VCA partners with Switch, Churchill County Communications to boost rural internet speed

LAS VEGAS — Lightning fast fiber-optic communications will soon come to remote areas of Nevada, thanks to a partnership between Switch, Valley Communications Association, and Churchill County Communications.

Valley Communications Association of Pahrump and Churchill County Communications of Fallon have joined forces with Switch, the Las Vegas-based data center provider and global technology solutions company, to “light up” a new fiber route from Las Vegas to Reno, officials said in a press release.

In 2012, officials began construction on an ultra-high-speed communications backbone between Reno and Las Vegas passing through more than 450 miles of rural western Nevada.

The joint collaboration will also enable the build-out to extend to rural communities in the state.

“This is a dream come true for rural communities like the ones we serve,” said Thomas Husted, CEO of Valley Communications Association. “High-speed broadband is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. Communication is critical infrastructure everywhere for 911 communications, education, rural business and economic development. The needs in rural areas are just as important.”

The partnership makes it cost-effective to provide high-speed communication to rural areas such as Amargosa Valley, Beatty, Yerington and Hawthorne, among others, officials said.

Service and maintenance of the 500-mile, fiber-optic network that parallels Highway 95 will be shared by the utilities. VCA covers Tonopah to Las Vegas; Churchill County Communications from Tonopah to Reno.

The 500-mile route through Nevada coupled with the complete SUPERLOOP pathway through the state of California also delivers the most direct and comprehensive route for data to reach its destination.

Switch’s data centers deliver high-density, multi-tenant locations that provide technology ecosystems to more than 1,000 clients, including eBay, Amazon, Intel, DreamWorks and Sony.

Switch’s new fiber connectivity will make it possible for schools, hospitals and residents throughout Nevada to access high-speed broadband and the data that runs the planet.

The company stated that its goal is to make Nevada the most connected state in America, according to the press release.

VEA began rolling out high-speed broadband in its 6,800-square-mile service territory in 2015, piggybacking on the existing fiber-optic network it installed a few years before to manage its electric grid.

The benefits to education, in particular, are tremendous, officials said.

“The simple process of taking standardized student tests can be frustrating,” said Dale Norton, Nye County School District superintendent. Such tests are administered over the Internet. In rural communities, service is slow and unreliable. “Lost connections midway through a test can force students to start over, and that is not fair to any student,” said Norton.

Because of current slow internet speeds, rural schools are unable to rely on online video communication tools such as Skype that allow distant schools to share teaching resources.

Churchill County Communications began its fiber to the home build-out to residents of Churchill County in 2008 and turned up its first gigabit customer in 2015. This partnership will allow the company to continue to serve rural northern Nevada and expand its offering to other communities.

In time, the partnership will allow the utilities to expand their broadband further to reach to places without commercial broadband providers.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77