Gigabit Internet service comes to Lake George area

Gigabit Internet service has come to Lake George. Paul Bunyan Communications has upgraded the communications network it has in the Lake George area making GigaZone services now available to close to 500 locations in an area that stretches from east of Lake George west to Itasca State Park and south towards Emmaville and Two Inlets.
“The GigaZone provides Internet capabilities unsurpassed by any other rural provider or region in the country.  The GigaZone not only provides the capacity to handle current communication technologies quickly and efficiently, it also meets the increasing demands of the next generation of broadband innovations,” said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General Manager.
“Our cooperative already has the region’s largest all fiber optic network, upgrading it for the GigaZone continues our commitment to keeping our region at the forefront of broadband access.” said Steve Howard, Paul Bunyan Communications IT and development manager.
GigaZone service options include unprecedented Broadband Internet speeds of up to 1000 Mbps – a Gigabit. Members who subscribe to GigaZone Broadband can also add PBTV Fusion and/or low cost unlimited local and long distance GigaZone voice service. All current service options also remain available to cooperative members within the GigaZone.
Most current wireless routers cannot support blazing GigaZone Internet speeds.  To help, the cooperative is offering GigaZone Integrated Wi-Fi that uses the latest in advanced Wi-Fi technologies to maximize the in-home wireless experience. This service is free to all new GigaZone customers for the first six months, with a minimal charge thereafter.
The GigaZone now is available to over 4,500 locations including all of the cooperative’s service area of rural Park Rapids, the Trout Lake Township east of Grand Rapids, the area of Bemidji that saw construction in 2014, and most recently all of the Lake George area. Additional GigaZone upgrades in 2015 are expected and ultimately the GigaZone will encompass the cooperative’s entire 5,000 square mile service area.
“Our cooperative started expanding our all fiber optic network into the Lake George area in 2007 and the project was completed in 2008. That provided the first broadband Internet service to the area and allowed for us to upgrade the network now for GigaZone services. Our members in Lake George are now a part of one of the first rural Gigabit networks in the country!” added Bissonette.