4G LTE Archives - Softcom Internet Communications, Inc.

U.S. consumers use record amount of wireless data in 2018

August 27, 2019 4G LTE, General News, Tips and Helpful User Information

Wireless data allows us to access the power of the internet from practically anywhere we want to, and a recent study shows that Americans are putting that easy access to use as wireless data use more than doubled in the U.S. in 2018 as compared to 2017 and continues to grow at an impressive rate. In fact, mobile data use was up more than 82 percent growth last year – more data than was used in the first six and a half years of this decade all together.

This growth in voice calls, texts, and data is driven in part by the increasing number of wireless devices in the U.S. In 2018, Americans connected another 21.5 million mobile devices for a total of 421.7 million devices. But it’s not just about smartphones anymore as people are using data-only wireless devices that connect on-the-go such as watches, cars, health and fitness monitors, and household items with use growing 10 percent in 2018 to reach 139.4 million devices.

What is internet throttling and how do I check for it?

March 27, 2019 4G LTE, General News, Internet Service Area News, Tips and Helpful User Information

Did you know that ISPs are required to disclose certain aspects of their service to their customers, including things like data throttling? Here’s what that means, and why Softcom will never participate in blocking or throttling internet access for its customers.

Throttling is when an internet service provider (ISP) purposely slows down your connection speeds. We’ve rounded up the following information about throttling to educate our readers about this practice, give you the tools you need to research and take action, and assure you that Softcom does not participate in this practice.

How to pick the right internet service for you

January 20, 2019 4G LTE, Ask The Experts, General News, Tips and Helpful User Information

Everyone loves to clear out the clutter when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. Here’s a new take on that: Make sure you’ve got internet service that isn’t a mess by using our checklist to identify what it takes to make sure you’ve got the very best.

Understand your data needs

Activities like streaming, video conferencing and gaming will need a higher level of service than someone who just uses their computers for email and online shopping. If you have a home office or multiple devices that will all be online at once, this can also affect the level of service. Understanding this and discussing it with an experienced customer service representative will elevate your online experience asap. To learn more about connection speeds and choosing the right plan, read “What internet speed do I need.”

What internet speed do I need?

January 11, 2019 4G LTE, Ask The Experts, General News, Internet Service Area News, Tips and Helpful User Information

Signing up for internet service is easy. Deciding on the speed and level of service you want? That can be the hard part. Some of the most frequently asked questions we get are about understanding the difference in our 4G LTE plans, especially when it comes to connection speeds.

Here at Softcom, we don’t sell plans based on data usage because we offer true unlimited data for our customers, no matter what plan they choose and without affecting the speed of service. Other companies don’t do this, and in fact will reduce connection speeds once their customers exceed their set data caps within a billing cycle. Depending on how much streaming or data-consuming work is done from the home or office, this could result in a week or two of fast speeds, followed by frustratingly slower connections until the billing cycle resets.

California vineyards and high-speed internet – a perfect pairing

October 23, 2018 4G LTE, General News, Internet Service Area News

How technology can help make a better wine

It takes a perfect synergy of elements to make a great wine. The right kind of soil, perfect weather conditions, healthy grapes and a productive harvest are all part of the process. While winemaking has been around for centuries, and vintners still depend on many traditional methods to make a great wine, technology is making inroads into vineyards and proving its value in helping to make a better wine.

The Overlooked Advantages of Softcom

October 11, 2018 4G LTE, Community News, Equipment Upgrades, General News, Internet Service Area News, Tips and Helpful User Information

Our ability to provide strong and speedy internet connections is about much more than just towers and techies. We’ve got a lot going on behind the scenes that helps us stand out from the crowd. From in-person customer service with people who feel like family, to no-tricks contracts and super-speedy installation, we go the extra mile to give our customers the very best.

We invite you to take a peek behind the curtain at a few of the things that make our internet services for rural homes, businesses and communities stand out:

Super-Speedy Installation and Service: There are definitely benefits to having our headquarters and operations based centrally where we provide our services. No long waits – in fact, most new customer installations and on-site services are scheduled within a week of inquiry. Need help? Just give us a call. Software fixes and upgrades are often accomplished remotely, within minutes, and without appointments.

Fixed Internet vs. Satellite for Rural Internet Access

August 1, 2018 4G LTE, On-Line Streaming, Tips and Helpful User Information

In the past when rural homes or businesses wanted internet access, their only option was satellite service. While it was quick and easy to install, the downside was incredibly slow service resulting from data being transmitted to and from an orbiting satellite.

As technology has improved, however, so have the options for rural internet users. Fixed wireless internet is a more reliable solution, with faster, stronger and more reliable service that today’s internet user is looking for.

New tower upgrades coming to Herald West, Acampo

June 15, 2018 4G LTE, Equipment Upgrades, General News, Internet Service Area News

The good news just keeps rolling in and we’re happy to share the progress of our latest technology and equipment improvements. The 4G LTE upgrades we announced last month for the Herald East tower have been completed and local Softcom customers are sending us positive feedback of faster, stronger internet service.

With that mission accomplished, we’re moving on to start on similar improvements for the Herald West and Acampo towers, with more in store later in the year. These upgrades have the added benefit of giving us the ability to add new customers and expand our service areas while also improving the quality of service for current customers, a win-win situation for all.

Turning our competitors’ mistakes into our successes

May 10, 2018 4G LTE, Community News, Equipment Upgrades, General News

There’s an old saying that instead of looking at something as a mistake, look at it as an opportunity to make something even better. It’s no secret that we are constantly looking for ways to improve the quality of our service – and sometimes we’ve found that they best way to do that is to watch and learn from the mistakes others in our industry have experienced.

For example, a recent article highlighted Frontier’s dramatic decline as a result of overreaching with their growth strategies and resulting inability to provide customers with adequate internet connectivity. Too many customers, not enough resources, and a lack of focus from their management has created a perfect storm of poor service that’s caused nearly half a million subscribers to leave last year alone. Internet service in Wilton, especially, has been negatively affected by Frontier’s decline, leaving subscribers with little to no connectivity at all.

Tower upgrades open door for more customers and better service

April 23, 2018 4G LTE, Equipment Upgrades, General News, Tips and Helpful User Information

If you live in the Herald or Acampo area, we’ve got great news! Upgrades to several of our towers in the area means that in addition to improving the strength and reliability of our service, we can now provide even more customers with the internet access they’ve been waiting for.

Here at Softcom, we’re committed to a high standard of quality when it comes to our customer’s internet connectivity. That’s why we take a “quality over quantity” approach for our services. For instance, when we reach capacity for each tower, our standard practice is to stop accepting new customers in that area to avoid spreading our resources too thin and degrading the service.

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