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If you live in one of the neighborhoods surrounding Eureka High School, you’ve probably seen staff with Vero Fiber Networks, a Colorado-based internet service provider, installing bundles of multi-colored cable that will, eventually, make up the city’s new fiber-optic network. Once the project is complete, thousands of Eureka residents will have access to some of the fastest broadband internet available in Humboldt County.

At last night’s Eureka City Council meeting, Vero Communications Relations Specialist Alida Nicklas shared a progress report on the first phase of construction, which broke ground at Hodgson and L streets in early October. The first phase of construction will provide fiber internet access to Zane Middle School, Alice Birney and Eureka High, as well as several local businesses and community organizations throughout Eureka. 

“The entire project will span about 12 months, but for now you can find us on H, I, M, [and] N streets,” Nicklas said. “You can also see us throughout Buhne, Carson, Hayes and Henderson Center. … The way we’re moving through these areas is in our own ‘zones’, which equal roughly to about 300 homes each.”

The second phase of construction will focus on communities surrounding Eureka, including Cutten, Myrtletown and Pine Hill. 

Eventually, Vero plans to extend its fiber-optic infrastructure to more than 500 homes and businesses in Indianola, Fairhaven, Manila and Samoa. The company was recently awarded a $4.4 million grant from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the $6.3 million project. 

Nicklas also highlighted Vero’s Heroes Program, which offers a monthly discount for EMTs, firefighters, police, nurses and teachers. “We do that because we absolutely want to connect these people [to affordable broadband services],” she said. “We know they’re hard at work – especially in this more rural region where we really, really need them – and so we really like to give back to the community in that way.”

Following the presentation, Councilmember Renee Contreras-DeLoach asked if Vero had plans to bring broadband infrastructure to multi-unit households around Eureka. Vero is looking into it, Nicklas said, but there are a few extra steps involved.

“[T]here are so many multi-unit households and apartment complexes [in Eureka] and with that, we’ll have to gain a right of entry, which is a different process,” she said. A “right of entry” refers to a legal permit, usually obtained through a property owner or landlord, that allows a telecom provider to access a property to install and maintain internet services. “But we’re looking into that and trying to provide apartments with [internet] as well.” 

If you’re interested in Vero’s services, you can look up your address at this link. Vero tracks the search data, and if there’s an uptick in searches for a specific area it could determine where they build next, Nicklas said.

“It’s good to see some more options coming in,” said Councilmember Kati Moulton. “Knowing we have more options in the market makes things better for consumers.”

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A recording of last night’s meeting can be found here.