NextLight is shining bright.
Longmont’s community-owned internet, NextLight, has been named the best overall internet service provider in the nation. That’s after scoring the top award at this year’s PC Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards. But that’s not all they won…
Awards haul:
Best overall ISP
Best Municipal ISP
Most Highly Recommended ISP
Best Value (based on price satisfaction)
Best internet for home offices
This means NextLight is ranked higher than Google’s GFiber and Elon Musk’s Starlink. PC Magazine said it doesn’t get a lot of local-level ISPs in the results, but NextLight’s scores are “incredible.”
The magazine bases the awards on reader surveys, asking ISP customers to rate their provider in areas such a speed, reliability, and value. Editors then evaluate the scores before deciding awards.
“True internet success story”
Longmont’s journey to internet prestige started a decade and a half ago.
In 2011, Longmont voters overturned a state law preventing local governments from providing internet access. With 60% of the vote, Longmont Power & Communications was permitted to begin providing high-speed internet access as a municipal service.
By 2014, NextLight had broken ground on a six-phase construction project.
By 2018, PC Magazine had rated the company as the fastest ISP in the nation.
“15 years ago, Longmont came to the ballot box and said ‘We want better internet.’ We’ve been working ever since to make that a reality,” a City of Longmont press release states.
“We built NextLight to meet [Longmont’s] needs,” Valerie Dodd, NextLight’s executive director said. “And it’s their love for the fast, reliable and locally based service they get that has made Longmont a true internet success story.”
Residents are echoing NextLight’s praise.
“I love it,” lifetime Longmont resident, Damon McDowell-Givens, said, adding that his internet will go years without dropping. And any disruptions at all are extremely rare.
“The speed is really fast.”