Vol. 61, No. 12 December 2015 100Mbps Internet is here! It seems like just yesterday (last year, actually) that WCTA launched our 15Mbps internet package which, at the time, tripled the speed of our most popular plan. We re at it again. And this time we ve gone straight to 100Mbps! WCTA s 100Mbps package is now available to any location served by fiber optic service. And, it s a symmetrical service meaning it is 100Mbps in both directions. So you can upload those photos to Facebook in record time. And the best part? It s the same price as the old 15Mbps plan. In fact, existing 15Mbps fiber customers have already been upgraded to the 100M package. For those on one of WCTA s older internet plans, upgrading is easy. Simply contact our business office at 1-800-592-6105 and ask about the 100Mbps plan! (926-5746) If you already have the 100Mbps package you may be wondering what you can do with it. The simple answer is, A whole lot! First, let s look at what kind of speeds you can actually expect. Even though WCTA delivers a 100Mbps connection to your location, you may see a wide range of speeds on your devices. If you are on a wired connection (like a desktop PC) you can generally expect 95+Mbps. But, if you are using a wireless connection (like a notebook or tablet) you may not see the full 100Mbps. Why? Many legacy wireless standards simply can t support that kind of through-put. In fact, in some cases, wireless speeds of 50Mbps or less may be completely normal, depending on the type of equipment you have. (265-3488) If you want the highest wireless speeds, both your router and wireless device need to support the 5Ghz band. And for the best possible performance, both should support the newest wireless AC standard. Now let s put it into some real-world scenarios. A single Netflix HD stream, for example, uses about 5Mbps of bandwidth. So with WCTA s new 100Mbps plan you could do over a dozen streams at one time. Realistically, most people won t be doing that many streams but the point is that you can have several people in the house doing online streaming with room left over for web surfing and even downloads. And when it comes to downloading files, you ll notice a big difference. A 1GB file would take at least 25 minutes on our 5Mbps plan, but as few as 2 minutes on our 100Mbps plan. That means downloading music, games, and even apps will be much faster. (561-2642) So what are you waiting for? Take the plunge and upgrade to WCTA s 100Mbps broadband plan. It s the perfect gift for the whole family!
Catch the Latest Weather with the Touch of Button As much as we don t like to admit it, the winter travel season is upon us. Staying home during bad weather is the #1 way to avoid problems, but we can t always do that. If you must travel, take a minute to check the forecast first. With WCTA s Digital TV you can get the latest 5-day forecast and radar all with the touch of a button. (565-3317) To access the Weather simply press the red button on your remote. An on-screen window will appear displaying the current temperature and other pertinent weather data. To access the 5-day forecast press the green button on the remote while the weather window is open. Use the arrow keys on the remote to scroll through the days. To access the radar press the yellow button on the remote control while the weather window is open. To switch between the current radar and an animated loop press the blue button in while at the radar screen. To exit all weather windows press the Exit button on the remote control. Note: These advanced weather features are available to Expanded Basic Digital TV subscribers. The 5-day forecast and animated weather radar. Heading South for the Winter? Members who head south for the winter may want to consider placing their WCTA phone service on Vacation Service. When on vacation service, your telephone is placed into a suspended mode that assures you will receive the same telephone number when you return in the spring and that your listing remains in the WCTA Directory. Plus, with vacation service you receive a number of discounts. Vacation services are available for a minimum of one month and a maximum of 11 months. (293-5070) When you re heading back to your home, give the WCTA Business Office a call a week or so before you arrive and we will restore your services. For more information on WCTA s vacation services, please contact our Business Office at 1-800-592-6105. New Employee James Eisenbeisz James Eisenbeisz has been hired as an Outside Plant Technician. James s responsibilities as a technician include installing telecommunications services, broadband Internet, and digital TV service and helping customers resolve issues they may have with WCTA services. James is currently transitioning from his Kirksville, MO home where he has 6 kids. He hopes to relocate to the North Iowa area in the coming months. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family. We welcome James to WCTA! Charity Grants Help Local Organizations WCTA and Iowa Network Services (INS) recently awarded several Charity Grants to area organizations. The City of Buffalo Center Park Committee was recently awarded funds to be used for the purchase of an information sign in Lions Park. (797-2222) The Leland VFW Post 6161 was awarded funds towards the building of a new garage. If your organization would like to apply for an INS Charity Grant, contact the WCTA business office for an application.
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Connect for the holidays Introducing 100Mbps Broadband Packages Starting at only $64.95 WCTA 100Mbps broadband not available in all areas. www.wctatel.net 704 E Main St. Lake Mills, IA 1.800.592.6105 12/01/2015 Smart Gift.