Even if this reaches you on a 60-degree day, we all know Winter is upon us for a little while longer—and with it are cold temperatures, heavy snowfalls and ice, and dry, chafing air. While parts of the country are lovely in winter, there’s no escaping the fact that colder temperatures and bleak weather can take their toll.
Wintry weather also brings higher energy expenses. Home heating units often pump out warm air constantly just to keep the house comfortable—and at great costs, too. Thankfully, today’s technology can help make winter more bearable, utilizing Trailblazer Broadband’s high-speed fiber internet not only connects you to the most reliable network available but also helps keep your home warm and snug.
Together with “smart technology,” it all adds to saving money this winter and beyond! Below we highlight some of our favorite tech to help you get through the coldest months more comfortably. These unique items will make you and your loved ones feel cozier all winter, from Bluetooth devices to smart thermostats and even smart clothing.
Smart Thermostats
One of the best upgrades you can make to your home this winter (or any season) is to install a smart thermostat that monitors and controls your heating and air conditioning. Smart thermostats can sense temperature changes in different rooms and can be easily programmed to get warmer or cooler at various times of the day. Smart thermostats can connect to your home’s internet network, and through Bluetooth, to your smartphone and other devices for easy control.
Even more conveniently, many smart thermostats are controllable through voice-activated technology like Alexa or the Apple Home Kit (using Siri). And according to the federal government’s Energy Star program, which researches and provides consumers with reliable information on energy-efficient products and services, smart thermostats can save homeowners up to 30% on their energy bills.
Several solid options exist, including the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. Google’s device is particularly impressive because, over time, it learns your temperature preferences in each room and at different times of the day. Using a Smart Thermostat can more effectively heat your home than conventional thermostats—and because of its “smart” features and controls, it saves energy costs, too!
Smart Space Heaters
If you’ve reduced your energy bills by lowering your home’s temperatures a tad, but find that you or others in your household still feel cold, consider adding a smart space heater to those chillier rooms. Smart space heaters are ideal when one or two people prefer the temps just a bit warmer than everyone else or when the temperatures drop drastically. The Atomi Smart Ceramic Tower Space Heater is one option to consider. The Atomi can heat up to 750 square feet, perfect for small rooms.
Its safety features are also top-notch, including notifying your smartphone if the heater tips over. Then, you can easily shut it off from your phone. Its base sits evenly on multiple flooring types reducing the likelihood of tipping over at all.You can also connect the Atomi Smart Space Heater to Alexa or Google Assistant for hands-free voice control through your home network.
Smart Clothing (Jackets and Shirts)
Have you heard about smart clothing for personal warmth? Smart clothing, especially jackets and shirts, can safely and steadily heat your body in different zones that you can control. And you can even quickly recharge them when you’re on the road with your car’s charging ports.
The DEWBU Heated Jacket, for example, has multiple heating zones. It also comes with a convenient 12V Battery Pack that can keep it powered longer on the go. Also, check out smart shirts from Venture Heat, which makes different styles for women and men. Bluetooth-enabled, you can control Venture Heat’s smart shirts ten-temperature settings with your smartphone, helping to fine-tune the perfect temperature to keep you feeling comfortably toasty on even the most frigid days!
Smart Hats
Growing up, you may remember hearing that you can lose nearly half your body heat just through the top of your head. While science has proven that that was not exactly accurate, you can still lose around 10% of your body heat off your head alone. So grandma was right—you should keep your head covered in colder weather!
Believe it or not, there are actually smart hats available for you to get the most coverage for your noggin! For example, iLive Beanie is not only fashionable in a cute, wintry way, Its Bluetooth-enabled speakers connect directly to your smartphone, doubling as a music-listening and hands-free calling device, too!
The internet and smart technology can’t stop Mother Nature’s annual blast of wintry weather. By utilizing these smart devices and a reliable fiber internet connection like Trailblazer Broadband’s, we bet you’ll cope better than you ever have before!
Trailblazer Broadband and the Town of Estes Park provide this article for informational purposes only and are not affiliated with nor do they endorse any of the companies or products mentioned in the article.
Move over kitchens and bathrooms–fiber has moved up on the must-have list for homebuyers. Now more than ever before, people want to work, learn, and access telehealth applications from home. Modern lifestyles require modern internet powered by a fiber network. In fact, a 2023 study showed that fiber-delivered internet access could increase a home’s value by almost 5%. On average, U.S. consumers would require a 4.9% decrease in price for a non-fiber home, a 3.2% decrease for a non-fiber condo, and a 12.8% decrease for a non-fiber apartment.
What’s the Data Saying?
The Fiber Broadband Association’s (FBA) 2023 consumer research study highlights that fiber is no longer just a bonus–it’s a necessity. U.S. consumers rated high-quality broadband as the second most important amenity in a home, just after a laundry room. Nearly two-thirds of all consumers consider fiber to be the best internet service delivery method in terms of speed and reliability. Beyond that, there is an increasing body of research linking investment in broadband networks with accelerated economic performance. Communities with fast and reliable fiber networks often exhibit higher rates of per capita GDP.
Fast and Reliable Internet for Remote Workers
Not only is the Internet a prime source of communication and entertainment, but it’s also essential for the American white-collar workforce. With over 40% of Americans working remotely full-time or part-time as of June 2023, fast, secure, and reliable internet has become an invaluable asset. Remote workers favor fiber internet because cable internet can be significantly slower and far less reliable than fiber. Cable internet speeds typically range from 10-250 Mbps for downloads and 5-50 Mbps for uploads. Fiber internet, however, can provide 250-1,000 Mbps for both downloads and uploads—a critical benefit for those looking to use video conferencing tools at home.
The Future of Fiber
Even those who don’t work from home are more likely to want high-speed internet for telehealth applications than they were a few years ago. Five times more patients utilize telehealth services now than before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that number is expected to increase.
Thankfully, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is working to catch up to consumers’ needs. According to the FBA, the amount of fiber deployed over the next five years will nearly match the total amount of fiber that has been deployed throughout history.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, better broadband equals increased property values, more opportunities for remote work, and enhanced access to digital services like telehealth and streaming. And, of course, better opportunities yield innovation. Increased access to fiber promotes job creation, upward mobility, entrepreneurship, expanding local businesses, and attracting new ones. Fiber brings massive benefits to communities, so it’s no wonder fiber increases individual home values too! To learn more about fiber availability at your home, contact Trailblazer Broadband today. We’d love to get you connected.
Trailblazer Broadband is municipally owned and is Estes Park’s only locally supported high-speed broadband service provided over fiber optic lines. For more information, contact Trailblazer Broadband at info@trailblazerbroadband.com or (970)577-3770. More Trailblazer news is available at www.trailblazerbroadband.com and https://www.facebook.com/TrailblazerBroadband/.
If you’ve ever signed up for an Internet/TV “bundle” from an internet or cable company, you know that you have to decide which TV package is right for you. While Trailblazer Broadband doesn’t offer an Internet/TV bundle, we have partnered with an independent company called MyBundle that makes streaming easy.
MyBundle helps you to find the best streaming platform combinations for your household. You simply answer a few questions about your viewing habits and what you like to watch, and MyBundle gives you options of which combination of TV and streaming products will deliver everything you want to see easily and often much more cost-effectively than cable TV options.
With MyBundle:
- You can build your own custom bundle, including Live TV and streaming services you’d like to have and see MyBundle’s recommendations before committing to anything at absolutely no cost.
- Most of the same shows you find on cable can also be watched on streaming services, so you won’t miss out on the programs and movies you love! Instead, you’ll have far more content to choose from.
- My Bundle tracks the latest streaming platform specials, discounts, and free trials on many popular streaming services so you can see them all in one place.
- As a Trailblazer customer, you will have the bandwidth and internet speed to stream all your programs, and according to MyBundle, the average Live TV streaming bundle is 50% less than your old cable TV.
- We’d love to have you as a Trailblazer customer more than anything in the world, but even if you’re not, you can use MyBundle for free!
Once you’ve made the wise choice to sign up for MyBundle and optimize your streaming entertainment experience, it’s time to take advantage of MyBundle’s many tools and features.
We’ll walk you through a few first steps you should take after creating your MyBundle profile.
By taking these steps, you’ll get the most out of your MyBundle experience and enjoy more streaming entertainment immediately. So let’s jump right in so you can get busy streaming!
#1 Sign Up For Streaming Platforms
There are plenty of streaming entertainment options available today. Indeed, the sheer number of streaming apps, channels and platforms can be dizzying! MyBundle offers a convenient and quick way to cut through the clutter and confusion of selecting streaming platforms.
The best way to start this process is with MyBundle’s Find My Bundle tool.
The Find My Bundle tool is a simple “quiz.” It starts by asking you a series of questions about the size of your household, your zip code, and the apps and other streaming services you already have.
Then, you’ll be asked which channels you and your family need. Once you’ve completed the quiz, let MyBundle do the rest!
Based on your preferences and viewing habits, the Find My Bundle tool will customize a package of streaming platforms you’ll use, helping you find the services that get you the live channels you want.
In this way, MyBundle helps save money by avoiding streaming apps and channels you probably wouldn’t watch! You’ve also saved time by letting MyBundle research for you.
#2 Find and Add TV Series and Movies To Your Watchlist
Next comes the fun part—creating your MyBundle watchlist and adding your favorite shows!
Some people find creating a watchlist of content daunting since they must search for their shows and movies across multiple apps and platforms. But MyBundle’s interface lets you search for content across all your apps and channels in one place—without needing to log in and out of every platform.
Best of all, MyBundle’s tools help you find new entertainment.
MyBundle’s algorithm uses your preferences and previous watches to present content recommendations from your app subscriptions and plans. By simply utilizing its search tools, you’ll receive suggestions for great new shows and movies that are most relevant to you and your family.
There’s also a separate MyBundle movie watchlist for when the fam is ready for movie night. And the watchlists you’ve created in MyBundle show you all of your content from every app, eliminating the need to check each streaming service.
#3 Get Content Recommendations from Family and Friends
After using MyBundle’s tools to help find new content, utilize one of our favorite MyBundle features—friends and family recommendations!
Here’s how it works.
First, create your MyBundle Binge List and start selecting the TV shows or movies you might be interested in watching. MyBundle will generate a list of content just for you. For each title you might be interested in, click “Add to Vote List.” Then, click “Save and Share,” and voila—your Vote List is created!
After setting up your Vote List, share it via text message, email, or other social media with anyone you’d like, and let them review it and vote on their favorites.
Lastly, once they’ve voted, you’ll see their recommendations in your profile and you can start your next great series! It’s a terrific way to round out your watchlist with new content.
#4 Track Your Streaming Budget
Now that you’ve used MyBundle’s tools to find the streaming apps and channels you’ll use and loaded up your watchlists with hours of incredible content, it’s time to take stock and track your budget.
Establishing your streaming bundle in MyBundle has helped you declutter your streaming content and reduce overall costs. But it can also help you make streaming budgeting decisions as well.
For example, after looking through your watchlists in MyBundle, you may decide to take a hiatus from a few streaming platforms you don’t watch as much.
Or perhaps it’s better to take advantage of free trial periods or discounted rates just to binge-watch a particular series before deciding to join for a longer time. Seeing it all in one place on MyBundle helps you track your streaming budget and make better financial choices.
As you can see from the steps above, MyBundle helps you enjoy streaming more conveniently and efficiently. And it can help save you money, too.
For more information about MyBundle and how it makes streaming easier, click here. And be sure to follow Trailblazer Broadband’s social pages and News for more ways to get the most out of your high-speed fiber internet!
According to numerology, the number “5” symbolizes freedom, curiosity, and change – a desire to have adventures and explore new possibilities. So let’s follow that logic and explore 5G cellular service and how it compares to fiber internet.
Most people are delighted when they turn on their device’s Wi-Fi connection and see “5G.” That means fast and dependable connectivity. But is 5G the best solution for your in-home Wi-Fi and high-speed internet needs? If you live in Estes Park, the answer is generally no because 5G cellular service is largely unavailable in the Estes Valley and does not provide the functional advantages of Fiber-to-the-Home Internet that currently exists through Trailblazer Broadband.
You may have heard about 5G coming to town in the past. In 2022, Crown Castle and CDOT worked together on a year-long cell tower project to maintain a connection down the 20-mile stretch of US 36 between Estes Park and Lyons. This connection is extremely valuable for cell service and 911 accessibility through the canyon and parts of the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Building a full 5G network would be the responsibility of cellular carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, etc., and 5G requires a fully functional fiber network before it can be built. Even then, setting up a 5G network in Estes Park will be extremely difficult since it would require fiber to every neighborhood. Although Trailblazer is deploying this type of Fiber-to-the-Home network, a cellular company would also have to install antennas within a maximum of 1000 feet from anywhere service is required. There are no current plans for that type of cellular project, and many residents would likely be resistant to having cell towers erected throughout the town and residential areas.
Sometimes confusion exists over the difference between 5G cellular and 5GHz Wi-Fi, so what is the difference really?
Fundamentally, 5G and 5GHz technology utilize radio waves (electromagnetic radiation) to enable wireless communication. However, they use different radio wave technologies. Additionally, 5G and 5GHz stand for two different technologies.
5G is an abbreviation for the fifth generation of wireless cellular communication technology. 5G cellular—the replacement of 4G/LTE systems – utilizes relatively similar radio frequency (RF) bands as its cellular predecessors, plus a new radio (NR) frequency band not previously used for RF wireless communications. Like all cellular networks, it is susceptible to interference and traffic overloads similar to what Estes Park residents have often seen in the past during the summer high season.
5GHz, on the other hand, is one of several operating frequency bands reserved for Wi-Fi. Most modern Wi-Fi routers offer two RF band options upon setup – 2.4GHz and 5GHz. 2.4GHz Wi-Fi is better at providing internet over long distances and through solid surfaces, but 5GHz Wi-Fi signals have lower latency and higher internet speeds than 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Both of these frequencies are utilized by Trailblazer Broadband Wi-Fi service.
Aside from being different technologies, there are several differences between 5G and 5GHz capabilities. Generally, 5G cellular capabilities are far faster than 5GHz, but each has its own value and use cases.
5G cellular technology occupies three different frequency bands, and the range and quality of these signals vary greatly. For example, low band 5G frequencies can only reach internet speeds of 50 to 250 Mbps. High band 5G frequencies can reach theoretical speeds of up to 20 Gbps (1,000 Mbps = 1 Gbps) and support hundreds of devices; however, these high band frequencies are rarely available outside of large metropolitan areas. In comparison, wired fiber internet can reliably provide between 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps symmetrically for both upload and download speeds for multiple devices within a home or business.
There are no plans to expand 5G cellular service across the Estes Valley at this time; however, most of the valley now has access to Trailblazer Broadband for fast, dependable internet through its 100% fiber optic lines. Trailblazer is currently available to approximately 82 percent of the Estes Park Power and Communications service area.
The performance advantages of fiber include:
- Fiber capacity is easily over 10,000 times that of a perfectly functioning 5G wireless network.
- A wired fiber is not susceptible to interference like wireless technologies.
- Fiber is not impacted by atmospheric and physical obstruction like 5G.
- Fiber is more secure than all wireless technologies.
- The data-carrying capacity of fiber is, for all practical purposes, virtually unlimited.
- Fiber has symmetrical speeds, so its uploads are as fast as downloads.
The bottom line is that fiber remains the go-to connection type for extremely fast and reliable internet in Estes Valley. By having the foresight to build a fiber-optic infrastructure for Trailblazer Broadband, the Town of Estes Park is able to offer internet service with Wi-Fi included at significantly better speed, reliability, and latency (speeds for loading data) than ever before, which negates the need for 5G cellular in and around the community and outshines any satellite alternative that is currently available.
Resources:
https://www.arrow.com/en/research-and-events/articles/what-frequency-spectrum-will-5g-technology-use-and-how-does-this-compare-to-4g
https://insidetowers.com/crown-castle-brings-coverage-and-safety-to-estes-park/
https://www.eptrail.com/2022/01/05/better-cell-service-coming-to-local-us36-corridor/
For your celebration this year, you may have strung lights on your house, and your trees, and lit candles in celebration. But have you thought about the light that fiber brings to your home?
Here are some innovative uses of your fiber internet that can make the 12 Days of Christmas – and all the days after – even brighter and easier.
12. Light the Smart Lights. Smart device outlets allow you to control the timing of your holiday decorations, so you don’t have to think about unplugging the tree or turning off the light decor outside before going to bed.
11. Don’t let the Grinch steal your holiday cheer! Smart Home security and camera systems depend on reliable internet to function properly and alert you when something is amiss. Don’t forget the battery backup (check out the article below!).
10. Watch TV Together – or separately. Togetherness is fun, but what if you can’t watch another Hallmark Christmas Movie? Time for Die Hard? Everyone can watch what they want when they want – at the same time in the same room or different ones without fear of buffering. Get started with all the Holiday Streaming Deals from our partner, MyBundle.
9. Design Holiday Greetings. Using mobile apps such as Canva and Shutterfly, upload family photos and capture moments such as the first snow or a burst of candid laughter to make an exciting canvas for your family greeting card.
8. Create Gifts Online. Use favorite photos to create banners, blankets, mugs, and memory books for your loved ones. You can even fill a Create My Cookbook with treasured photos and family recipes.
7. Share Photos and Videos with loved ones without posting them for the entire world to see. Use an app like Cluster, which provides an Instagram-like feed but only for the people you invite into the group.
6. Share photos with “unplugged” family members. A Wi-Fi cloud frame from Nixplay provides a digital experience for the less tech-savvy folks in your life. This digital photo frame creates a slideshow of the photos you add, and you can easily use your phone to add more at any time — even if the photo frame is on the other side of the world. All the user has to do is turn on the digital frame and watch.
5. Plan Your Next Vacation. While the family is all together, it’s the perfect time to plan next year’s vacation. Experts like Jay Jaishankar, CEO of Visitor Insurance Services, a travel insurance company say plan early! “Ideally, plan six months to a year in advance to get the best deals,” he says. And according to a Statista survey, in 2023, 72 percent of travelers plan trips online.
4. Reindeer and other games are among the family’s favorite ways to engage with each other. Find multi-player games (such as Mario Kart or Overcooked) on Wii or PlayStation gaming consoles for the whole family to participate in.
3. Telecommute. It sounds better than playing hooky, right? The holidays are a great time to work from home if you can, particularly during the snowiest days.
2. Connect with Friends and Family. With Trailblazer Broadband’s unmatched upload speeds, you can virtually share holiday feasts and open presents “together,” keeping the holiday spirit alive, no matter the distance.
1. Disconnect! Get it all done and shut it down. Fast reliable internet keeps you from having to wait for the “wheel of doom,” that little spinning circle that appears on the screen whenever your connection is too slow for whatever it is you’re doing, giving you more time for fun and family holiday pursuits.
‘Tis the season for joy, and Trailblazer Broadband is here to make it even brighter. Happy Holidays from the Trailblazer Broadband Team!
Trailblazer Broadband and the Town of Estes Park do not promote or endorse any private entities or service providers referenced in this newsletter, linked references or in any other published materials. Resources and links are provided for informational purposes only.
Recent Comments