BUFFALO, N.Y. — Neighbors living in Buffalo's Elmwood Village have to dodge a few obstacles on their morning walks these days.
"There's people pushing kids around in strollers, people in wheelchairs, so I get annoyed when they barricade the sidewalks," said Robert Sozanski, who's lived on Ashland for four years.
On the sidewalks and in neighbor's lawns are cones, piles of dirt and fiber optic tubes. Construction crews from Buffalo-based provider Niacom are building a new network.
It's the growing pains of expanding our internet options, but there's a lot to discuss around this topic.
You'll hear from a few different voices on it:
- Rob: A neighbor from Buffalo's Elmwood Village
- Common Council Member David Rivera
- Kiernan: Niacom's Director of Sales & Marketing
- Michele: Greenlight's Senior VP of Marketing
- Spectrum Internet
The Neighbor
Many members of the neighborhood's block club have been pretty heated about this.
"I got home from work about a month ago and they were digging up the neighbor's lawn," said Sozanski.
His brother-in-law lives around the corner and is trying to avoid getting his recently-groomed lawn torn apart.
Sozanski says this is round two of this work, with Greenlight Networks installing their network last year.
"We went from having no fiber optic internet options at all to having a couple, which I guess is good, but it does seem to be taking a long time," said Sozanski.
The Common Council Member
Communication has also been an issue.
The complaints started rolling in to Common Council Member David A. River's desk in mid-September.
"I think it's incumbent upon them to do a better job of engaging the community and the residents," said Rivera, who represents the Niagara District.
It's an issue he brought to the Department of Public Works.
"I'm concerned about the process going forward, not just with Niacom, but with any utility companies," said Rivera.
He wants there to be a checklist in the future before companies get the sign off to start working.
Niacom
Though neighbors were shocked to see the work start, Niacom representatives tell 7 News they are sent postcards, flyers are left on doors and workers go door-to-door to notify them before work begins.
"We care. Trust me it is my top priority to make sure that people are just as excited as us about this process, but also to make sure that we maintain what their property looks like," said Kiernan Hayward.
He says yards and sidewalks will be repaired to their original state when work is complete in a few months.
The company currently serves more than 500 customers, including St. Mary's in Williamsville, and rapidly growing.
"When you get one neighbor signed up, it almost spreads like wildfire...we're going to be able to hit all of Buffalo soon," said Hayward.
The goal is to provide local, fast and affordable internet.
"One thing we have that I really want to emphasize is that one we are local and two really care about our customers. We all grew up here, we all care about Buffalo, we all care about the prices people are paying," said Hayward.
Service starts at $50/month for 500 Mbps. $90/month for 2 Gbps. More info here.
Greenlight Networks
Niacom is competing with another fiber provider, Greenlight Networks which is now available in parts of Buffalo and Cheektowaga.
"We're currently building in North Tonawanda...we're building in the Hamlin park neighborhood in East Buffalo. We're working with the town of Lancaster to see if we can bring our service to that area as well," said Sadwick.
She says people are still skeptical about making the switch, but the growth in providers is good for everyone's wallet.
"Competition raises the bar. Prices go down and quality of service and speeds go up, that's what we've seen, that's all great for residents of the Buffalo area," said Sadwick.
Service starts at $50/month for 500 Mbps. $100/month for 2 Gbps. More info here.
Spectrum
Both fiber providers are in competition with the area's large cable internet provider, Spectrum.
"Spectrum has had gig speeds widely available across all of WNY for years," said the spokesperson.
They boast high rankings as a service provider, high ratings for service in rural areas and exceptional download and upload speed.
Service starts at $50/month for 300 Mbps, with options up to 1 Gbps. According to their website, prices and speeds vary be address.
