Internet Speed: How Does It Work?

Internet speed can lead to incredibly frustrating situations. We all know the feeling of buffering Netflix shows, Pinterest not loading, or a Zoom call that makes everyone sound like a robot. If you deal with this frequently, it may be time to check in on your Internet plan. In this blog post, we’ll explain everything from bandwidth and broadband to the best types of Internet connection. As Internet providers ourselves, we know these topics can be confusing, so let’s go over them together.

Speed vs. Bandwidth

Speed and bandwidth are often used interchangeably, but they are different from each other. Bandwidth is the capacity of data that can be used for internet speed. Picture a backyard hose, for example. If you choose a hose with a smaller opening, you’re going to get less water per second than you would with one with a larger opening. Bandwidth works the same with data. The more bandwidth you have, the more megabits of data you can transfer per second, which creates a faster internet speed.

Signs Your Speed is Being Affected by Your Bandwidth

Unsure if your bandwidth is failing you? Here are some of the most common signs:

Your Internet-powered chats won’t load (WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook messenger, etc.)
Video games lag or boot you out of a game
Streaming services won’t play properly because they need to load every few minutes
It takes more than a few seconds to load websites.
Your Internet crashes when multiple people are using Wi-Fi

If all your devices are struggling to transfer data, there is a great chance your bandwidth is too small for you. In this case, you want to upgrade to a broadband network with a higher megabits per second package.

What Is a Broadband Network?

A broadband network is what people are referring to when they say “high-speed Internet.” It is a term that refers to different types of wide bandwidth data transmission. In other words, different technologies allow for faster Internet because more data can be transmitted. Before broadband was created, people relied on dial-up connection which wouldn’t allow for the things we enjoy today like Netflix and video games. Today, many households use DSL or fiber internet to keep up with our modern luxuries.

DSL Internet

Perhaps the most popular Internet source is the digital subscriber line (DSL) because of its wide availability. DSL uses phone lines made from copper to transfer data. Because phones have been around for much longer than the Internet, most households in Texas should have DSL abilities.

Fiber Internet

One of the latest gifts from technological advancements is the creation of fiber Internet. This technology was made available in 1996 and is the fastest internet solution out there, and it only gets faster with time. It is run through thin glass fiber strands that carry light instead of electricity like DSL. Because of this, fiber can transmit data up to 100 times faster than DSL. So, if you work from home or have many Internet users in your home, fiber Internet is the best solution.

When it comes to the availability of fiber Internet in rural Texas, CTTC is continually expanding its network. CTTC has been expanding across Central Texas, allowing more people to have access to fiber Internet. If you’re in Central Texas, give us a call to see if fiber is available in your community.

How Do Different Plans Affect Your Usage?

In the simplest of terms, the less bandwidth you have, the slower your Internet will be. If you have a plan with low bandwidth, you may run into issues like loading delays and poor streaming quality. When you have different devices (such as Smart TVs, Wi-Fi enabled security cameras, smartphones, gaming consoles, etc.) using data at the same time, your bandwidth needs to be able to support it. If it doesn’t support all of these devices at once, that’s when you will experience buffering and lagging.

We recommend using our Broadband Calculator to see how many megabits per second your household will need. From there, choose a plan that supports this speed or more if your budget allows for it. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to Internet speed so you can always access what you need.

Should You Upgrade Your Internet Plan?

If you’re constantly dealing with Internet problems like the ones listed above, we recommend you upgrade your Internet plan. There are great solutions for both urban and rural dwellers that may be more affordable than you think.

Because fiber internet wasn’t available until 1996, many homes or buildings haven’t been able to install it yet. However, thanks to new technology, chances are DSL and fiber Internet are now available, no matter how small your town is and no matter when your home was built.

If you’re in Bend, San Saba, Richland Springs, Goldthwaite, and surrounding towns, contact us to upgrade to a broadband network or fiber Internet.

Celebrities brought the world another 12 months of interesting events, from record-breaking album releases to viral Tik Tok trends. So before we say farewell to another crazy year, let’s review some of the biggest headlines and milestones of 2022.

(January 3) Apple becomes the first company to reach a stock market value of $3 trillion.

(February 13) For the first time in history, rap took center stage at the 56th Super Bowl Halftime. The show featured some of the music industry’s biggest icons including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige.

(May 13) Rihanna gave birth to her first baby, a boy, with A$AP Rocky.

(May 20) Harry Styles released his third album, ‘Harry’s House,’ which led to an insanely popular world tour.

(May 27) Top Gun: Maverick was released in May and by September, the film had amassed over $700,000 in North America, becoming one of six movies to ever surpass that milestone at the domestic box office.

(May 27) Stranger Things released their fourth season, making 80’s pop culture all the rage again.

(June) We all felt the effects of record-high inflation this year. Consumer prices were up 9.1 percent over the year that ended in June 2022, this is the largest increase in 40 years. *source

(July) Hailey Bieber debuted a manicure, later named Glazed Donut Nails, that was copied by millions of fans, making the look a viral trend on Tik Tok.

(July 16) In a move that no one saw coming, the most famous couple of the early ’00s — Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck — got married, and the bride has since officially changed her name to Jennifer Affleck.

(September 8) The United Kingdom went into a period of mourning when Queen Elizabeth II died at age 96 as the longest-reigning monarch in British history. A new era began when her son ascended the throne as King Charles III.

(October 27) Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 million.

(November 5) The Houston Astros won the World Series for the second time, the first was in 2017.

(November 15) Demand for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, her first in five years, essentially crashed Ticketmaster. With 2.4 million tickets sold, Ticketmaster had to cancel the second presale but demand could have filled 900 stadiums. Tickets are now being resold for as high as $22,000 and a lawsuit has been filed against the company.

(November 15) The world reached its first landmark of 1 billion people in 1803. Over 200 years later, on November 15 2022, the world surpassed 8 billion people.

(November 23) Wednesday beats out Dahmer in Netflix streaming records, reaching 1 billion watch hours but Squid Game still reigns supreme. Tim Burton’s series Wednesday, based on a new interpretation of the Addams Family, has exceeded 1 billion watch hours, putting it in the top three most-streamed shows on Netflix.

(December 18) Argentina defeated France in the Fifa World Cup Championship. This is their third win following 1978 and 1986.

Tik Tok reached 1 billion users in January and grew to 1.8 billion by December 2022. Dances that took the app by storm, with millions of creators posting their own renditions were Duke & Jones’ My Money Don’t Jiggle Jiggle, Lizzo’s About Damn Time, and Beyonce’s Cuff It.

For some people, December is a magical time of tinsel, gingerbread, and showering friends and family with love. Equivalent to the belief that makes Santa’s sleigh fly, thoughtful gift-giving is the love language that fuels their holiday cheer all season long.

For others, the thought of braving the crowds at big box stores gives them anxiety. You stress over the proper gifting budget, sizing, and if your loved one will even care about your presents.

But whether you bleed red and green ribbon at this time of year or feel like hiding until New Year’s, there is one type of gift that has a pretty good track record – technology! So to help stack your presents under the tree, we’ve gathered 15 of our favorite tech gift ideas!

ThermoPro TempSpike Wireless Meat Thermometer

Grill fanatics and meat lovers alike will get ample use of this wireless meat thermometer, which utilizes Bluetooth technology to provide the precise temperature of their steak or sirloin, along with the ambient pit temperature. They can also receive alerts directly to their phone, ensuring they have a perfectly-cooked piece of meat every time.

Skylight Digital Photo Frame

Looking for something more sentimental? Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles would love this smart digital photo frame. It’s easy to set up and even easier to add photos — all you need is a Wi-Fi connection to add more. You don’t need to have a Wi-Fi connection to enjoy the photos that have been previously uploaded, either.

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2

Winter mornings can feel even colder when your coffee grows cold, and the Ember Smart Mug seeks to end all lukewarm beverage problems. Using a smart app, you can control the temperature of your choice beverage for 1.5 hours or indefinitely when charging.

Dyson Airwrap Styler

Give the gift of an at-home hair salon with this complete styling kit from Dyson. With seven attachments, four heat settings, and three airflow modes, this multifunctional tool can transform any hair type into sleek styles in a matter of minutes.

Nintendo Switch OLED Model

This compact gaming gear is a fan favorite for a reason – it’s portable, offers multiplayer functionality, and can seamlessly connect to your TV. From road trips to family nights, the Nintendo Switch is a covetable gift for anyone on your list.

Fizzics DraftPour Beer Dispenser

If they love nothing more than sipping on a pint at their local taproom, they’ll adore this beer dispenser that converts any can or bottle into a crisp, nitro-style draft. It works with any type of beer, whether they’re an IPA, stout, or sour fanatic.

Tile Mate Essentials 4-Pack

Help them keep track of all their important belongings with this set of Tile trackers. They’ll get two keychain-friendly fobs, a wallet-friendly fob, and a sticker fob, all of which are compatible with both Apple and Android.

AeroGarden Harvest Indoor Garden

They don’t need a green thumb to operate this hydroponic indoor garden. Simply plant the herb seeds and follow the instructions about when to water and add plant food—the lights turn on and off by themselves.

Deep Tissue Massage Gun

For the fitness guru or anyone who is always complaining about their aching muscles. This muscle-relaxing gun will allow athletes to recover faster and soothe aging bodies. Different heads allow for specialized muscle targeting.

Amazon Kindle

E-readers might not replace the feel of a physical book in your hand, but to carry an entire library in your pocket is a pretty incredible thing. This backlit device makes reading anywhere, anytime a breeze.

Furbo 360° Dog Camera

Know one of those people who seemingly exists to please their pooch? You can’t go wrong with the Furbo 360° Dog Camera. Aside from doing all the usual smart camera stuff with Full HD live-streamed video, a 360° field of view and two-way audio, the Furbo has one very special trick up its sleeve. You can use its app to remotely toss treats at your dog. In moderation, of course – you don’t want a robot stealing your status as the furball’s favorite.

Panasonic Multishape Groomer

Panasonic’s Multishape is the absolute Swiss Army Knife of the grooming world, with enough attachments to tidy up your whole daily routine from hair and beard to teeth and nose. Looking for a gadget that does it all? Combining an electric toothbrush, beard trimmer, razor, and nose and ear hair trimmer all in one go, you’ll never need another grooming gadget again. With detachable heads to help you navigate your daily tidy up and switch between cutting your ‘tache to cleaning your teeth in seconds.

Ring Video Doorbell

Tired of scrambling to put your pants on to answer the door? Looking to avoid your persistent aunt who’s visiting for the fourth time this week? Find out exactly who’s at the homestead with the Amazon-made Ring video doorbell, which offers live video feedback straight to your smartphone, and text alerts if there’s something unusual going on while you’re away.

MuteMe Button

A gift for the work-from-home employee! Quickly (un)mute when the unexpected happens, no more frantically searching for the mute button. Compatible with Zoom, Teams, WebEx, Google Meet, and more.

Our Lower Internet Rates Explained

By now we’ve all noticed the extra dollars tacked onto our grocery bills, but eggs aren’t the only prices that have increased. The 2022 September consumer price index – which measures changes in the cost of food, housing, gasoline, utilities, and other goods – rose by 8.2% over the past 12 months in August, nearly a 40-year-high.

Inflation hasn’t evaded the telecommunications industry either. Over time internet plans from AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast all increased in the form of higher monthly rates, additional “special fees,” more expensive equipment rentals, higher installation costs, and more. So why, at a time when nearly all major ISPs are charging more money, has CTTC decided to lower our rates? Simply because we value our customers above everything. CTTC’s number one goal has always been to provide the absolute best customer experience possible, no matter the cost.

“By providing a superior fiber network, outstanding customer service and now even more affordable rates, we can ensure our customers are getting a top-notch full-service experience.”

Hundreds of Dollars in Savings

Maybe you think lower rates are too good to be true, that we must have only barely lowered prices and this is just a clever marketing tactic. Well, think again! With and without a landline, our internet plans lowered by $40-$50 each monthly. Over the course of one year, that totals to $480-$600 in savings!

How to Make sure You’re Receiving These Lower Rates

So how can you make the switch to these lower prices? Easy! Changes were applied automatically to our customers’ bills, so you should have started seeing the discount as early as July 1st.

You’ll also notice that we streamlined our data plans by eliminating the 4 mbps and 50 mbps options. Customers on those plans were automatically upgraded and are even paying less than before thanks to our lower rates. For example: Customers on the 50 mbps for $89.95 plan were upgraded to 100 mbps at $79.95.

You can do a speed test at home to ensure you are getting the speed you are signed up to receive. Please don’t hesitate to contact Customer Service at 325-648-2237 with any questions regarding internet plans and billing.

Committed to Service

The digital divide is an ongoing issue in rural America. Born and bred in Goldthwaite, we’ve personally experienced the lack of reliable connectivity in our small town. CTTC has strived to solve this issue in Central Texas since our founding in 1951. After over 70 years of service, it was time to reward our loyal customers, who at this point, feel more like family to us anyway.

Our mission has never been about profit and will always be to provide access to affordable quality internet to our friends and neighbors in rural Central Texas. We are thrilled to offer lower internet rates and hopefully take a little weight off your shoulder in a time of record high inflation.

Customers who would like to upgrade can do so by calling 800-535-8904 or come by the Goldthwaite or San Saba Office. CTTC also participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program that provides a discounted rate to customers in need. Customers can find out if they qualify and can apply at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/.

To check account balance, press one.

To make a payment, press two.

To spend hours trying to get in contact with a customer service representative, stay on the line.

We all know how difficult it can be to resolve an issue with big conglomerate companies, typically in the phone service or air travel industries. In fact, Forbes named cable, internet providers, wireless phone service providers, healthcare, and the airline industry as the Top 5 Industries Most Hated By Customers. Unfortunately, the questions we need answered by these companies are usually very pressing, pecuniary matters. We’ve never thought “wow, I’d really like to talk to a machine about this” when calling a service line.

At CTTC, we do things differently. When you call our office, you’ll speak to a living, breathing human being. Under no circumstance will you ever receive an automated message. Better still, our service representatives are 100% local to Central Texas, meaning we understand the barriers and needs of our rural residents. We know the inconvenience of losing service between towns, the difficulty of finding a connection when away from your home, and the annoyance of calls dropping with unreliable service.

CTTC’s customer service is reliant on four pillars – we strive to give you a convenient, personalized, proactive, and competent experience. Cutting out the automated middleman makes getting to the root of your problem quicker and easier. Throughout your customer journey, our representatives get to know you at every step. We make notes in our system of specific needs, past issues, and personal anecdotes for each and every customer. We want to get to know you to proactively solve problems. And each CTTC employee undergoes extensive training to know how to best approach your needs. With all this in mind, we are proud to offer a superior level of customer care, unmatched by our multinational counterparts.

Our service plans will not lock you into long-term contracts, leaving our customers in complete control. We allow you the freedom to search for the best deals and find the service plan best suited to you. Despite not locking customers into long-term contracts, don’t be surprised if you fall in love with our service! If you’ve been burned by service providers in the past, eliminate the risk and give CTTC a call.

For decades, rural America has suffered from a digital divide in broadband access. As small Texas towns grow, so does our need for internet access. CTTC believes our rural communities deserve the best technology available, which is why we offer high-speed fiber internet to 18 different service areas. As our towns develop, service needs adapt. With our headquarters in Goldthwaite, we keep up with this evolution of service needs and advancements in telecommunication.

Digital Cleanup

The start of Spring may be the time to clean out your closets, dust ceiling fans, and organize pantries, but now that your home is sparkling, it’s time to clean up your digital presence. When was the last time you cleared your cache or deleted old accounts? How many apps are just taking up storage on your phone? How many drawers are filled with sticky notes of old passwords? There’s a lot more to tidying up online than simply sweeping the crumbs off your keyboard. Follow these tips for a safer, more organized cyberspace.

Email

Unsubscribe

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who open every email and those who have thousands in one inbox. Spam and promotional emails are probably taking up the majority of your storage. Either spend time manually unsubscribing from accounts or use this tool to easily unsubscribe in bulk.

Organize Folders

Now that you’re done receiving thousands of unwanted emails, you can prioritize what’s important. Sorting into folders will help you keep track of conversations, documents, travel plans, work needs, et cetera, making it easier to locate what you need to come back to.

Empty Spam and Trash Folders

There is no need to keep a receipt from a purchase three years ago. Start by emptying your spam and promotional folders. Then permanently delete the emails in your trash. No need to be worried. If you haven’t opened an email in 6 months, you no longer need to hold on. Update your settings to automatically delete messages older than a certain date to keep your emails under control.

Mobile Devices

Delete Apps

Candy Crush, Pandora, and VSCO don’t need to take up space on your phone anymore. (Unless, of course, you still use these throwback apps then please, carry on!) There are tons of viral games and dead social media platforms that you probably haven’t opened in a few years. Delete and make space for the next big thing!

Unfollow Old Social Media Accounts

Interests come and go. Why crowd your feed with products that aren’t for sale anymore, people you never see, or groups you’re no longer a part of? Declutter your social media, declutter your mind, and focus on who’s important to you now.

Delete Texts and Pictures

While we’re purging, scroll down to the bottom of your texts and start deleting! Images and videos take up mass amounts of storage space, so this is a great way to get rid of that annoying “your iCloud is full” pop-up. An even better solution is to go through your photos. You would be surprised with how many duplicates, randoms, and photos taken by accident may be in there. Consider an organizational app, such as Google Photos or SmugMug, that can help clear up storage space and make it easier to find photos by category.

Sanitize Devices

We sanitize toilets, door handles, and elevator buttons but we often forget about the number one collector of germs and bacteria – our cell phones. Before you hold up any number of viruses to your face again, wipe it down with disinfectant first. And don’t forget about your laptops, tablets, smart home devices, and tv remotes.

Go Through “My List” in Streaming Platforms

Everyone is guilty of saving something on Netflix and never coming back to it. Go through that list! You might rediscover something really interesting or realize that was just a fad and (you guessed it) delete!

Laptops

Cancel Unused Subscriptions

Look at your bank statement. Are there any magazines, gaming or music services, streaming platforms, subscription boxes, fitness gyms, meal kits, newspapers, dating apps, photo editors, or anything else that you just don’t need anymore? There are likely quite a few subscriptions you can cancel and stop paying for that unnecessary service.

Organize Desktop

Screenshots, apps, and web pages crowd our laptops. A cluttered home screen does not allow efficient work. Review what needs to remain on your desktop and hide or delete what does not. The same idea applies to your digital bookmarks or dock menu.

Clear Downloads Folder

Going through your downloads folder can actually be quite comical. You might find old school projects, silly photos, and random zip files, but you will definitely find thousands of files you no longer need. Manually go through your downloads from the last 3 months and bulk delete the rest!

Update PC

Don’t just click away from those pesky “software update” notifications. Downloading the latest operating system can improve speed, add new device features, and fend off hacker attacks.

Household

Recycle or Destroy

Gather all the old CDs, floppy disks, thumb drives, external hard drives, flash drives (basically any kind of “drive”), laptops, gaming consoles, smart home gadgets, chargers, TVs, printers, and landline phones gathering dust in your home and take them to your nearest electronic recycling center. Information on where that may be can be found here.

Passwords Manager

Are you the kind of person who uses the same password everywhere or makes up easy ones that any elementary hacker could hack if they wanted to? It’s time to switch to a password management tool. This software will generate unique, random passwords for each of your accounts and store them in a secure digital vault. They’ll notify you of a potential data breach and update passwords if necessary, keeping you and your data safe from any identity theft.

Just any cleaning ritual, you’ll be happy you put in the work! Take a day to organize your cyberspace thereby creating a safer, faster, more efficient digital presence!

Blue CTTC Fiber Stickers Storm San Saba

Remote, hybrid, flexible, and work-from-home are all terms that have seriously entered the conversation now that the global pandemic has permanently changed workplace culture. A recent study from Pew Research Center found that 23 percent of employees teleworked before the coronavirus outbreak. As of January 2022, 60 percent now report working from home. The survey revealed these workers didn’t opt to work remotely because they are afraid of getting sick, but rather they feel more productive and like being able to maintain a robust work-life balance. As this trend increases, so does the opportunity to live somewhere more affordable and/or comfortable. But instead of location, location, location, now it is all about internet, internet, internet! With the help of CTTC’s high-speed fiber internet connections, San Saba has uniquely positioned itself as an ideal town to save money while staying on the grid.

“There’s no need for a fortune-teller to see there are more sweatpants and hoodies in our future than suit jackets and starched shirts.”
Chicago Sun Times

Remote Benefits

It’s not just introverts who aren’t excited about returning to an office. There are many reasons why working from home can be valuable to all:

Less time on the road: The average one-way commuting time in the U.S. is 27.1 minutes – that’s nearly an hour each day spent getting to and from work, and it really adds up. According to the Auto Insurance Center, commuters spend about 100 hours commuting and 41 hours stuck in traffic each year.
Greater productivity: Think of what you could accomplish in the time it takes to get ready and drive to work in the morning. Not to mention the time spent chatting with coworkers and dealing with office politics. Home offices provide quieter workplaces with far fewer distractions.
A cleaner environment: Fewer cars on the road is directly related to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing commutes is one of the fastest and easiest ways to reduce pollution.
Money saved: It has been estimated that you could save anywhere from $2,000 to $6,500 a year by not spending on things such as gas, car maintenance, work clothes, lunches out, daycare, etc.
Greater job satisfaction: Because remote jobs are often more flexible, workers have more control over their schedules, an invaluable asset when attending to the needs of your personal life. As long as your work is executed properly by the deadline, why not determine when your day begins and ends?
Happier, healthier work-life: Working from home has been proven to lower stress, improve personal relationships, and allow more time for hobbies and fitness. Overall, employees are much happier in remote environments, an observation validated by the 72 percent of employers who report WFH has a high impact on employee retention, according to Global Workplace Analytics.

Considerably, one of the greatest advantages to working from home is the ability to live in a much more affordable location. With home prices skyrocketing in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, more and more people are relocating away from the city. The Austin Board of Realtors recently released the average price of a home in Austin has reached $624,000. Meanwhile, the median is only $235,000 in the Texas Hill Country. For many, it has become not only a no-brainer but a necessity to move to smaller towns.

San Saba is a CTTC Fiber Community

Before getting too excited about potential savings, remote work is reliant on one very important factor – a stable, reliable, and fast internet connection. The rural divide is no myth, most smaller towns do not have the broadband access necessary to conduct business and keep up with modern technology. You can barely scroll through Instagram, much less conduct digital conference meetings. This is why CTTC is proud to serve the small communities of Central Texas. We love the Texas Hill Country, it is our home, which is why we strive to keep our rural neighbors connected in the same capacity that our urban counterparts enjoy. Fiber internet can be up to 20 times faster than standard cable, a service we are currently providing to nearly twenty different small towns here in Texas, including the Pecan Capital of the World – San Saba.

San Saba is a terrific town for teleworking, whether you are just passing through and want to set up shop at the local coffee house, or if you are looking to lay down those more affordable roots mentioned earlier. Beginning June 2, 2022, CTTC is launching its CTTC Fiber Community Stickers. The purpose of this program is to provide both visitors and residents with knowledge of where to access CTTC’s high-speed fiber internet while out and about in downtown San Saba. If you look around, you’ll notice bright blue stickers in the windows of most downtown businesses. These stickers are your indication that particular business offers CTTC high-speed internet access to its customers. These are ideal locations to send emails, access the web, and conduct business operations. Simply scan the QR code on the sticker to access a diverse list of CTTC fiber internet hosts, including:

Take Advantage of Rural Fiber

Though the pandemic may have been the catalyst for remote work for many millions of employees around the world, it’s far from the only reason to work from home. Look around your tiny, expensive apartment or overcrowded home and think bigger! Because of CTTC’s high-speed fiber internet connections, you can get away from the big city while keeping your remote working lifestyle in the fast lane. Take your newfound freedom somewhere that benefits your future – somewhere like San Saba! And stay tuned for the spread of more CTTC Fiber Community stickers throughout rural Texas.

Have you noticed your town is growing? Maybe new businesses are popping up, or maybe there are more visitors on the weekends. Could it be that more and more people have found mentions of how special your town is on the internet and have come to see for themselves? This is the case for many rural Texan communities in the past few years and the impact has been substantial. Sales tax and revenues are reaching higher records than ever before and a lot of this growth can be attributed to revolutionary internet access. CTTC is excited to share the stories of customers that are having a big impact in a central Texas community!

We all might admire the new building going up in the lot next door, or the new development of houses in our neighborhoods, but have you considered the benefits of restoring historic buildings? The small town of San Saba certainly has! The town is currently revitalizing its downtown scene but instead of tearing down history, new businesses are refreshing the older buildings that have stood tall since San Saba’s establishment in 1854. The following new businesses are reinvigorating East Wallace Street – a heavily trafficked road in downtown San Saba where Highway 16 and Highway 290 intersect.

“CTTC was wonderful in helping install fiber into our older, historic building.”

-Terra Gardner, Switch Boutique

Bard & Hallow

Meet the Harts, Logan an original Austinite and Uriah a born Alaskan who each carry a love for all things nostalgic. These are the founders of San Saba’s newest downtown addition – Bard & Hallow. After leaving long careers in other fields, the couple came together to start a fine antique & architectural salvage store based in San Saba, TX. In admiration of how the Nettleship and Jordan families have restored structures of San Saba’s history, developing them into vital parts of the local community, the Harts have similar dreams for Bard & Hallow. So far, they have seen a very fruitful seven months since opening their doors. San Saba and neighboring communities love the antique furniture, unique art, and home goods sold in Bard & Hallow. The future is bright for this new business.

Switch Boutique

Entering San Saba’s downtown scene around the same time as Bard & Hallow was Switch Boutique. Switch is another realization of a lifelong dream, this time belonging to Terra Gardner. This entrepreneur was no stranger to restoration after turning an empty 100-year-old building into a town sensation upon her first boutique’s opening in Goldthwaite in 2019. Expanding to San Saba in 2021 was a no-brainer after recognizing the compatible market, supportive community, and necessary business foundations in town. Switch Boutique provides modern style for all ages, shapes, & sizes! Their trendy clothes, fashionable jewelry, and stylish shoes have been very well received by the ladies in town and Terra is excited to be a part of the team effort working to advance San Saba’s revitalization progress.

Pecan House Grill

Pecan House Grill needs no introduction. Owner Clay Nettleship and General Manager Amber Everett transformed a downtown building with a rich history into one of the most successful restaurants in the Hill Country region. What was once a hardware shop in the 1800s, destroyed by fire and rebuilt into a series of grocery and variety stores, is now an upscale steakhouse that pulls in visitors from all over the state. This is no surprise as the restaurant’s menu is an impressive collection of prime steaks, comfort food, and craft cocktails served from the upstairs bar.

Fiber Lends a Helping Hand

These successful businesses attribute much of their growth to the high-speed internet access provided by CTTC’s fiber installations. Such a compliment was synonymous in a series of interviews performed with the 3 businesses. Fiber speed enables the POS systems, online sales, website hosts, and digital advertising necessary to run a business smoothly.

“As soon as I take an order at a table, I immediately hear the ring of a new order in the kitchen.”

-Amber Everett, Pecan House Grill

These local entrepreneurs have enjoyed immense support from the San Saba community, but they also need out-of-town traffic to stay afloat. Fiber connectivity allows each entrepreneur to reach customers in neighboring towns and across Texas. Bard & Hallow and Pecan House Grill were excited to share how often they get visitors from out of state, even as far as Wyoming and Montana. Having two locations, Switch Boutique is grateful that fiber provides the necessary speed to keep inventory balanced between stores.

San Saba has recently seen immense growth. Sales tax revenue has increased 45 percent in five years alone. If you’d like to join the revitalization process, beautiful downtown buildings continue to be available. There is so much potential here for entrepreneurs and investors. The time to start a business is now and with CTTC fiber internet, the opportunities are endless!

The Future is Now

“Acquiring fiber internet from CTTC has been an extremely smooth, easy process. ”

-Uriah J. Hart, Bard & Hallow

At today’s rate of technological advancement, the high-speed of fiber internet is now a necessity to stay competitive. Businesses need the reliability, speed, security, and consistency that can only be provided with fiber. With CTTC technician experts, installation is quick and seamless so you can connect and start running your operations immediately. Don’t let internet lag hold your sales back, unlock your business’s full potential with fiber connectivity. Central Texas Telecommunications is currently servicing 18 rural communities in the Texas Hill Country with office locations in Goldthwaite and San Saba.

Whether we’re shopping online, video chatting with friends and family, or working from home, we need the internet to be fast and reliable. Luckily, we’ve come a long way since dial-up. Surpassing cable, fiber internet has become wildly popular in the past decade, yet nearly half of Americans don’t have access to fiber infrastructure, primarily in rural areas. CTTC is bridging that divide by offering modern fiber internet connectivity to the communities of Central Texas. However, if you haven’t yet joined the fiber revolution, you may not understand why this technology is truly the superior choice for internet access. Is it really faster? Is it really more reliable? Is it really worth the investment? The simple answer is yes, but let’s dive deeper into why you need fiber internet in your home and business.

Speed

The speed of fiber optic internet is 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). That’s 10 to 20 times faster than the 50 to 100 Mbps cable most of us know now. This is because signals are sent through a thin glass or plastic fiber, immune to the heat friction that occurs in traditional metal cables. After being coded into data packets of zeros and ones, files are sent at the literal speed of light.

Time to download a 2 hour HD movie:

Fiber – 1 Gbps: 40 seconds
Cable – 100 Mbps: 7 minutes
4G LTE – 35 Mbps: 25 minutes
DSL – 25Mbps: 30 minutes

Reliability

Cable internet is a shared network so similar to a highway at rush hour, cable wires get jammed during peak traffic hours. You can expect up to a 25 percent reduction in speed during peak-use periods. Because fiber optic cables don’t heat up and are resistant to environmental interference, many people can access the fiber network at the same time without affecting overall performance. In other words, a fiber network provides a reliable, consistent service.

No throttling

Have you ever noticed that sometimes your air conditioning stops working on the hottest of summer days? Everyone maxing out their A/C’s at the same time overloads power lines. The same concept applies to the internet. ISP throttling is when your internet service provider (ISP) deliberately restricts your internet bandwidth or speed without telling you in order to control traffic over their network and reduce congestion. Fiber optic internet speed doesn’t throttle because it’s less susceptible to overload.

Multi-Device Households

Gone are the days of the “household computer.” Now laptops, smartphones, tablets, and a plethora of smart devices fuel our need for fast and reliable data transmissions. On a cable connection, you’ll notice lags typically when the family is home altogether or whenever multiple devices are being used at once. The bandwidth provided by fiber ensures that no matter how many smartwatches, thermostats, televisions, gaming consoles, baby monitors, or home assistants you have in your home, all will operate smoothly.

Higher Quality TV

As technology advances, the internet’s need to keep up grows stronger and stronger. 4K televisions are a major factor driving the demand for the increased bandwidth that fiber provides. As the name suggests, 4K TVs deliver four times as much detail as current 1080p full HD sets. That’s eight million pixels, compared to two million pixels, so pictures will have much better definition and higher quality. Because the majority of content is now streamed through services like Netflix or Hulu, a television’s internet connection determines how crisp the image will be. Better internet will provide clearer picture quality.

Working From Home

Most of us found ourselves working from home in 2020 and many have remained doing so since technology has enabled the same productivity as we’d find in an office. But working remotely comes with its own set of challenges. With fast fiber internet at home, you won’t need to worry about your service cutting out during an important Zoom meeting, not being able to download large files, or having to kick someone in your household off the Wi-Fi because their Netflix habit is interfering with your work.

Upgrade Today

Take it from the thousands of CTTC customers enjoying state-of-the-art internet access. Fiber optic cables make a substantial difference in efficiency, productivity, and quality of usage. With speed about 20 times faster than regular cable internet and 80 times faster than DSL, fiber is the right choice for most internet users. Contact us today to upgrade your internet.

Your Guide to Podcasts in 2022

The golden age of radio didn’t end – it evolved! As the world becomes busier, podcasts have become incredibly popular. Audio content allows the listener to multitask. Whether it be in the car, at the gym, or while unwinding at home, the humble podcast has become an extension of the way we consume daily content. But with over two million different shows to choose from, how do you decide which are worth your time? You could listen to friends or hope that the “You Might Also Like” recommendations steer you in the right direction, but those approaches aren’t always a hit.

We scoured the internet for ten of the best podcasts to tune into in 2022. Whether you’re interested in current events, true crime, health and fitness, celebrity interviews, or just a fun distraction, there’s plenty of fish in the proverbial podcast sea. So clear your schedule and charge up those headphones (or if you’re old school, plug ’em in) because you’ve got some serious listening to do!

The Dropout

The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos is an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. How did the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire lose it all in the blink of an eye? How did the woman once heralded as “the next Steve Jobs” find herself facing criminal charges? How did her technology, meant to revolutionize health care, potentially put millions of patients at risk? Listen in to a multi-year investigation. You’ll hear exclusive interviews with former employees, investors, and patients, and for the first time, the never-before-aired deposition testimony of Elizabeth Holmes.

Sweet Bobby

Kirat Assi was terrorized in an online web of deceit for 10 years as she thought she had found her true destiny in Bobby. The conversations became intimate and, of course, his story is not what it seemed. The reveal is unexpected and wild. You’ll want to binge the whole thing for answers. Most importantly Sweet Bobby looks into why there are few consequences for people who commit this kind of online psychological warfare.

The Daily

The Daily is basically the New York Times but in podcast form. It covers everything from Cancel Culture to anti-vaccine attitudes. Beautifully edited with great music and relevant audio clips, this show excels at storytelling. It will grab your attention and keep your interest throughout. Your host Micheal Barbaro is a great interviewer too, making sure each question he asks adds clarity to the story.

This is Dating

Come for the cringe, stay for the connection. Follow four modern daters as they trade the swiping, the small talk, and the fumbled first kiss for a curated virtual date with a team of fairy godmothers behind the scenes. You might have eavesdropped on a first date before, but never like this. This is Dating is a series of recorded first dates.

Radio Rental

Discover real-life horror stories, from bizarre crimes to paranormal activity. These true stories are set inside the fictional world of Radio Rental, an 80’s video rental store run by an eccentric shopkeeper, Terry Carnation (Rainn Wilson). This imaginative, cult classic-inspired horror brand blurs the lines of reality, with cutting-edge documentary storytelling and a splash of comedy.

We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle

Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed – the book that many saw as a lifeline during the pandemic, expands on the phrase that has become a worldwide rally cry – “we can do hard things.” Life is hard. We are all doing hard things every single day – things like caring for children and parents; forging and ending friendships; battling addiction, illness, and loneliness; struggling in our jobs, our marriages, and our divorces; and fighting for equality, purpose, freedom, joy, and peace. On We Can Do Hard Things, Glennon and her sister drop the fake and talk honestly about the hard, hoping that in doing so, we can help each other live a bit lighter and braver, more free and less alone.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Five days a week, Pop Culture Happy Hour serves you recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, books, video games, and more. The Happy Hour team leaves room at the table for exploring a range of reactions and opinions on every bit of the pop universe.

Serial

No list is complete without the original true-crime podcast. Serial unfolds one story – a true story – over the course of a whole season. The show follows the plot and characters wherever they lead, through many surprising twists and turns. The audience learns case details in real-time with the host.

20 Minute Fitness

This is the best health and fitness podcast if you’re a busy person. Keeping it concise, every episode covers a topic with an industry expert in just 20 minutes. Covering subjects like nutrition, exercise burnout, and fitness trends, this show is always up to date on the latest science. It goes through the newest fads, debunking health myths and letting you know what’s real and what’s not.

Planet Money

NPR’s Planet Money is a podcast about the economy for people who think they aren’t interested in economics. Over 10 years and more than 1,000 episodes, the podcast has drawn millions of regular listeners through humor, storytelling, and an accessible style.

Seamless Streaming

Podcasts may be the new radio, but listening to these downloadable shows requires more effort than just twisting a dial. As long as you have a laptop or a cellphone, finding these podcasts is easier than you may think! You can choose from a number of podcast apps, the most popular being Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. Those apps are a terrific start for someone new to the realm of podcasts but for those who are savvier, discover unique stories on Audible, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and Overcast.

The allure of a podcast is convenience but your experience will certainly be spoiled if your internet isn’t up to date. CTTC is proud to provide lightning-fast broadband access so you can stream without buffering, skips, or drops. Contact us today to upgrade your internet connection.

*podcast summaries are from Apple Podcast descriptions