Upgrades will begin this month to provide Internet six times faster than ever before in Golden.
Eastlink has made a major investment in the community to upgrade the Internet at the connection point going into town. The state-of-the-art Internet and TV services will be accessible wherever Eastlink is available now, which includes Golden and Nicholson.
“Golden is a community that had been very coval about being under serviced from a connectivity perspective, specifically around Internet services,” said Eastlink regional marketing associate Stephanie Morash. “So, we’re really happy that we found a way to implement an upgrade that will greatly improve connectivity.”
The upgrades are the result of a more than a half million dollar investment by Eastlink, and will include faster Internet speeds, 100 per cent high definition TV, thousands of hours of video on demand, the ability to stream TV to other devices, and a popular TV package with the ability to choose channels customers want.
Morash announced the Internet upgrades at the Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce community excellence awards on November 24. She and her peer sales and marketing manager Krystina Colicchio were in Golden for a few days meeting with community partners, and gained themselves the nickname “the Eastlink girls.”
“This upgrade will begin this month bringing substantially enhanced services including Internet that is 20 times faster than previously offered,” Colicchio said.
In a statement from Eastlink, Town of Golden Mayor Ron Oszust said the Town of Golden is “extremely happy with the investment by Eastlink” to provide the community with improved products and services.
“There is also value in dealing with a family owned and operated company,” he said.
Customers who already have Eastlink services will be upgraded to a faster Internet speed at no cost. Faster Internet speeds will be available at an additional cost to users.
“I really think this is something that is hugely overdue in this community,” Morash said.
The upgrades are being made to the connection going into Golden, so there won’t be any construction in town or disruptions at people’s residences, and no long wait times to access the upgrade.
“Customers won’t feel it,” Morash said. “You’re just going to be able to get it.”
However the increase in Internet speeds is “a very big increase and certainly something people will feel,” she said.
Eastlink has invested more than $100 million in Western Canada over the past 10 years and continues to invest bringing state-of-the-art Internet, TV and phone services to more than 60 communities in Western Canada , like Oliver, Osoyoos, The Sunshine Coast, Grande Prairie, Cold Lake, Camrose, and now Golden, who have access to services equivalent to those usually only found in larger areas.
