Companies contracted with Fidelity Communications were in Gerald Monday, April 26, to begin running fiber optic cable. 

The project covers both Gerald and Rosebud and is expected to be complete by the end of the year. Similar projects in Owensville and New Haven are already near completion. 

Sam McGill General Manager, Fidelity Missouri Markets told The Republican the project is planned in phases. “(S)ome areas will be moved to Fiber to the Home (FTTH) much earlier. There is a website www.fidelitycommunications.com/gerald-rosebud-fibermap where residents can look up their address for which phase and expected FTTH completion.”

McGill notes that reliable, high-speed internet is critical, especially now. Due to the pandemic, people are staying connected to family, work, school and entertainment from home. “FTTH is the latest and most robust technology that offers faster and more reliable symmetrical speeds up to 1 Gig. Gig speeds allow faster downloads and uploads, enhanced video, real-time gaming and uninterrupted connections in multi-device homes.”

“Our upgrades in Gerald and Rosebud, just like New Haven and Owensville are part of an investment being made by Cable One (our parent company) following their acquisition of Fidelity in 2019 to upgrade these towns and provide the latest Fiber to the Home technology,” McGill explains.

Some customers may see a decrease in their bills, according to McGill. Phone service will no longer be a requirement to receive internet service in the FTTH upgraded area. 

The recent increase Fidelity customers saw on their bills is not related to FTTH upgrades. McGill says the majority of the recent rate adjustment was for a Broadcast TV Surcharge, which covers the retransmission consent fees charged by local broadcasters. These fees, charged to Fidelity, have increased more than 110 percent in the last three years. The recent rate increase to customers only partially covers the costs paid by Fidelity.