Stories

Why Fiber Internet Is More Reliable in All Weather

July 6, 2023

Most people know that fiber internet is the fastest available. Its fiber optic technology transfers data at near-light speed, making streaming movies in 4K or sharing bandwidth with your family a breeze. But did you know fiber is also more reliable than other kinds of internet as well, especially in severe weather? Legacy internet connections (think older systems like cable, DSL, satellite, and wireless that rely on outdated technologies) just cannot compete with fiber’s speeds or reliability. Because of their structural differences and even the way they’re deployed and installed, those older technologies are far more susceptible to outages due to inclement weather. At Alpine Communications, we’re proud to deliver the fastest, most reliable internet our community can get. Read on to better understand why fiber internet is heads-and-shoulders above other technologies for reliability, and why you can count on it in just about any weather condition.

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Listing Tips for Real Estate Agents Selling a Fiber Home

June 26, 2023

Finding ways to distinguish a home listing from all the others is one of the hallmark skills a real estate agent brings to their clients. And while each home brings different charms to a listing, some features are just far more appealing (and valuable) to potential homebuyers than others. Fiber Homes was designed to help agents easily locate and showcase one of the most desirable features a 21st century home can have—fiber internet. Through Fiber Homes and its free tools, real estate agents can turn an ordinary listing into a faster and possibly more profitable sale. Keep reading to learn more about fiber internet and how to use Fiber Homes’ tools to create an ideal listing—and see how you can make a home with fiber internet pop!

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Five Tips for Managing Your Child’s Screen Time

June 20, 2023

It’s indisputable that the internet is a modern-day marvel of information, entertainment, economic empowerment, and global communication—for people of all ages! And at Alpine Communications, we’re proud that our advanced fiber network brings all of those benefits to our community and your family. That said, it’s not surprising that many parents lament the amount of time their kids spend in front of their screens. From texting with their friends, to online gaming, to watching TikTok videos or streaming their favorite TV show, the hours can really add up. And parents aren’t wrong to wish that more of that screen time instead be spent on homework, exercise, enjoying fresh air—or even just having more quality time with their families. Thankfully, there are some things parents can do to manage and even limit their child’s screen time. Below we share five of our favorite tips developed by experts to help parents create a healthier balance for their kids and their devices. Read on to learn more!

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Is Fiber Really Worth All This?

June 15, 2023

Trucks on the curb. Roadside digging. Traffic detours. Workers invading your quiet neighborhood. Although we do our best to minimize disruptions, we understand that the fiber construction process can be a noisy inconvenience. Improving any infrastructure—from internet networks to public roads—can be a hassle at the time, but the outcome is (hopefully) always worth the temporary disruptions. As we work hard to bring future-proof fiber internet to our community, we wanted to take a few minutes to look ahead and consider all the value fiber can bring to our town. We believe fiber is worth the trouble because we believe Iowa is worth it—and we hope you’ll agree!

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Tomorrow’s Career Opportunities for Today’s Gamer

May 31, 2023

With spectacular advances in graphics, artificial intelligence (A.I.), and increasingly complex story arcs and character development, video gaming is more popular than ever. And competitive online video gaming—also known as esports—has taken what once was considered a frivolous pursuit enjoyed by the young and turned gaming into a global phenomenon and economic powerhouse. Indeed, the most-recently available statistics show how just how big gaming has become not only in the United States but also around the world. Nearly 30 million Americans watched esports in 2022—a number estimated to grow to nearly 35 million by 2026. Globally, there were 532 million esports viewers in 2022 alone, a staggering number. (Source)

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Best Games for Bonding With Your Child

May 30, 2023

From pediatricians to psychologists, experts agree that spending quality time is among the best “investments” a parent can make for their children. But it’s also perhaps the most difficult to pull off.  Between parents’ work responsibilities and their child’s school, sports, and activities schedules, time for parents to bond with their kids can just slip away. For the past few generations, one of the most common ways kids spend their free time is by playing video games. And from the Atari of the early 1980’s to the PlayStation 5 of today, they’ve only gotten better. Between their increasingly sophisticated stories to stunning graphics, it can be rather difficult to peel kids away from their screens! So what if instead of competing with video games for your kids’ attention and time, you joined them—as in playing video games with your kids? Well, many parents are doing just that—and even enjoying the games almost as much as their children are!

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The Summer Slowdown: Preparing Your Home Internet for Increased Demand

May 24, 2023

The summer television viewing season isn't what it used to be. Once known for endless reruns and launches of shows that studios deemed less likely to be successful, the world of streaming entertainment and the production houses it created are churning out phenomenal content you've just got to see. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to improve your internet connection and performance, even during the summer's high demand.

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Explaining Internet Speeds

May 21, 2023

Perhaps the most common question we hear from customers at Alpine Communications is: “what internet speed do I really need?” It’s actually an excellent question, and the answer can depend on a number of factors—from the number of people in the home and the number of devices regularly used at once to the types of online activities that matter most to you. (For example, gaming and videoconferencing will require more bandwidth than checking emails!) While Alpine Communications’ advanced fiber network is the most reliable internet you can get—and that reliability is consistent no matter what speed tier you choose—we offer different plans and tiers based on the speeds your household needs.

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Remembering the Past, Planning for the Future

May 18, 2023

There are a lot of memories generated as a child, especially with your grandparents. Spending summers here in NE Iowa was an annual treat for me. Having grandparents in both Garnavillo and Clayton, made it easy to switch week to week spending time with each. Traveling to Clayton meant going by J-Wood campground, the corner where my dad had his car accident, and reaching the top of the hill where I would get the honor of putting my grandpa’s maroon LTD in low gear. We had many winters where we needed to get a run for that hill and going down was just as scary.

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Creating a Portable Home Office

May 15, 2023

More Americans are working remotely than ever before. Indeed, some recent estimates indicate that nearly a quarter of all U.S. workers now work from home, with still many more people working remotely at least part of the time. Instead of shutting themselves into a guest-bedroom-turned-home-office for eight hours a day, many remote workers prefer a portable home office. A portable office makes it easier to relocate from a home office to the kitchen table, back yard, local coffee shop, or back to the corporate office. With reliable, high-speed internet and whole-home Wi-Fi from Alpine Communications, you can work on a strong connection from anywhere in your home. Feeling too tied to your desk? Check out these tips to create the perfect portable office for you!

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