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Ocala
Friday, March 29, 2024

Resident voices concerns on fiber optic internet availability in Marion County

To the Editor:

We have lived in Dunnellon for five years now. AT&T owns the area rights for fiber optic internet, and despite the fact that they have fiber optic cables right across the street from our home in Hills of Ocala/Rolling Ranch Estates, they do not offer fiber optic availability in our immediate area.

I have contacted them several times each year to ask when they intend to have fiber optic cable available here. I’m referred to their website to put in my zip code and address so they will notify me when it will be available.

Residents are forced to choose from three satellite dish companies (HughesNet, Viasat, or Dish) for phone and internet services, paying $160-plus/month for these services that are continuously losing the connection every day.

We have the same situation with our TV Provider (AT&T DirecTV) and must pay another $160/month for satellite television. AT&T offers lower cost “bundle packages” to areas that have fiber optic cable. We do not have bundling available to us, so our cost is fixed (and rising) each year.

When will AT&T stop their monopoly on fiber optic cable and allow other cable companies to provide opportunities and a competitive pricing structure? They know we are trapped in their web of price fixing.

Paulette Nunez
Dunnellon resident

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