• Provides virtually unlimited bandwidth capacity
• Higher stability and less interruptions
• Less susceptible to corrosion or power surges from lightning and other sources, resulting in greater reliability
• Adds value to your home and to the community
  • Increase the value of your home or business
  • A study in 2015 stated that on average having FTTH will increase the value of a home by 3.1% and up to 7% for gigabit connected homes.
    • https://www.fiberbroadband.org/blog/study-shows-home-values-up-3.1-with-access-to-fiber
    • For a home valued at $170,000, that is an increase ranging from $5,270 to $11,900.
  • Increased economic development due to the advanced technology available in the area
  • Rural customers can compete on a global scale in their work or business

Cable can’t compare!

Don’t mistake the claims of some companies who say they have an “enhanced fiber optic network”. What they have is a hybrid connection mixing a single fiber line with the aging technology of coaxial cable. What’s the difference? Fiber-to-the-Home is a 100% fiber optic connection made directly to your home or business with the ability to carry large quantities of data at enormous distance—much faster.

Fiber technology delivers clear advantages over standard coaxial cable and copper networks:

• Fiber is unquestionably the fastest, most versatile high-speed internet connection
• Virtually unlimited bandwidth—the sky’s the limit
• Get the speed you pay for all the time!
• No internet slowdowns during peak hours
• Crystal clear voice communication with less interference and reliable 911 service
• Better video experience—see higher quality streaming video on your TV, computer, tablets, and other devices.

For most customers, your internal home wiring will stay the same for phone service. A fiber line will be installed into your home to a small fiber ONT that will be mounted near the baseboard in most cases. Then a new CAT6 cable will be installed from the ONT to the Wi-Fi router.

Yes, however we will install the latest Wi-Fi routers available that are carrier-grade for FREE. No lease or rental fee. These are high end Wi-Fi routers with the latest standard, Wi-Fi 6 that outperform most routers available on the consumer market. You will have to pay $300-400 to get a router that can compare to the one that we offer you for FREE.

Typically, this is the center of the home or close to the center of the area that you are using Wi-Fi connections. This can vary a little bit based on dense walls or materials, like metal objects and concrete/brick walls. If you elect to use our FREE managed Wi-Fi router, please discuss with our installer where you want to use Wi-Fi in your home/business so that they can place it in an optimal location.

When experiencing wireless speed slowdowns in your home, older legacy device(s) are a good potential culprit(s) to consider. Check for, turn off or remove these pesky devices to ensure that the users of newer connected devices receive an optimal internet experience. 

“Older wireless devices”, defined as operating in 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g WiFi mode, are NOT recommended for use with the Firefly network. Firefly recommends more current WiFi versions: 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, the newest version.

We recommend running a speed test with the Firefly Mobile App. You can download it for free in the App Store or on Google Play. To learn more about the Firefly Mobile App, click here.

Firefly install technicians can best diagnose your needs while on-site. Sometimes, placement of the modem and router equipment can impact Wi-Fi effectiveness. In some situations, a mesh extender can be used to enhance the signal throughout the residence. Extenders are designed solely for interior applications. If you need WiFi extended to other areas of your property, please give us a call to discuss options.

Customers wishing to extend WiFi to other buildings on their property have a few options.

• An ethernet line can be buried (if under 300’) and it is recommend this be placed in conduit and run from the router to the location. Please note: Power must be available at the end location. Firefly does not do this and nor do we provide recommendations on vendors/companies.
• You can use point-to-point wireless; a pair of antennas installed on the exterior—one at the residence and one at the location. Firefly does not offer this or the equipment, nor do we provide recommendations on vendors or equipment.
• A separate service drop may be an option for certain locations (i.e. barns, garages, cottages, etc.) A separate service drop can be placed which requires registration with a unit number or description if at the same E911 address. The new service will be billed as a separate service and cannot be combined with another bill.

Although Firefly Fiber Broadband does not create streaming services or video content, we provided the information below as a starting point to help you learn about the devices, apps, and streaming services available on the market from various sources and providers.

Hardware Devices
Smart phones, computers, and tablets offer immediate access to countless streaming apps, but did you know that devices like Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and many others can enable most televisions to use streaming services? Here are a few options that could help connect household TVs to many streaming services:

• Roku
• Amazon Fire Stick,Smart TVs (TVs able to have streaming apps built in and can connect to the internet)
• Newer Gaming Consoles (PS4, XBox1) •
• Computers
• Tablets
• Smartphones

Local TV Channel Options
For those who would like to watch local channels, there are a few streaming options. Most of these require a subscription with the service provider. The links below
contain additional details about the channels and packages available.

• DirecTV Now
• YouTube TV
• Fubo TV
• Hulu with Live TV 
• PlayStation TV Vue
• Sling TV

Most of these Over the Top providers carry the major satellite networks, such as AMC, CNN, ESPN and Nickelodeon. There are also options for viewing national broadcast networks, such as NBC, CBS, and Fox, as well as broadcast channels from local markets, such as Richmond, Charlottesville, and Washington DC. Where you live will determine which local channels are available. 

Subscription Streaming Services

• Amazon Prime Video (included with Prime membership)
• Netflix
• Hulu
• HBO Now

Ad-Supported Free Streaming

• Freedive
• Xumo
• Pluto TV
• The Roku Channel