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Fiber optic cable work started in Minonk

Friday, October 31, 2014 - Posted 11:45:48 AM
Work on installing fiber optic cable in Minonk has been going on for a month according to Heartland Cable Manager Steve Allen. Allen said work has been started in section 1 which is the area north of 7th Street and east of Chestnut Street. There are 8 sections and each section will be done one at a time before starting on the next section. Allen said he anticipates that the entire city will have fiber optic cable in 3 years or less.

The installation of the fiber optic cable will give Minonk residents an opportunity to get high speed internet and television at competitive prices. In addition, the cable will allow residents to get much faster speed that is now available from current internet providers. Currently, the local schools, city hall, the ambulance shed, the library and the major businesses in Minonk are hooked up to the fiber optic cable enabling them to get much faster connections to the internet than were formerly available.

Packages available on the new cable will include 98 HD channels and 140 channels overall. For more information on packages and pricing, click here.

Installation of the fiber optic cable in Minonk will make the city the smallest community in the United States to have fiber optic cable. Heartland Cable is a local business which means bills can be paid locally and installation and maintenance will be locally provided as well.

Future plans include the installation of a server at Heartland Cable's office which can be used for live streaming of data from events. Plans are to have a community channel in which live events such as sporting events and city council meetings can be streamed live to either the internet or to a tv channel. Other possibilities are to have security cameras set up in various parts of the city which can then be monitored not only by the police but also by the public.

The advantages of fiber optic cable is already being utilized by the Fieldcrest school system which enables students to access courses offered by other schools in the network connected by the fiber optic connection. Looking into the future, classes not only for students but also for adult education can be streamed over the local community channel.

Minonk is extremely fortunate to have an fiber optic system installed. It enables the community to be on the cutting edge of technology which will reap benefits ranging from providing services to the community to attracting businesses which need the high speed that fiber optic cable offers.