Progress Report Fall 2024 – Trailblazer’s 5th Anniversary
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Triumphs and Challenges in Rural Connectivity
As Trailblazer Broadband celebrates its 5th anniversary, the community-owned internet provider reflects on significant strides in connecting Estes Park and surrounding areas. With total fiber internet now available to 90% of the planned service area, Trailblazer has become an essential utility for over 4,000 clients, with installations now booked into January 2025 due to high demand. Providing service to the remaining 10% of proposed service locations, of the project presents some challenges that are currently being addressed. The Town Board of Trustees and Mayor Gary Hall were updated recently on the Trailblazer Construction status.
Remaining Challenges
Geographic Area
Trailblazer’s geographic footprint covers an area larger than Longmont, Fort Collins, and Loveland combined, and the remaining 10% of proposed service locations are spread across a large, sparsely populated area. This last phase of the project, dubbed “Phase 4,” encompasses the most challenging areas to build, including areas along Highway 34, Highway 66 (out to the YMCA), and the Highway 7 corridor to Allenspark. Logically, this area is more expensive to build because of terrain, size distance between service locations, and lower revenue yield because of lower population. Further, based on utility usage, over 50% of potential clients in these sprawling areas are seasonal, part-time residents based on their utility usage.
As Phase 4 residents and businesses know (this includes you, Allenspark!), Trailblazer has been “Coming Soon” for more than a year now. Many folks have noted that our crews have run fiber along main routes in their area such as Highway 7 to downtown Allenspark, so service should be available, correct? Unfortunately, just because main fiber has been built to a certain area, does not mean the network is complete and ready to offer service to individual locations. Think of it this way:
Imagine a massive oak tree representing the fiber network. The thick, sturdy trunk and main branches have already grown strong – this is the backbone of the fiber network that’s been built. However, the smaller branches that extend out to the very edges, along with the twigs and leaves, are still missing. These represent the connections to individual neighborhoods and homes. Just as it takes more energy and resources for a tree to grow its outermost branches and leaves, it’s more complex and costly to build the final connections of a fiber network.
In town, it’s like growing branches in rich, fertile soil:
- Many homes are close together, like leaves clustered on a branch
- The infrastructure (conduits, poles) often already exists
- Higher population density means more potential customers per mile of fiber
In rural regions, it’s like trying to grow branches in rocky, sparse terrain:
- Homes are spread far apart, like isolated leaves on long, thin twigs
- New infrastructure may need to be built from scratch
- Fewer potential customers per mile of fiber laid, and in this case, many homes that are seasonal and may not need service year-round.
The rural component of a buildout like this often accounts for a disproportionate amount of the total network cost:
- In urban areas, it might cost $500-$1000 per home to connect
- In rural areas, it could cost $5000-$10,000 or more per home
This is why internet service providers often prioritize deployments in high population density, where they can connect more customers for less investment, similar to how a tree naturally grows more leaves where branches are densest.
Finally, before we can bring service to the rest of Allenspark and some other less densely populated areas, we must fulfill our existing obligations and installations which have slowed as you read in the blog above. At this time, we simply don’t have the resources to open those areas and fulfill our existing obligations.
In the meantime, using the main fiber lines that are currently in place, Trailblazer has piloted service in a couple of places in Allenspark, including Wild Basin. By the end of the year, public Wifi service will be available at the Allenspark Firehouse to ensure that the community has a reliable location to provide emergency communication and Wifi services for the winter. This is similar to the free Wifi central access point that is available at Estes Park Town Hall and at the Glen Haven Firehouse. With grant funding anticipated, we plan to being installations in Allenspark in late spring or early summer 2025.
Grant Funding
Rising construction costs and supply issues, many of which resulted from the COVID-19 have exhausted the original bond and grant funding allocated for the broadband project back in 2019. For further detail on this see our last construction update in our blog https://trailblazerbroadband.com/trailblazer-fiber-construction-update-spring-summer-2024/)
At the outset, Trailblazer promised not to use any tax dollars to fund this project, and it continues to make good on that promise. Construction is currently on hold pending additional funding. Trailblazer is actively pursuing BEAD grant funding to complete rural area constructions in these costly, less densely populated zones.
Rising construction costs and supply issues have exhausted the original bond and grant funding. Trailblazer is actively pursuing BEAD grant funding to complete rural area constructions in these costly, less densely populated zones[2]. If successful, main-line construction work could potentially resume by mid-2025. Since rural construction and the associated rising costs are not feasible for most service providers, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has established a $42.45 billion grant program to date to provide funding for ISPs to be able to expand service to these high-cost, often challenging locations. The State of Colorado has been approved to receive funds for CO internet expansion through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) grant program.
Even better, The Town of Estes Park/Trailblazer Broadband was selected to receive no-cost professional assistance to support our BEAD grant writing efforts to ensure the best chance of receiving the necessary funding through this grant to complete the grant-eligible locations covered in this funding opportunity.
Staffing Adjustments
As originally planned, Trailblazer shifted to 100% of construction, installations, and maintenance work done in-house at the end of 2023. This plan unfortunately coincided with losing 2 key staff, which has slowed the progress of our buildout.
With the current limited staffing, Trailblazer field technicians are managing all projects, including any main & service line construction/maintenance/repair; this also includes the loop project, roundabout construction, Cleave St, WAPA support, all installations, replacing damaged lines and any other main or premise maintenance required. Trailblazer management looked at the cost of bringing in contractors to assist with the backlog, but would not have had a significant impact by the time they were onboarded and would have cost a whopping $25,000-$30,000 per week.
Recent positions were filled with existing contracted staff members, and Trailblazer continues to seek additional staff, which proves challenging in the existing job market for Estes Park. Meanwhile, the team is working on assessing the upcoming schedule to see how we can best accommodate the schedule backlog.
Ahead of the Curve
Despite these challenges, Trailblazer remains committed to its goal of providing high-speed internet to the entire community. While many rural and mountain communities across the country are just beginning to source funding and prepare a high speed internet rollout, Estes Park is far ahead of the curve having recognized the need for this essential service long ago. The project stands as a testament to the power of community-owned broadband initiatives, and the forethought of Estes Park in particular, in bridging the digital divide and connecting our community.
Trailblazer Fiber Construction Update – Spring/Summer 2024
It’s time for a community update as Trailblazer, with your invaluable support, continues planning the final phase of its fiber broadband buildout.
The project has reached a pivotal milestone by completing the majority of the main construction in our designated service areas. These areas include most parts within the Estes Park Town limits, extending north to Glen Haven and progressing along Highway 7 towards Allenspark. While this is the backbone of the fiber network, we still have a long way to go to bring service to everyone, particularly those in more remote locations. The desire for service has been overwhelmingly positive. Our installation calendar is currently booked well into the fall.
Meanwhile, we are re-strategizing our fiber construction to the remaining unbuilt areas of our community. With the shift to internal staff completing all new construction and installations, the remaining buildout takes additional time and careful consideration. These areas are challenging because of their distance, lower density, and, in most cases, difficult terrain. As you might expect, these challenges also make this final portion of the buildout more expensive.
In short, all main construction has been placed on hold as the original funding for the project has been exhausted due to the rising costs of construction materials and supply issues. While Trailblazer is thriving as a business, we haven’t been open long enough to generate a large enough revenue pool yet to use for mainline construction, though we are covering costs and meeting bond obligations without raising rates or using tax dollars as we originally committed to. We do prioritize where to put our efforts and resources based on the rate of return possible compared to the cost to build and the interest we have in Trailblazer based on the number of registrations from residents and businesses in a location.
Inflation has exponentially increased the cost of doing business for Trailblazer, as it has for most other companies and families in recent years. As a result, Trailblazer is actively seeking broadband funding through various grants to assist with rising material and construction costs in rural buildout areas. Trailblazer received a small amount of grant funding; however, most grant efforts proved unsuccessful with intense competition for too few dollars. The good news is that more grant money is available in 2024; however, those dollars are only applicable to “rural” buildouts. Other funding sources are not an option at this time, so we are focusing on generating additional revenue by building the outlying locations that qualify for grant funding first.
Waiting for a good thing is never easy – whether it is grant money or better internet service – and we appreciate the patience of our neighbors who do not yet have access to Trailblazer Broadband service. While there is no timeline at present, Trailblazer is working diligently to deliver this vital service as quickly as possible.
What can you do to help? Please take a moment to email Congressman Joe Neguse, your 2nd District Representative, describing your internet experience and asking for his support for broadband grants in our community.
Check the Trailblazer News Page and Construction Schedule for additional updates. If you haven’t already done so, please Register to Stay Informed so we can reach out when service is available in your area.
Fiber Internet Increases Home Values
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/.
The Trailblazer Broadband Internet Rollout…Behind the Scenes Part 2 by Edward Yagi
Technological development never sprouts from thin air; it inevitably arises from some kind of existing practice or concept. There is a direct line, for example, from Ramses II in his chariot at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE (famously shooting his horses in the back of their heads) to the width of 21st century high-speed rail gauge. In its first ten years, home internet access in the U.S. mainly piggy-backed on existing telephone lines: the dial-up modems of the 1990’s. But it quickly shifted to the cable TV paradigm, which reached its peak in the U.S. in 2000…penetration was 65% of all households and close to 100% in metropolitan areas.
Ironically, cable TV first appeared in the 1950’s to reach remote areas that couldn’t receive radio TV signals, but a generation later found its true niche as an alternative to traditional network programming. Key inflection points were HBO going nationwide in 1975 and CNN’s start up in 1980. The concept is simple and was adapted from other services supplied to individual homes such as electricity, gas, and telephone. A supplier builds a physical network to supply its product in high volume from its source outward along major routes. From the largest supply lines, smaller supply lines branch out into neighborhoods and large buildings (sometimes to junction boxes known as “nodes”), and from there into individual homes and units.
The term “last mile” (itself adapted from supply chain management of physical goods) refers to the final leg of the network delivery component to the end user. The “last mile” is typically the speed bottleneck and limits the bandwidth of data that can be delivered to an individual customer. In the 80’s and 90’s, customers learned first-hand how the “last mile” hugely affects price or even service availability. In some neighborhoods, the last mile is a few inches; in others it could be hundreds of miles. Most cable TV is owned and operated by private companies that have all added internet services to their service offerings in recent years, but do not service remote areas because the “last mile” isn’t profitable, or profitable enough.
In 2019, Estes Park’s power company (EPP&L, L for “light”) changed its name to EPP&C (C for “communications”) and boldly jumped into the game. A coin was flipped for who got to hang out in warm, brightly lit offices all day chatting up customers, and who got to freeze to death, drown in mud, attacked by woodpeckers, and maybe shot at while actually installing the cable.
The Fiber Team lost the toss and bravely set out on their 4+ year adventure to build a roughly 1000-mile network from zero. Day-to-day installation and operations are managed today by Crew Supervisor Adam Edwards and Head Fiber Technician Skye “Vanilla Splice” Stiner, so-called for his fiber splicing expertise. Fiber Team members are Devin “Disco Dev” Gelsinger, Thom “Stop petting the deer and get back to work” Ingram, Cory “Corn Dog” Ramacher, AJ “AJ” Schwarz, Greg “Go Rams” Smith, Joel “Shortz” Ziegler, and Mike “Mark Hollinger” Barringer – and most recently Nico Randazzo, Landon Donaldson, and Ian Hodde.
The Mighty EPP&C Groundworker Team consists of Dale Duell, Brett Rassmussen, and Matt Pavlish. The following are actual quotes from Fiber Team members confirmed by Trailblazer: “Are 45 mph winds too dangerous for overhead installs?” “Who slid down the hill in the mud and are they okay?” “What do you mean we can’t do the install today because there’s no fiber to the house yet?” “Why didn’t you tell us?” (It is not clear if the previous two quotes are related, but at some point they probably were.) “Someone actually shot the fiber line?” (Apparently there was a 2022 incident involving firearm discharge, but it’s not clear if the target was the fiber optic cable line, a Northern Flicker woodpecker attacking the line, a member of the Fiber Team working on the line, or something else entirely, like celebratory shooting into the air like you sometimes see in old western movies. My money is on the woodpecker…that’s what I would have done.) “The client wants us to run the fiber where?” — this quote no doubt generated several creative and humorous comments in good fun about where this particular customer was more than welcome to run their own fiber. “Who didn’t put their site review notes in the Customer Support system again?” (People! …some things never change!) “We’ll look back at this someday and laugh.” “No we won’t.” And the infamous quote “Of course we can start the Raven Circle condo installs in July!” is attributed to Trailblazer Line Superintendent Joe “Can Do” Lockhart, who remains superintendent today because hey, he was only one month off.
It is worth noting that although these folks are technicians, they are also de facto support and sales advisors because when out in the field they are naturally bombarded with questions from ordinary people, possibly armed, about all things broadband. They also now and then take a little heat from onlookers, again, possibly armed, because there is [SPOILER ALERT!] actual digging and modest construction involved in infrastructure creation. Along these lines, a few other quotes were provided by Trailblazer but regrettably cannot be reproduced here because the Wind is a family newspaper.
So when you see Adam, Skye, Thom, Devin, Greg, AJ, Joel, Cory, Mike, Dale, Brett, Matt, or any of the others – and you will see them – just wave and give them a big HI. No celebratory shooting required.
Why Local Internet Matters: Connecting Community Anchor Institutions
At Trailblazer Broadband, we’re proud to be known around Estes Park as the only local fiber-to-the-home broadband provider for residents and businesses. But did you know that we also support a third group with our high-speed fiber internet network? Today, we’re taking a moment to celebrate local community anchor institutions.
Read on to learn more about this important group—and how, as a local small business ourselves, Trailblazer Broadband is committed to keeping them connected.
What Are Community Anchor Institutions?
Anchor institutions are mission-based, publicly oriented organizations that provide services essential to our area’s economy, health, safety, culture, and general well-being.
Anchor institutions include hospitals and other medical facilities, emergency services like fire and police, educational organizations, and public services like libraries. Since Trailblazer is municipally owned by the Town of Estes Park, it is actually part of one of the town’s anchor institutions.
These institutions all play a critical role in our society, and they all depend on reliable access to the internet to function effectively in the 21st-century economy.
Hospitals and Medical Clinics
Universally appreciated by everyone fortunate enough to have one close by, a hospital is an anchor institution that many of us depend on in the starkest moments of our lives. Whether they’re treating chronic illnesses or responding to life-threatening injuries, hospitals and other medical clinics provide critical services every day.
In a recent interview with the Estes Park News (September 8, 2023 edition) about his retirement, Estes Park Health’s CIO, Gary Hall, commented on the internet at EPH during his 18-year tenure, “We had six megabits of internet access when I arrived,” Gary remembered. “Now, with Trailblazer, for which we were strong advocates, and other steps forward, we enjoy internet line redundancy and many gigabits of critical broadband service.”
And in a true health emergency, every second counts. Rapid access to medical records, keen and swift analysis of radiological and similar medical imagery, and urgent consultations among experts—these are often matters of life and death. Thus, perhaps more than anywhere else, having internet as reliable and fast as fiber in our community hospitals and health clinics is most critical.
Beyond the immediate health needs of patients and the broader community, hospitals and medical clinics regularly communicate with both patients and other health professionals. Maintaining a solid internet connection to transmit medical files and even hold telehealth follow-up visits is crucial to the missions of hospitals and medical centers.
Fiber’s bandwidth capacity is substantially larger than other types of internet and can make indispensable communication and data transfers quick and seamless, helping health providers fulfill their calling—and keep our communities healthier and safer at the same time.
Fire, Police, and Other Emergency Services
Local first responders–the good people of our fire stations, paramedics, and police departments–are our community’s heroes, often putting their own lives at risk to help others. And they are regularly on call at every minute of every hour of the day.
Without the brave and resourceful men and women in fire, police and other emergency services, our community would be far less safe. Thus, it goes without saying that our first responders are anchor institutions in our area, and everyone is grateful for their service.
Reliable communications and connectivity are absolutely critical for these essential services. As part of the same Town of Estes Park infrastructure, Trailblazer Broadband keeps emergency service providers connected for real-time communications and information about hazards, traffic information, hazardous weather and natural disasters, and other problems our community faces. And fiber keeps fire, police, and paramedics connected to everyone in our community–including to hospitals and emergency rooms–providing an instant connection when and where help is needed most.
Educational Organizations
The quintessential anchor institutions are our schools. Centers of learning are focused on using the best and most creative methods to educate the youth in our community and to provide them with skills and knowledge for success.
Fiber optic technology provides our students with the best opportunity for success. Lessons that are supplemented by audio, video, and interactive elements are immersive, relatable, and inspiring—they teach our kids to engage in the world around them far better than any textbook. And everyone knows that textbooks are not cheap and become outdated quickly. By substituting standard equipment with tablets and devices, schools can save a great deal of money.\
The better the broadband connection, the better those devices perform. The Estes Park School District supports 1,500 devices, a robust server and wireless infrastructure, a security camera system, as well as a wide array of both educational and operational applications. The District also provides iPads for student learning for each student PK-12.
Strong connectivity also leads to more efficient collaboration through the use of tools like Google Classroom and Google Workspace for Education. Our students can communicate with teachers and peers on and off-campus and school staff can pursue professional development and continuing education opportunities.
Finally, imagine there’s a theater production happening in New York, or a space shuttle launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Obviously that’s too far for a field trip. With a fiber fast internet connection, our schools can live-stream programs and new feeds right into the classroom, allowing students to be a part of the world outside their geographic boundaries.
Libraries and Museums
Often overlooked, but nonetheless invaluable, public libraries and museums of all kinds provide educational, artistic, and cultural opportunities offered almost nowhere else. They bring together resourceful, knowledgeable experts and support staff that create experiences that both inform and inspire.
Groups as diverse as toddlers, school children, book clubs, tourists, and seniors are enriched by the facilities and programs libraries and museums provide. Without fiber internet, however, neither of these anchor institutions can fulfill their unique niche in our community, including facilitating beloved programs like story hour, reading clinics, film nights, visiting exhibitions, club meetings, and guest experts.
And the community can often access many of these features—including e-books and other electronic materials—from home through remote and online access. Thus, fiber keeps each of us better connected to our area’s libraries, museums, and related curated institutions and their bevy of information and collections that set them apart.
Fiber Internet Keeps Our Anchor Institutions Well-Connected to Our Community—and to You
As much as our community depends on anchor institutions to improve our daily lives and make our region a better place to live, anchor institutions in turn rely on dependable and fast internet to get their jobs done. And they also look to the local team of experts and technicians that keep Trailblazer Broadband’s fiber network running strong and efficiently—and with the local knowledge and care to respond fast and effectively to any technical issue that may arise.
Indeed, the team at Trailblazer Broadband are more than just internet service professionals. We’re also your neighbors. Like you, we live and work in our community, which means we rely on and appreciate the work of our community’s anchor institutions.
As your municipally owned internet company, we’re highly invested in responding swiftly to emergencies like outages, which in turn lets the good people at our local anchor institutions do their jobs serving our community and keeping it healthy as well.
When you choose Trailblazer Broadband for your residential or business internet, you support our business—enabling us to turn around and support our community. Thank you for shopping locally for your internet. We’re proud to keep the Estes Valley connected!
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