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Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is AES?
What makes AES different from current voice,
video, and Internet providers?
Who can get AES services
today?
My current provider is
pressuring me to sign a multi-year service agreement with no conditions of
service. What should I do?
When will the different
services be available?
Will wireless service be
part of AES?
 What experience does AES have in offering
broadband services?
How will a community fiber
project benefit other City utilities?
Does AES service City government today?
Will AES offer service to area schools?
Will AES’ new broadband network connect us to
the library?
Why is Auburn getting into the broadband
business?
Can’t the existing telephone and CATV companies
provide the service AES is considering?
If AES offers video service, will video prices
drop?
Can I subscribe to AES at
home?
How much will AES service
cost?
How is AES funded?
From our perspective…
Auburn’s Essential Services…
Do any other communities offer broadband
services like AES is proposing?
Can the system AES is considering offer any
benefit to enhanced Homeland Security?
What is AES?
AES, a division of Auburn Electric, is a community supported effort to provide
Internet, data network, voice, and data center co-location services to demanding
business customers in Auburn. AES first turned up service in March 2005 (Phase
I).
On
June 22, 2006 the Board of Works approved the implementation of fiber-delivered
Internet, Data and Voice services to the business sectors of the community
(Phase II).
We are preparing to launch service in Phase II, which passes over 2000
businesses and home and will provide Internet and Phone service. Visit our Phase II Project Status page for
the most current information.
Just as Auburn Electric was
formed 100 years ago to serve the community, AES and the fiber-based
infrastructure will enable many progressive services to our community and improve the quality
of life in Auburn. Additional objectives of such a network include economic
development, societal collaboration, enhanced learning opportunities, improved
government efficiency and service delivery, and community differentiation.
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What makes AES
different from current voice, video, and Internet providers?
AES is markedly different
than the current providers in a number of areas including:
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Community owned and operated
-
Converged voice, video and
data
-
The system is
“future-proof” and will handle a host of new services as needed or when
available
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Internet service that
makes DSL and Cable modem look like they are standing still.
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What you want, when
you want it, for as long as you need it. No long waits with customer
service to make a change.
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Best-in-class quality and
reliability.
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AES has determined that it
wants to build a truly scalable system that adapts as applications and needs
change. The best way to insure this is with optical fiber to each house and
business.
-
Network reliability and
security is of utmost importance in modern telecommunication systems.
Optical fiber provides for this level of security without impacting the
bandwidth delivery available per customer.
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Who can get AES services today?
 On
June 22, 2006 the Board of Works approved the implementation fiber-delivered
Internet, Data and Voice services to the business sectors of the community. We
are preparing to launch to this 2 sq mi area of our community (which includes
businesses and residents) in the spring. Internet and Phone are being
offered now to Beta Testers as we refine the
service. Phase III, which will include all 20 sq miles of the Electric
territory, is under review by City Council. Contact us at
260.333.0100
connect@auburnessentialservices.net
if you are interested in signing up for service!
To see if you are within the Phase II service area and will be able to take AES
Internet and phone later this year visit this
interactive map.
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My current provider is pressuring me to sign a
multi-year service agreement with no conditions of service. What should I
do?
Multi-year
contracts give you the assurance of fixed pricing. However, the
opportunity for improved service at reduced cost would not exist until
your contract expires.
Our philosophy is to provide the subscriber with the freedom of choice and the
power to hold us accountable for the best solution at a fair, affordable price.
AES will not require any extended commitment term unless a significant capital
investment or Service Level Agreement is required by the customer.
Ask yourself, "Why would I sign a multi-year commitment with my incumbent for
yesterday's solution?"
When will the different services be available
to more businesses and residential consumers?
AES is taking a phased approach to this important project. This
conservative approach mitigates risk and allows community leaders the
opportunity to ensure they make the best decisions for this community's
communications assets.
For the
most current information on the AES project, please see the
AES Project Status site.
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Will wireless service be part of AES?
Wireless offers the advantages of quick deployment and relatively low
cost. However, wireless is challenged in scalability, reliability and
security. Trees and buildings cause wireless problems…just consider the
reliability of your cell phone. It does offer the advantage of mobility.
AES is considering a total
system approach that will incorporate wireless technologies where they make the
most sense. Remote access points, wireless “hot spots” and special events needs
(ACD Festival, etc.) all favor a wireless option.
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What experience does AES have in offering broadband services?
Since 1985, the City has used optical fiber for high speed
communications. In 1998, Auburn developed and implemented a Municipal Area
Broadband Network, which tied over 28 government facilities together on a common
platform to share voice, data and software in a collaborative manner. Then
in 2005, AES began offering high speed, high demand Internet, point-to-point and
collocation services to area businesses.
As owner/operator of a significant optical fiber network, AES is the logical
champion of such a project. This experience, combined with AES’
ability to dynamically adjust to changing internal and external requirements, is
an invaluable asset when evaluating the possibility of offering community-wide
broadband services. Additionally, the stability of serving this area for
over a century provides Auburn the assurance that this emerging
enterprise will
remain dedicated to a sensible approach that is focused on meeting the new
demands in the 21st
Century. This perspective will be centered at the community’s level of
interest and not directed at satisfying an absentee stock holders position.
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How will a community fiber
project benefit other City utilities?
Advancements in technology over the past few years now make it possible for the
AES to offer high speed relaying/control, automatic outage reporting, automatic
meter reading, power quality trending, estimated outage (fault) location,
security services, etc.
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Does AES service City
government today?
 As with most communities, the ties between City and County governments are
strong and interconnected. For Auburn this is especially true, being that
the City serves as the county seat of DeKalb County. Presently, AES
supports solution-centric connections between the City Police and County Sheriff, the
Prosecutor’s office and Courthouse, and between City and County officials.
All of these interconnected relationships have vastly improved how the
government serves the people and has saved significant resources in duplicated
services.
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Will AES offer service to area schools?
 The generations to come are the drivers of today’s technologies, through both
the educators trying to train up tomorrow’s leaders and through the parents
trying to prepare their children for the competitive workplace. Offering
best-in-class broadband services to the schools provides a strong incentive for
the community, in general, to desire and support a broader level of
communication services throughout the entire community.
In-depth discussions, specific to meeting the need of DeKalb County Central
School District are underway. The public community school system depends
on access between facilities and, via the Internet, to outside resources.
Gaining access is not the problem, but gaining reliable and fast access has
been. Like other quality of life services in Auburn, the broadband need by
its schools emphasizes the importance of designing and implementing a
telecommunication infrastructure that would support such demand.
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Will AES’ new broadband network connect us
to the library? To other Community resources?
Similar to connecting the schools, the public library requires broadband accessibility.
The underlying reason for AES is to serve and improve the Auburn Community.
The value of The Community's Network is that is has the potential to connect
community resources and empower and cultivate new opportunities for citizen
collaboration and access. AES is excited to pursue such a calling for our
businesses and residents.
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On-line medical information
is growing in popularity. Also, remote imaging and diagnostics are
becoming common tools in some communities. Will Auburn have this available
through the AES system?
When discussing quality of life issues that drive community-based broadband, it
is important to look closely at area medical services. With an aging
population and advancements in medicines, the technology and expertise of
certain medical fields has become highly refined. Telemedicine now is
taking a forefront position as a viable and practical alternative to offer these
medical advancements to communities that would otherwise be under-served.
DeKalb Memorial Hospital and area medical service professionals have all
expressed a strong desire in facilitating the connections needed to offer
premier e-medical services within and throughout the community. AES will
work closely with each professional group to match the needs with access through
the network.
(return to FAQ index)
Why is Auburn getting into the broadband
business?
Today, communities such as Auburn are competing in a global marketplace.
The growing demands for truly converged communication services requires a level
of ever-expanding diverse and reliable information services, with the core being
connectivity to the Internet. Simple access is no longer sufficient;
speed, resilience and reliability are driving the broadband pursuits throughout
progressive cities and towns. No community understands this better than
Auburn, when upon facing the loss of a longtime technology dependent company in
its community, decided that it had to create AES.
Watch the Cooper
Standard Story (6Mb
download | Recorded November 2005)
It is widely recognized that the lack of broadband access contributes to the
difficulty that communities have in attracting and retaining technology-centric
commercial, industrial and service based business. It is for these reasons
that AES was formed and it is with this premise that AES will serve as Your
Community Network.
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Can’t the existing telephone and CATV
companies provide the service AES is considering?
Sure, but to
date they have not seen fit to make any re-investment of this nature in Auburn.
When you really think about it, the first question should be directed at why
they have not elected to make the necessary technology upgrades to offer
services like AES. We can only assume that the size of Auburn’s market
apparently does not warrant such an investment.
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If AES offers video service, will video
prices drop?
Absolutely, positively, yes! We have looked at the cost and are
confident that if no one else is willing, AES can offer superior quality video
service at prices below what you are paying today. And, though we cannot
control what the local video providers will do, it is fairly predictable that
their prices will drop below the current price level where AES offers service.
(return to FAQ index)
Can I subscribe to AES at
home?
Your Board of Works and City Council
are reviewing this possibility.
A recently completed study indicates strong support from businesses and
residents and concludes that AES-offered broadband services would be a positive
development in Auburn.
(return to FAQ index)
How much will AES service
cost?
Pricing will be available soon.
Price models show that superior
service, quality and options will be available for less than what is being
offered by others today.
Key to the pricing structure is the basis that AES is not profit-centric.
Services will be priced to cover costs and return an appropriate amount for
re-investment in technology and infrastructure.
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How is AES Funded?
AES is funded by subscriber revenues, just like your electric, water and sewer
services are funded by rate payers. Initial startup capital is coming from its
parent department, Auburn Electric, in the form of an intra-department loan. By
design, AES is self-sufficient, with no cross-subsidization.
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From our perspective…
 Auburn’s history speaks loudest in its drive to move forward. Broadband
has now become the equivalent of what the electric utility industry was at the
close of the 19th Century. Those communities served with a good
electric distribution system capitalized on the chance to attract and retain new
business, thereby fostering the growth of all aspects in the community.
The focus has changed from simply “getting connected”, to speed, reliability and
accessibility. Demand for increased bandwidth capacity, often referred to
as “broadband”, has been seen a marked increase across the nation. As was
the case then, now Auburn desires to continue its past success of moving ahead
with proven technology.
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It’s an investment in
Auburn’s Quality of Life…
As AES’ past success has shown, solid broadband connectivity
offers a vital infrastructure for the “public good”. Payback is not
measured immediately in profit, but in the value of being advantaged by reliable
access to Internet-available resources.
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Auburn’s Essential Services…
 With the growing demands and reliance being placed on Internet access and
converged telecommunication services, the City realized the essential nature of
broadband connectivity. Thus was born Auburn Essential Services.
Built on the past successes of City government intra-communications and other
key governmental functions, AES was forged to build a “fiber bridge” to key area
businesses. Resiliency, redundancy, reliability – the 3R’s echoed by each
company that competes in a global marketplace, often against competitors or
facilities located in larger markets. To compete and thrive, AES became
essential…
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Essential to key company
retention and growth
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Essential to new business
attraction
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Essential to continued
e-government efficiencies
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Essential to broader
county-wide coordination
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Essential to area schools,
medical service providers and residents
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Essential to Auburn’s
future
….these are truly Auburn’s
Essential Services
(return to FAQ index)
Do any other communities offer broadband
services like AES is proposing?
Yes, many
currently do and many others are underway. What is very clear and
becoming even clearer is that broadband connectivity has become the mantra for
progressive communities across the country. The outlook, reflective of
demand, indicates strong reliance on ever-increasing amounts of accessible
bandwidth.
(return to FAQ index)
Can the system AES is considering offer any benefit to enhanced Homeland
Security?
Security, in light of the 9/11 events and subsequent vulnerability concerns, has
directed focus on systems that support life-critical services and
infrastructure. Certainly a community’s electric and water supply are
integral to the health and well being of its citizens and businesses alike.
An intentional or inadvertent strike against either of these City services could
create long-term concerns and short-term crisis. Any enhancement to a
community telecommunication network, should be robust enough to incorporate near
and long-term adaptations to enhanced security provisions. Elements
such as remote video surveillance of un-manned locations (e.g., substations,
well-heads, etc.), real-time imaging for local law enforcement and connectivity
to emergency broadcasting systems all are important considerations when
selecting the proper infrastructure to design and develop. Fiber optical
networks have this inherent ability to handle any present needs and, with the
development of new electronics, the flexibility to support any upgrades in the
foreseeable future.
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