Fast internet couldn’t come soon enough for Barbara and Monty Moncrief, the first connected customer of East Carroll Connect’s fiber optic network in the rural parts of the parish, which started construction earlier this summer.
Even though they experienced water outages as a result of the water lines being cut by fiber construction crews, the Moncriefs say it’s all been worth it.
“So far, we’re happy,” said Monty, of the service. “Even if you think you don’t need it, you need it. You don’t realize you need it. It just makes life so much easier.”
The Moncriefs have lived in Florida and in Arkansas, both of which had fiber optic internet as a choice. They moved into their current home in East Carroll in July, but until the installers came to set them up with fiber optic internet, the Moncriefs couldn’t even get a decent cell signal where they live off Lane’s Ferry Road. They tried using a cell phone booster, but quickly reached their data limit on their cell phone plan.
When a postcard from East Carroll Connect came in the mail, Barbara signed up for the service soon after, and, then, became obsessed. “I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting,” she said. “I would call them. It’s usually a really nice girl that would answer the phone. And I said ‘I don’t mean to be pestering y’all but my grandson lives with us, and he has to have internet.’” Their service was hooked up on the Monday after Thanksgiving. And, despite a little hiccup that amounted to having to unplug everything from the power supply, then plugging it back in after 30 seconds or so, it’s been smooth sailing for the Moncriefs.
They use their internet to pay bills online, shop for products that aren’t available locally and, of course, stream live television and movies. The Moncriefs’ grandson can now watch movies and play games to his heart’s content. And they save money, besides.
Barbara tells the story of a relative who is paying a dish service for television and is also paying for internet through the local phone company, with bills totaling almost $200. “She’s watching the same things we’re watching, and we’re paying half that,” said Barbara. Plus, the internet connection is faster, since the Moncriefs have now upgraded to the 1 GB plan with East Carroll Connect. The Moncriefs use a Roku device, which is as easy as using a remote control to set up.
