Work begins on projects to provide fiber optic internet service to Lake Arthur – American Press
Work begins on projects to provide fiber optic internet service to Lake Arthur
Posted at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, February 2, 2023
Individuals and businesses lost more than $6.9 billion to internet crimes in 2021, a jump of more than $2 billion from 2020. (Metro Creative Services)
Work has begun on a $2.5-2.8 million project to bring fiber optic internet service to Lake Arthur.
Speaking to Lake Arthur City Council on Wednesday, Faster Cajun Network’s Johnny Onellion updated the company’s plans to transition to fiber optic service as part of a two- to three-year plan to improve Internet speed and reliability for homes and businesses.
“Many of you in the city noticed that there was an orange conduit sticking out of the ground on both sides of the roads,” Oneillion said. “We have launched the very beginning of a two- to three-year project in this area to bring fiber optics to homes.”
The majority of the company’s current customer base is wireless off-the-tower, Onellion said.
As part of the upgrades, customers moving from fixed wireless to fiber will benefit from faster and more reliable Internet service. Those who stay with current fixed wireless service will also see better internet speeds due to less tower congestion, he said.
“We are self-funding this project to bring the next era of the internet to everyone,” Onellion said.
Thirty-seven miles of fiber optics and underground conduit will be installed in Lake Arthur, with the majority running through city easements in backyards and alleyways, he said. Some pole accessories can be used for main street businesses.
After the meeting, Onellion the project has the potential to serve all Lake Arthur homes. He hopes to have the first group of fiber customers online by the end of the year.
“Once I get the materials and we get more efficient, the project will start to ramp up and go much faster,” he said.
Onellion said more and more people are using bandwidth today as more and more electronic devices are used in daily life for homes and businesses.
“This project will enable a better flow of the internet that can be used by children for school, home businesses and more,” he said. “If you are not connected to the internet, you find it difficult to do anything. The internet has become a fundamental public service which today is on par with electricity and water.”
Mayor Poncho Lejeune said fiber optic internet would benefit residents and businesses.
“I think that’s a good thing because I don’t think many cities can boast of having fiber optics in their city,” Lejeune said.
“It’s going to be super fast so kids have better internet for schools and faster internet helps businesses,” Lejeune continued. “It’s supposed to be much more reliable than weather because weather affects wireless.”
Faster Cajun Network has been operating in Lake Arthur since 2019.