SAN ANGELO, Texas — New options for internet service are coming to San Angelo. Several companies are installing fiber-optic technology to bring options and faster speeds to customers.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people had to adjust to working remotely.
Ayanna Davis, a senior at Angelo State University, said one of the main obstacles she’s encountered is slow internet while trying to complete her work.
“The internet service tends to go out sometimes so it’s like I can't go on my laptop which is like my main source that I use it for. I can go on my phone but it’s fairly slow sometimes,” Davis said.
Davis said faster internet will benefit the community, but especially college campuses.
“Especially with so many people coming in like incoming freshmen and they're always using Wi-Fi all the time, everyone is using it around campus, so I feel like it would be a boost of help so I feel like it would be great for the community,” Davis said.
Vexus Fiber is one of the companies creating a network in San Angelo. The company’s CEO and President Jim Gleason said one of the important things about fiber services is the internet speeds available. He calls the technology “future proof”.
“It’s the latest technology with the fastest speeds available but also a network that…we hate to use future proof, but at this point it’s the most future proof network that we can build for a broadband that works for homes and businesses to get improved throughput and improved speeds for internet service,” Gleason said.
Construction around the City of San Angelo has already begun. Gleason said the fiber optic installation is expected to take two to three years to complete.