Silver Star looks forward to continuing to expand our fiber-optic network! These pages will provide background on our efforts to expand Silver Star’s fiber-optic footprint, replacing our existing copper (DSL) infrastructure.
Our fiber expansion plans, in areas we call Fiberhoods, are largely defined by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements. Silver Star seeks out grant opportunities and the ability to partner with private entities to share capital costs in areas not covered by our Fiberhood expansion plans. This is the case in Teton County, Wyoming, for example.
In a Fiberhood?
If you are an existing Silver Star customer and are in a Fiberhood, we will reach out to you when we are ready to do construction from the mainline to your property (called “drop” construction).
What to Expect
Our goal is to bring Silver Star fiber-optic service to qualified locations as quickly as possible. Given the vastness of our serving areas in both Idaho and Wyoming, this multi-year project to expand fiber may take some time to get to you.
The areas where we will build out fiber are known as “Fiberhoods.” Some Fiberhoods will take longer to get to than others due to obligations we have to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to deliver fiber service to specific areas within a given timeframe.
If you are in a Fiberhood scheduled for the current year, we will need you to pre-register so we can reach out to you when the time comes for construction on your property. Part of that process is giving Silver Star permission to work on your property. You can view the contents of that permission form here.
We want to know if you are as excited as we are!
Before the construction process, we spend time developing a construction plan for your community, including working with local government on permitting. Once a Fiberhood qualifies for service, there is additional design, engineering, and staking work to complete.
Underground research.
Before we can bring in construction equipment such as boring or trenching machines to place conduit and fiber, we’ll need to figure out the location of the existing underground wires, pipes, water lines, etc. We follow all the required procedures for having the locations of each utility line marked. You will see yellow, orange, red or blue, markings on sidewalks, streets, or even on your lawn. These are called locating marks or “locates”.
Private property access rights.
In some cases, approval must be obtained from private property owners or public property administrators in order to place fiber through or to a particular area.
Digging can be disruptive.
We realize that construction can be disruptive. Silver Star attempts to minimize disruption in your town and neighborhood.
Hurry up and wait.
There are some things that can slow us down even under the best conditions such as:
- Weather! Most of our construction happens in the spring, summer and fall since it is difficult and costly to work in frozen ground and snow. However, we often encounter snow earlier in the fall or later in the spring than we had hoped and have to adjust accordingly. Rest assured we try to take advantage of every weather window we can!
- Some areas may have local restrictions where permits are only valid during certain days of the week or during certain hours. This may constrict the times that crews can work. We may extend crew work hours or even have them work on weekends, but we need to comply with local restrictions.
Why is my neighbor getting fiber installed before me?
Sometimes, one or two homes on a road won’t get installed until weeks or months after the rest of the main fiber on the road is installed. This can be puzzling to residents, so your patience is appreciated.
While we wish we could prepare for every unexpected obstacle, sometimes there are unforeseen situations or unique circumstances at a particular location that can affect our ability to install fiber.
When we can be, we’re very efficient!
While there are the occasional obstructions and interruptions, we have learned a great deal since our first fiber-to-the-home buildouts began in 2004 and we have evolved and streamlined our construction processes.
We have designed the Fiberhood sign-up and construction process to maximize efficiency. If you look up your address and find that you are in a Fiberhood scheduled for construction in the current year, please sign up as soon as possible. There are sign-up deadlines that we stick to so we can build in a particular Fiberhood and then move on to work in the next one.
We strategically build out towns and neighborhoods, deploying resources where they can be best utilized. Sometimes we bypass streets that may be temporarily inaccessible and come back to them later. This helps us keeps the construction process moving, keeps our crews busy, and makes the whole process go as swiftly as possible.
When it is time to connect your home or business with high-speed internet, we will contact you to schedule your installation appointment, so please be sure to check the email address that you put on the sign-up form and to whitelist our email address.
Please note that our fiber expansion plans are subject to change depending on a number of factors including weather, funding, and supply issues.