NEDERLAND - Nedernet began as a novelty idea at the dawn of Wi-Fi. Now, it is a company that became essential during the pandemic. And it offers what few communities have: an independent local network provider.
In 2001, David Hardy and Tanya Bokat ran the local web design firm Planetmind Internetworks, and shared an incredibly slow 56 kbps dial-up internet connection among three people. The advent of Wi-Fi had just begun, and Hardy and Bokat decided to buy a high-speed T1 line and sell time on it to people in the area. At the time, the idea seemed to interest only those “techie” people, and was hardly a necessity.
Today, existing in the world is becoming increasingly difficult without access to some form of internet, and Nedernet is the locally run connection to the rest of the world. Nedernet now offers plans across Nederland, Ward, Allenspark, Eldora, and parts of Gilpin County.
“We offer… locally sourced and supported high-speed internet built for the community, by the community,” Nedernet representatives told The Mountain-Ear in a written statement.
The company saw a major uptick in growth during the pandemic, as online work and schooling forced Nederland residents to move their world online. This meant that Nedernet had to quickly expand its bandwidth to allow teachers, students, and businesses to connect online. They even offered their office space to students who didn’t otherwise have an internet connection.
Nedernet emphasizes that the kind of local connections that they demonstrated during the pandemic are what sets them apart from their competitors. “You will know the person that comes to your house for installation and service calls, and we can respond a lot faster than the competition,” Nedernet told The Mountain-Ear. According to their policy statement, Nedernet doesn’t log, store, or sell local data, setting them apart from other internet providers, which often have policies allowing data tracking.
According to their website, Nedernet offers a variety of plans, the prices for which vary depending on the speed the customer chooses. The economy plan is $29.99 a month for the slowest internet option, 50 gigabytes, “good for basic web surfing and email.” The commercial plan offers 350 gigabytes for $89.99 a month, which allows customers to stream and download films and music easily and is recommended for those who work from home. They also offer a FiberWave connection that is for those needing the fastest speeds.
“We aim to continue to provide a local, community-minded and independent alternative to corporate Internet services, and to continue to expand our network into under-served areas,” Nedernet representatives said. In that regard, the Nedernet-supplied Peak to Peak area comes out way ahead of most rural communities, and has much to be proud of.
