SAGUACHE COUNTY — San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (SLVREC) members in Saguache County received postcards last week announcing that the big day has finally arrived — they can access high-speed Internet directly from their electric provider at an affordable price.
South Fork and Creede have enjoyed the service for several months as SLVREC crews worked to bring fiber optic to parts of Saguache and Rio Grande counties. According to the power company’s website, Ciello offers all its customers both Internet and VoIP phone service for the same price and in some cases offer even lower prices than their competitors.
VoIP differs from land line service in that it is accessed through the Internet and provides a clearer connection than available through copper wires. Land lines operate on a completely different network. Customers can keep their current numbers when transferring to VoIP.

The service will eventually cover the entire Valley although small pockets in some outlying areas of the valley floor may not be accessible, SLVREC explains. A map to determine coverage is available on the SLVREC website at http://ciello.com/content/coverage-map
SLVREC technicians will bring the optic fiber directly to customers’ electric poles and will then run it into their homes. Customers can choose to have the line to their home buried but this may involve an additional fee.
Members will then receive a modem/router (ONT) that will provide Wi-Fi throughout the home and/or the service can be hard-wired directly into the computer. The Wi-Fi is password protected. There are no additional costs for the equipment, and SLVREC notes it is the only provider that offers this.
Although SLVREC could also provide cable service, studies show that most Internet users prefer Netflix which makes the service not feasible economically.
For more information on plans and pricing, contact SLVREC at 719-852-3538.