Internet survey in February utility bills

Ponca City utility customers will find a short, anonymous survey in their February bill on their interest on super high speed, reliable Internet at affordable rates.

City Manager Craig Stephenson said residents can take the survey online at www.ponacityfiber.com and also earn more about what high speed Internet is. Customers also can test their speeds at their homes or businesses.

Customers also can opt to print off the survey and turn it in to the Utility Billing Office in City Hall.

The City of Ponca City has more than 360 miles of fiber already installed and is providing broadband services to several businesses in town. Those numbers have ben increasing steadily over the past 15 years, Stephenson said.

Ponca City has more municipally owned fiber optic cable than 99 percent of the communities in Oklahoma, Stephenson said. Now, he said, the city is exploring providing high speed internet to homes as well as businesses in a project called "Fiber to the Premise."

The survey has only 11 questions asking about which features are most important to users.

"Completing this survey will help us assess the desire for Fiber to Premise in your area," Technology Services Director Craige Baird said. "We do not have precise costs for the services that will be offered, but we do know prices will be competitive with rates for these services here and elsewhere."