing in a lot of places,” Weitkunat said. “But having worked with some of the other service providers, it was almost a must for the City. It was something we had to do.”
Kirkpatrick talked about FCC’s potential for Fort Collins community members.
“I had tears in my eyes over broadband connection because it will allow us to tap talent,” Kirkpatrick said. “Whether it’s students at (Colorado State University) or kindergartners in Poudre School District or business owners who want to go to the next level, … this is the best. It’s the next step.”
Marshall Dunham can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @gnarshallfunham.
