Fiber - Dream to Reality


Fiber directly to someone’s home?  You honestly think we could do that?
 
I recall these conversations vividly from almost ten years ago in a cramped little office above what is now Bangkok Gardens on Cherry Street in Columbia, MO. We had painted the walls, bought a used conference table, several faux leather couches and a lot of white boards to create a place that the owners of Socket could get away and talk about what’s next. 
 
And now it’s actually happening. This week we are delivering true fiber service to our first customers. Many of whom can get nothing more than dial up connections today. We have complete continuity from our headquarters in Columbia, out to our first regeneration hut located behind the Millersburg Christian Church. 
 
Initial response has been very positive from our early sign ups. They seem to like our pricing and packages. Most customers are trying out the 10Mbps package for starters. For most this will be a huge jump in speed, as even the ones on DSL service today are getting much lower speeds than this. This level of bandwidth should let them get started with services they likely haven’t enjoyed before, most notably video services like YouTube, video conferencing, and Netflix.
 
What’s next? We have to figure out a video solution. It’s the next question on most of these customer’s minds. We have some neat ideas at work in our labs that will change the way many of these customers are buying TV service today. 
 
Find out more about where Socket's fiber runs and how you can get connected.
 
 

Meet Nick Pena, Outside Plant Coordinator


Nick Pena, Socket's You-Make-the-Difference Winner for March 2012Every month, Socket employees nominate and vote on a co-worker who best exemplifies our Core Values and Beliefs.
 
This month, we picked Nick Peña.
 
Nick's been around for awhile. He first became a Sockteer almost 10 years ago, as a young, eager technical support representative. He worked his way through Socket, sporting a variety of hairstyles as he did--including a ponytail, mohawk and shaved head.
 
He now serves as outside plant coordinator, which is a fancy way of saying that he's currently overseeing the construction of Socket's fiber-to-the-home network in rural Boone and Callaway counties.
 
"Every time I have a question about the fiber project, Nick has the answer," said a co-worker who nominated him for the award. "He is an asset to Socket and always goes above and beyond what is asked of him."
 
He's also an amazing cook and is especially famous for his Cuban chili recipe. It even won him the title of 2008 Socket Chili Champion! And now he can add "March 2012 You-Make-the-Difference Winner" right next to it on his list of honors.
 
Congratulations, Nick!
 
Read about other You-Make-the-Difference-Award winners. 
 

Ducks, Big Questions and Eager Shoppers at the Sedalia Home & Lifestyle Show


Our Socketeers joined more than 50 vendors and service providers for the Sedalia Home and Lifestyle Show on March 10-11.
 
We enjoyed answering your questions, and you had some good ones! We talked about everything from from our upcoming service expansions in the Sedalia area to general email and technology related questions.
 
One gentleman even asked, “What is the Internet?” It was a pretty big topic to tackle, but he seemed pretty satisfied by our explanation.
 
Ducky neighbors at the Sedalia, MO Home ShowOur Woods Supermarket raffle was a HUGE hit and we would like to congratulate LaVerne G. of Sedalia, MO for winning. We know her next shopping trip will be a fun one!
 
And when things slowed down toward the end of the weekend, we had a blast making new friends in the booth across from us. Our favorite thing about ducks is that they have "webbed" feet (ha, ha!).
 
We really enjoyed our weekend in Sedalia and hope to come back again soon!
 
 

Socket in...Sports Illustrated?


Socket in Sports Illustrated magazine
(Click to Enlarge)

We love our Missouri Tigers. And we're loving the phenomenal season the men's basketball team has been having.
 
That's why we're super excited to share the pages of Sports Illustrated  magazine with them (in a small way).
 
Don't forget to tune into the Socket Postgame Show with Mike Kelly after every football and men's basketball game. You'll find it on KTGR ESPN 100.5 FM & 1580 AM in mid-Missouri or your local Tiger radio station.
 
We're proud to support Mizzou athletics and wish the Tigers the best of luck in the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments!
 

03-09-12 Drops Begin


Drops (when fiber is run from the road to customers' homes) have begun. This phase of the construction process brings fiber to the outside of a customer's home. An on-site installation is set up for a later time, when the fiber connection is brought inside the home to connect phones and computers.

Pinterest - Not just another time-waster.


(Never used Pinterest before? Check out our tips for beginners.)
 
So you’re already on Facebook and find yourself spending hours looking at countless photos, reading status updates and engaging in poking wars.
 
You’re thinking, “I don’t need something else to suck away the little free time I do have.” After all, could you really show your face again if you surrendered the poking war? 
 
Pinterest may not be the time-waster you think. Here are some practical tips on how to make the social media site work for you.

 
#1 – Be Productive.  
 
Customize your Pinboards for that project you’ve always wanted to tackle.
           
You’ve been meaning to have your picture taken with your precious pup but need ideas and inspiration for the photo shoot. Create your PhoDOGraphy board. (Seriously, that’s a real thing.)
           
Perhaps you are a crafty, DIY-er instead. Save your project ideas for that playroom you’ve been meaning to spruce up for your kids. Or if you’ve been dreaming of honing your culinary skills, make a board full of recipes to do just that! 
 
 
#2 – Make a picture gift list.
 
Don’t you hate how you can think of a million things you’d like as a gift until someone asks you? Enter Pinterest.
 
Store your gift ideas on a board. Unlike wishlists on random store websites, there aren’t seasonal inventory changes.  You can also post the price of the item and where your gift-giver can purchase it.
 
 
#3 – Pin It, don’t just re-Pin.
 
You’re already spending time surfing the Web—shopping, reading news sites, browsing Facebook, etc. Many websites have “Pin It” buttons already but you can also install one on your browser to use on any website you choose. 
 
Once you get the hang of browsing and pinning, things won’t get lost in the depths of your bookmark folders anymore. AND they are saved with pretty pictures.
 

 Pinterest
         pinterest.com

Pinterest isn't just another time-killing website. Chances are, you'll find something really valuable there, and you'll be glad you signed up.
 
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got to go finish our milk-jug fort.

Phising Scams - Don't Be a Victim


Earlier today, some Socket email users received a message purporting to be from Socket Webmail.
 
The message notified receipients that their account had been suspended and instructed them to click a link in order to reinstate it.
 
This message was not sent from Socket. If you received it, please disregard the message and delete it from your inbox.
 
Phishing can result in some real headaches. A phisher can use the personal information obtained to send spam emails from your account, access bank accounts, make fraudulent purchases or open new accounts.
 
Therefore, it's important to be cautious when you receive emails that appear to be legitimate requests from reputable companies.
 
Here are some tips on identifying phishing emails:
 

  • Businesses should never ask you to submit personal information via email. If they do, forward the email to the business to verify its validity, or contact them via phone or in person.
  • Look for phishing characteristics. Phishing messages often contain spelling, grammatical or other errors. See examples of phishing emails or check a suspicious email online at www.phishtank.com.
  • Exercise caution when clicking links in an e-mail. Links can be masked to direct you to a different website than the one listed. Hold your mouse over the link and look at the bottom of your browser window to see if the links match. If not, it could be a scam. When in doubt, type links directly into your address bar to be sure you are visiting the intended website.
  • Use a spam filter and antivirus software to minimize phishing emails. A spam filter can block many phishing emails from entering your inbox. Utilize an antivirus program to protect against unwanted files that could rob you of personal information.

Take just a few minutes to learn about phishing and how to protect yourself. Your chances of falling victim to a costly scam will be greatly minimized.
  
 

Who is Socket

Founded in 1994, Socket is a Missouri-based telephone and Internet service provider with the largest service area in the state.

Socket is a privately held company that provides families and businesses a choice for local and long-distance phone and Internet service. We combine the highest quality customer service with in-depth technical knowledge.

Our network serves more than 20,000 residents and businesses in more than 400 Missouri cities, and our customers enjoy simple billing and quick, friendly service.
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