General News Archives - Softcom Internet Communications, Inc.

Technology tips for working from home long-term

December 12, 2020 4G LTE, General News, Online Security, Tips and Helpful User Information

Like many others around the world, we’ve been working from home for eight months or more due to the pandemic and it doesn’t look like that will end soon. Most Americans working from home have created office spaces that provide the tools and tech they need, but without the professional IT staff on call they are used to.

Since it looks like working from home will continue for quite some time, learning how to become your own tech support will go a long way toward keeping your stress level down and your productivity up. With that in mind, here are a few tips from IT pros and experienced WFH professionals that all remote workers should know.

#1: WiFi is really, really important

If you’re working online every day, you must have internet service you can rely on. There’s nothing more frustrating, or anti-productive, as the inability to connect and communicate with your coworkers, colleagues or clients. Secure and stable access to the internet is essential for most all businesses to keep running. Here are a few tips for making sure your internet is up to speed:

How COVID-19 is affecting internet availability for work and school at home

November 16, 2020 General News, Internet Service Area News, Tips and Helpful User Information

As more people rely on their home internet for work, school, shopping, and socializing due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s not surprising that internet usage rates have dramatically increased, along with the amount of data to support everyone doing, well, everything. Unfortunately, one way that many internet service providers have chosen to deal with this increased usage is to reinstate data caps for their customers.

What are data caps? It’s when an internet provider limits how much data subscribers can use each month – putting a “cap” on how much they are allowed according to their plan.

How to know if that super-fast, super-cheap home internet offer is too good to be true

November 4, 2020 General News, Internet Service Area News, Tips and Helpful User Information

We’ve all seen those flyers in the mail from start-up companies offering super-fast internet service at amazing low prices. But the trick is knowing if they really do deliver all that they offer, or if it’s just another too-good-to-be-true gimmick that just doesn’t add up. As long-time providers of high-speed internet service in our area, we hear from our customers from time to time asking about new offers and how they compare to our services. So we thought it would useful to share what you need to know to determine the true value of any internet provider’s offer.

Contract details

The devil is in the details, so the saying goes, and the fine print is often where you’ll find the answers to understand the real value of an internet service provider’s offer. One of the first things to do is check out the Terms of Service or Contract.

How to safely celebrate the holidays during the COVID-19 pandemic

October 29, 2020 General News

As much as we’d like coronavirus to disappear by the holidays, it won’t. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t still celebrate. According to the CDC and other health experts, the holidays don’t need to be cancelled this year, as long as you follow some simple safety tips like the ones we’ve rounded up here.

Check local regulations

First thing’s first. If you plan on hosting a holiday celebration, we strongly encourage you to check your local COVID-19 regulations to determine whether it’s safe (and legal) to have any type of gathering. Whether you’re planning on a small family gathering at home, or a larger socially-distanced event in an outdoor space, it’s good to know your local mandates to plan responsibly.

New cutting-edge equipment to expand services, coverage and speed

October 20, 2020 Equipment Upgrades, General News

We’ve been busy behind the scenes here at Softcom for the last few months integrating cutting-edge Ericsson LTE equipment into our network that we are confident will be game-changing when it comes to internet service, coverage, speed and reliability for our customers and community.

Ericsson is recognized as one of the world’s leading providers of information and communication technology for service providers. Their technology and services are trusted by our nation’s top telecommunications companies and valued for their consistent success in a fully connected world. During the last few months here at Softcom, we have been working diligently to thoroughly test and integrate the equipment necessary to deploy Ericsson equipment, investing in our technology and in our ability to remain one of the best rural internet service providers in Galt, Herald, Wilton, Acampo, the River Delta, and the surrounding communities.

What to expect when voting this year

October 7, 2020 General News, Tips and Helpful User Information

For the first time in history, more than 20 million mail-in voting ballots are being sent out to California votes this year, just one of the many changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your vote counts.

Register to vote: If you haven’t registered to vote, there’s still time. State law requires registration 15 days before an election, however there are options for same-day registration as well. See all the details and register to vote here: https://registertovote.ca.gov/

Not sure if you’re registered to vote? You can check here: https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/

How to use technology to lessen work-life stress

September 20, 2020 General News, Tips and Helpful User Information

In an age where technology has given us so many “shortcuts” to make life easier, why do we all feel so stressed? Take one pandemic, add in difficulties adjusting to work, school and life at home, and that equals a whole lot of anxiety. The main reason for these problems, though, doesn’t always lie in the technology, but in the way – or how much – it’s being used.

For example, a study from Common Sense Media shows that smart phones, something designed to give people more “freedom,” actually rarely leave our sides – even at night! According to the study (pdf link), a third of teens actually sleep with their devices — girls more than boys, according to findings (PDF) in The New Normal: Parents, Teens, Screens, and Sleep in the United States. Parents aren’t better, with 62% keeping phones in reach of their bed.

How the pandemic is changing the internet

July 6, 2020 General News, Tips and Helpful User Information

As the world starts opening back up, it’s obvious that even thought people might talk about “getting back to normal,” a lot of life as we know it will never be quite the same. Almost every facet of life – business, entertainment, food, healthcare, travel, etc. – has been affected and the only certainty we can see in the future is change.

As providers of high-speed internet to rural homes and businesses in the Central California area, we’ve been keeping our eyes on ways technology might change and how it might affect our business, as well as the lives and businesses of those we live and work with here. There is much yet to be discovered, but for now here are some of the ways we see how the pandemic has changed the future of internet use and technology.

How to choose the best router for Softcom service

June 24, 2020 General News, Internet Service Area News, Tips and Helpful User Information

One frequent question we often hear from new clients is how to choose the best router for their needs. When setting up new accounts for high-speed internet access, choosing the right router for your home or place of business is an important step, so we’ve rounded up a few guidelines to help your decision.

When Softcom technicians set up a new account, as part of the installation they will configure the router you have chosen to connect to the internet. We do not provide a router as part of the initial set-up, you have the choice of choosing to either rent a router from us (the Softcom Smart Router), or purchase one of your own.

How do I set up service with Softcom

June 12, 2020 General News, Internet Service Area News, Tips and Helpful User Information

If you’re new to the area, or new to Softcom, and wonder what it takes to get set up for high-speed internet access here in the San Joaquin Valley area, here’s what you need to know.

Softcom currently provides internet service to the following cities: Acampo, Clements, Collierville, Courtland, East Stockton, Elk Grove, Galt, Herald, Isleton, Lake Camanche, Lockeford, Lodi, Morada, North Stockton, Thornton, Victor, Walnut Grove, Wilton, Woodbridge, and Youngstown. If you live in those cities or the surrounding areas, you can check to see if you fall within our service boundaries by checking the map on our website. Even if it seems that you fall outside the boundaries, don’t give up. Please call our customer service team and they will check. We are constantly adding new towers and upgrading our equipment in order to give our customers the best service as we expand our range.

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