Although Longmont now claims to have the speediest Internet service in the U.S., mine isn’t that bad considering I am on Comcast just a few miles outside Longmont’s city limits and paying about the same as the NextLight service. This just goes to show that a real competitive market will drive all players to improve for the benefit of the consumer.
By Karen Antonacci
Staff Writer
Longmont Power & Communications’ NextLight Internet service is the fastest in the country, according to speed testing company Ookla.
Ookla, based in Seattle, owns SpeedTest.net, and has previously licensed its Internet testing technology to the Federal Communications Commission when the FCC wanted to build its own application.
In late April, NextLight was listed as the third-fastest in the United States, behind Google Fiberand Washington-based iFiber Communications. While the rankings may change due to companies’ varying speeds, as of press time Monday, NextLight was in the number one slot.
LPC is currently installing NextLight infrastructure throughout the city and hooking up customers in portions of the city. NextLight is the fiber-optic-powered Internet service the city is selling alongside other competitors like Comcast and CenturyLink.
The venture is funded from a $40.3 million bond the city issued in 2014, which will be paid back by ratepayers over time.
