Internet Grant Winner

7:13AM July 13, 2021

fter searching for reliable internet for years, Kim Paul has finally found it – with GoSEMO Fiber. Prior to this, Paul has lived in rural areas her entire life, and internet has always been unstable regardless of the service provider.

As a graphic designer working from home, uploading large design files would take days to transfer to her clients. She frequently had to break her files into pieces and send clients multiple pieces rather than the full file. Paul's parents received fiber internet before her, so she would often drive the 15 minutes to their house to download her work files. The drive to their house took longer than the files would take to upload with their high-speed fiber internet.

Paul was lucky enough to have fiber internet available and installed before the pandemic started, receiving service in 2019.

“When stuck at home, whether you run a business or you’re in the middle of a pandemic lockdown, connecting with the outside world is necessary. GoSEMO Fiber continues to keep us up and running without fail,” Paul said.

Between Paul, her husband, and their 10-year old son, fiber internet is necessary for streaming, online learning, work, and more. Paul even has a “she shed” in her backyard where she can escape to stream shows or movies and relax. Her son is able to video-chat with grandparents, do his schoolwork, talk to friends, and play games with no buffering.

“My family can seamlessly stream on seven devices, which is particularly important when schools and offices were closed. I found new opportunities both personally and professionally as my husband watched how-to videos and my son met with friends online after virtual learning. And yes, those late-night ‘Tiger King’ marathons were also essential,” Paul jokingly added.

GoSEMO Fiber service has transformed life in multiple ways. Paul’s monthly internet bill is now a third of what it used to be, and she feels confident that her service is reliable enough to support all of her design work, huge files and all. Even storms don’t phase her; she knows her connection will still be strong. What once was a constant worry in her life is now something that she never has to stress about.