We are excited to announce that the City of Iona will soon be a fiber optic community!
The City of Iona has teamed up with Direct Communications to develop a strategically planned project that would fit our community’s needs. Thanks to the partnership, plans are currently being implemented to bring fiber-optic internet to every home in the designated area. Construction is estimated to begin sometime in the late spring of 2023.
WHY FIBER OPTIC INTERNET?
Fiber optic cables send data up to 1,000 times faster than copper cables, meaning it is easier to connect with others, upload data, load websites, and stream video. The fiber network we are installing will be able to handle the increased demand for more bandwidth in the future. So essentially, we are future-proofing our city’s internet infrastructure.
WHY DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS?
Direct Communications has been family-owned and operated since 1954. Headquartered in the bustling metropolis of Rockland, ID, population 300, their priority has always been Idaho’s rural communities.
They are leaders in independent communications, and pioneers in the industry. They were the first to use fiber optic cable in telephone communications in Southeast Idaho and helped to build the first state-wide fiber optic cable SONET network.
In 2020 they built out more than 100 miles of fiber to connect 1,000 residents in Arimo, Lewisville, Dingle, Ovid, Bern, Liberty, Clifton, Oxford, Dayton, East of Grace, and Thatcher.
In 2022 they agreed on a partnership with the City of American Falls to match their ARPA funds to build a city-wide fiber optic network that will connect 1,400 homes. That project is nearing that half-way point and residents are reaping the benefits of fiber.
Direct Communications is a company that is heavily involved in the communities they serve.
They have worked with most of the schools on the east side of the state to get them fiber and this continues to be the case as they have expanded their services to more rural communities. Schools are a major priority to their company, which is why they started the “Upgrade Your School Program”. In 2019 they started to give new and upgrading subscribers the opportunity to donate their first month’s payment to the local school of their choice. Since then, they have donated more than $245,000 to Idaho’s local schools.
They care about the communities they serve, and continually invest in their futures.
Direct Communications has no overages, throttling, no contracts, and no data caps. They will be able to get residents 1Gig/1Gig speeds.
The city has agreed to provide $450,000 of ARPA funds to start the project and Direct Communications has agreed to kick in an additional $1.6M to complete the build.
To take advantage of this free installation while construction crews are in town, you must input your address at DIRECTCOM.COM, where you will be walked through the steps to sign up.
If you would like to sign up for fiber internet service or you have any questions or concerns you can call Direct Communications at 208-548-2345.
| Speed | Installation Fee | Price Per Month |
| 100 MBPS | $0.00 | $39.95 |
| 250 MBPS | $0.00 | $59.95 |
| 500 MBPS | $0.00 | $79.95 |
| 1 GIG | $0.00 | $99.95 |