{"id":4044,"date":"2015-11-16T15:11:50","date_gmt":"2015-11-16T22:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xmission.com\/blog\/?p=4044"},"modified":"2015-11-16T16:31:18","modified_gmt":"2015-11-16T23:31:18","slug":"xmission-and-utopia-upgrade-to-250mbps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xmission.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/16\/xmission-and-utopia-upgrade-to-250mbps","title":{"rendered":"XMission and UTOPIA Upgrade to 250Mbps!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"utopia250mbps\"Today XMission and UTOPIA are thrilled to announce that the base speed of residential XMission Internet service on UTOPIA is being raised to 250Mbps, from 100Mbps, at no additional cost for XMission UTOPIA subscribers.<\/b><\/p>\n

And here is the really good news. \u00a0<\/span>Most existing XMission UTOPIA residential subscribers will qualify for a free upgrade to 250Mbps*. <\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(*certain restrictions apply\u00a0to long term, discounted service tiers. See <\/span>\u201cLegacy Subscribers\u201d<\/b> below)<\/span><\/p>\n

So, how does this great news affect you?<\/p>\n

New XMission Subscribers<\/b><\/p>\n

All new UTOPIA orders as of November 16, 2015 will reflect this major upgrade for the same price XMission and UTOPIA have charged for years. \u00a0The basic XMission residential service on UTOPIA is now 250Mbps download and upload. \u00a0The cost is $35 to XMission, and $30 to UTOPIA (on a lease model). \u00a0Your total cost for 250Mbps is $65\/month!<\/p>\n

Once again, XMission and UTOPIA are the obvious choice for Internet for you if you have it in your area. \u00a0Don\u2019t know if you have UTOPIA? \u00a0Check here:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.utopianet.org\/shopping-cart\/address-check\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Existing Users and Upgrades to 250Mbps<\/b><\/p>\n

Now, this means that thousands of subscribers will be upgraded, and this will take some time. Your position in line is based on the fiber hardware in your home (Zhone or Allied Telesis) and your account type (\u201cLegacy\u201d or current). \u00a0Newer subscribers with a Zhone are mostly immediately eligible for an automatic upgrade. \u00a0Those with an older Allied Telesis will require a new fiber hardware install from UTOPIA.<\/p>\n

Allied Telesis Access Portal<\/b><\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s identify the roll out schedule for customers that will require a new fiber access portal in their homes. The older Allied Telesis units deployed by UTOPIA years ago are not powerful enough to push the full 250Mbps into your home and must be replaced. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is a challenge, and in response UTOPIA has created a city-by-city rollout schedule. When the customer’s city is on deck, that user will be directly informed so that he\/she may schedule the upgrade through UTOPIA. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>NOTE: \u00a0don\u2019t want to wait? \u00a0See \u201cExpedite\u201d below)<\/b><\/p>\n

2<\/b>50M UTOPIA City-by-City Rollout Schedule<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Layton, Midvale, West Valley<\/b><\/td>\nQ4 2015 \u2013 Q1 2016<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brigham City, Tremonton<\/b><\/td>\nQ2 2016 \u2013 Q3 2016<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Orem, Lindon<\/b><\/td>\nQ4 2016 \u2013 Q1 2017<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Centerville, Murray<\/b><\/td>\nQ2 2017<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Payson<\/b><\/td>\nQ3 2017<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Zhone Access Portal<\/b><\/p>\n

If you have a newer Zhone which supports the upgrade to 250Mbps fully, UTOPIA is immediately starting automatic upgrades to your Internet service (if you are not on the older legacy pricing – see<\/span> \u201cLegacy Subscribers\u201d<\/b> below). \u00a0If you fit into this category, look for a second email letting you know that your speed increase is automatic and imminent. \u00a0This affects about one-third of our UTOPIA subscribers, and they should all see the new speeds anytime between now and early December. \u00a0At this writing, about half have already been upgraded! \u00a0(Not seeing the full speed? \u00a0See our “Customer Equipment Warning!”<\/strong> below)<\/span><\/p>\n

Upgrade Plans for \u201cLegacy\u201d Subscribers<\/b><\/p>\n

If you are an original\u00a0subscriber to UTOPIA services from years back, chances you are a \u201clegacy\u201d subscriber. This means that you are grandfathered into a 50% discount on infrastructure fees, to a total of $15 per month. \u00a0Legacy UTOPIA users on XMission can identify themselves by the fee on their monthly invoice called \u201cUTOPIA Maintenance Fee\u201d (a few users may see this as \u201cNAF\u201d or \u201cNetwork Access Fee\u201d).<\/p>\n

In an effort for UTOPIA to streamline their contract options, UTOPIA is requiring any current legacy customer who would like to transition to the 250Mbps product to sign a new contract with UTOPIA. \u00a0For most, this is effectively a cost increase of $15 per month for the upgrade to 250Mbps. \u00a0To be clear, this normalizes their cost to that of all other UTOPIA subscribers. \u00a0<\/span>There is no commitment for this upgrade, and it is entirely optional. \u00a0You are welcome to keep your current rate and keep your 100Mbps XMission UTOPIA service. \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Your new monthly price would be $65.00 vs your current $50.00 ($35 from provider and $30.00 from UTOPIA). And again, if you chose not to transition to the 250Mbps you can continue to stay on legacy pricing and keep receiving your current product of 100\/100Mbps offering. If you would prefer to stay at 100Mbps, simply continue paying your current $50 per month. If you prefer to upgrade to 250Mbps, please read on.<\/p>\n

Legacy Users with a Zhone Access Portal<\/b><\/p>\n

Legacy subscribers, as defined above, who already have a Zhone access portal installed in their homes can call UTOPIA immediately to upgrade to the 250Mbps service upon activating the new month-to-month contract for leasing UTOPIA infrastructure. Only a very few number of UTOPIA subscribers fit into this category.<\/p>\n

If you are a Legacy subscriber with a Zhone Access Portal installed and you’re ready to upgrade, please call UTOPIA Customer Service any time between 9AM and 5PM Mon-Fri to establish a new contract at 801-613-3880. \u00a0<\/b>You can do it today!<\/span><\/p>\n

Legacy users with Allied Telesis <\/b><\/p>\n

As stated earlier, subscribers that still operate on the Allied Telesis access portal will have to have their hardware physically replaced. This will require the work of a UTOPIA crew in your home, and managing this will require a significant effort on the part of UTOPIA. Rollout will follow the city-by-city schedule listed above, but will also require a new, month-to-month contract that will normalize your pricing to the current lease charge. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As above, <\/span>there is no commitment for this upgrade, and it is entirely optional. \u00a0You are welcome to keep your current rate and keep your 100Mbps XMission <\/b>UTOPIA service.<\/b><\/p>\n

UTOPIA Subscribers with Allied Telesis Access Portals (<\/b>“non-legacy”)<\/span><\/p>\n

Many XMission subscribers with the Allied Telesis access portal installed will need to have a UTOPIA crew swap this device for a newer Zhone. \u00a0This will be performed on the schedule above at no cost to you. \u00a0Please consult this schedule to have a basic understanding as to when your city will be eligible for the upgrade installs. \u00a0<\/span>You will be directly notified when UTOPIA begins to schedule upgrade visits and informed as to how you may schedule your own.<\/b><\/p>\n

All upgrade visits will be scheduled directly through UTOPIA. \u00a0Please do not call XMission for this scheduling as we are unable to help you at this time.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t want to wait for your city? \u00a0Expedite your upgrade!<\/b><\/p>\n

We know you\u2019re excited! \u00a0And so does UTOPIA. \u00a0In fact, we know that some people will not be able to contain their excitement to wait for their city scheduling to arrive. \u00a0UTOPIA has a plan for you!<\/p>\n

For $50, UTOPIA users who require physical installation to replace their Allied Telesis access portal with a Zhone can jump ahead of the line.<\/p>\n

Look for more information on this program in the near future. UTOPIA will begin upgrade installations shortly and will launch this program soon after.<\/span><\/p>\n

Customer Equipment Warning!<\/b><\/p>\n

XMission would like to make one last important observation. \u00a0Be aware that 250Mbps is a residential connection so advanced that most entry-level consumer grade home routers will not be powerful enough to support it. \u00a0Many top out at 100Mbps, and have wifi that maxes out at a fraction of this.<\/p>\n

If your connection is upgraded and you are not experiencing close to the full 250Mbps speeds, first make sure your hardware can support it. \u00a0And it is not just routers, older computers may have on-board Ethernet ports that are only capable of 100Mbps data rates. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We recommend when shopping for new equipment that you look for the promise of Gigabit WAN-to-LAN speeds, and the most powerful wifi available. \u00a0Same for your computer\u2019s Ethernet card. (Note: \u00a0even Gigabit-grade wireless routers may not be able to fully pass 250Mbps via wifi) XMission will soon publish recommended hardware specs and specific units. \u00a0Those interested in purchasing our initial recommendation, the TP-LINK Archer C7 AC1750 Dual Band Wireless AC Gigabit Router can do so through our affiliate program at Amazon.com at the following link:<\/p>\n

TP-LINK Archer C7 AC1750 Dual Band Wireless AC Gigabit Router, 2.4GHz 450Mbps+5Ghz 1300Mbps, 2 USB Port, IPv6, Guest Network<\/a>\"\"<\/p>\n