Elevate Frequently Asked Questions

Elevate is a new broadband solution provided by Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA), your local electric co-op. Since 1938, DMEA has provided Delta and Montrose counties with essential electric services, even in remote rural locations. Our members asked us to investigate the option of providing high-speed internet to our service area, because their current providers weren’t providing the speed, reliability, and customer service necessary for today’s world. We listened and launched Elevate Fiber—providing advanced communication solutions.

Fiber, short for fiber-optic lines, is actually tiny strands of glass that carry data (aka the internet) using lightwaves. In contrast, traditional DSL or cable connections are traditionally copper wires that transmit data using electricity. It is faster and more reliable to transmit the internet on fiber-optic lines.

Fiber is known for being “future-proof,” meaning the fiber we install today will be able to handle increased data loads as the need for more speed continues to grow. Fiber technology makes it possible to deliver internet speeds up to 1 Gig (1,000 Mbps, megabits per second)—this is 100x faster than what the average home or business in our area currently receives. 

Fiber is more reliable than other types of network and less prone to interference and complications from lightning and other natural elements. Fiber internet also tends to raise the property value of homes by as much as $5,000.

Elevate is owned and operated by a rural electric cooperative, Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA). In order to minimize risk, DMEA’s Board of Directors chose to move forward in a phased-in approach to protect co-op ratepayers and the financial integrity of the electric cooperative. Before construction begins in an area, a pre-determined number of members must preregister. This set number of members is called a take rate. This take rate ensures that DMEA will not spend money to build a fiber network in areas where it cannot be financially sustained because of lack of member demand.

By preregistering you are expressing interest in taking service when Elevate comes to your community. At the time of preregistration, no signed contract is required. When construction begins in your area, we will contact you to complete the necessary steps to take service.

There is no payment collected during preregistration. This process asks you to complete a quick form which tells us what services you are interested in for your home, business, or both.

The entire DMEA service territory is eligible for preregistration. Member interest will help drive the construction process. Your area could be next if enough interest is shown! Do not wait for us to knock on your door. Preregister today at join.elevatefiber.com.

Preregistration is open until construction is complete in your area. We encourage all members to preregister as soon as possible because community interest helps drive the construction process.

The benefit of preregistering now is to lock in your $100 installation fee.*  If a community does not show enough interest, Elevate Fiber may not be installed to that community. You are encouraged to preregister now if you are interested in receiving service from Elevate Fiber.

You can change your package at any time. Preregistration only expresses your interest. It is important to know that internet service is required for Elevate phone and TV. If you choose to upgrade your plan to include phone, TV, or a higher internet speed, you will pay the listed price of your new package.

Please know that the preregistration goal is only one factor in determining build plans and timelines for your community.

Once a community meets the set goals and is approved for construction, we will communicate a build timeline to all those interested in service. Construction will begin by building the network in the community, followed by bringing fiber directly to homes and businesses. 

Once we have the fiber to the home or business, we will schedule an appointment to install the service inside your home or business. Installation will include all wiring and a powerful WiFi router. 

From the first step until service is installed, you can expect the construction process to take 4 months.

Elevate Fiber’s cable will, for the most part, follow DMEA’s power lines. Therefore, if your electric service is overhead, your fiber service will also run overhead. If your electric service is underground, Elevate will bury a fiber cable approximately 10” to 12” deep along the same path as your underground power line.

Yes. There is a one-time, upfront installation fee of $100. Unless you’re lucky and nab a promo!

At this time, you are required to sign an initial 1-year contract. In this instant, no-strings-attached day and age, you might wonder why. It’s simple, really. Unlike other service providers who use established networks like copper or wireless, we're building a 100% fiber network from the ground up. It's the only way to provide truly high-speed, reliable service. That's an expensive undertaking.

We need to secure revenue in order to maintain a reliable network for customers like you and to continue moving the project forward. This project is a true representation of the power of cooperative, launched in response to the needs of DMEA's membership. 

We need your commitment to take service for a year in order to keep this project sustainable. Of course, we think our prices, speeds, and customer service can't be beaten, so we are confident you'll keep us around for years to come!

As an Elevate Fiber customer, you will be supplied with a WiFi router that is built to handle up to 1 Gig internet speeds. The cost of the router is included in the $100 installation fee. We will provide you with a powerful tri-band wireless network that is easily scalable to reach every corner of even the largest homes. 

No. Elevate retains ownership so that we can support the device and any troubles you may experience. We do not charge a monthly lease. Elevate will replace the router free of charge if the device malfunctions due to manufacturer issues. If you choose to stop purchasing service from us, you are required to return your router to avoid an unreturned equipment fee.

Yes, but really, why would you? You do have the option to disable the WiFi signal on your router and only connect to the internet through your hardwired devices.

The WiFi router will bring our services into your home and support all broadband connections. During installation, our technicians will set up and show you how to use your new wireless network. 

Wired connections to the router will provide the fastest speeds, but the WiFi router will also create a powerful wireless network in your home or business to ensure all devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and smart TVs can connect wirelessly.

Yes. The router is equipped with four traditional ethernet ports to which you can physically connect computers and other devices. 

Yes. The router Elevate provides is designed to handle state-of-the-art equipment and the fastest internet speeds available in this universe (and beyond. . .maybe).

Yes. Every home and business will have its own secure connection with passwords to access the wireless network. 

If you experience issues with your service, Elevate Fiber will be able to troubleshoot and remotely examine your router to determine where problems may be occurring (no cost). If needed, Elevate will send technicians to your location to troubleshoot (costs may be incurred).

During a basic installation, Elevate technicians will ensure your router is properly installed and your WiFi network is fully blanketing your home, up to 1,500 square feet. They will also help you connect 1 wired device and 1 wireless device, free of charge. Elevate can also remotely troubleshoot your router to help identify issues, at no cost. If you’d like additional assistance, consider purchasing our Complete Home plan.

Locate the black porer cable plugged into your fiber modem, remove the black plug from the back of the modem for 3 seconds, then re-insert the plug into the back of the fiber modem. The full reboot cycle can take up to 5 minutes. 

Check out the list below to better understand what some of the lights on your router mean. 

Power: A solid green light means your router is turned on and has power. If the light is off, the router is not powered on.

Broadband: A solid green light means your router is connected to Elevate’s network and is receiving our signal. If this light is off or red, it indicates a problem with your connection.

Service: A green light means your router is online with internet  service. This light will blink when transferring data. If this light is off or red, it indicates a problem with your internet service.

WiFi 2.4GHz and 5GHz (*subjective to 844 only): A green light indicates the wireless network is on and operational. These lights will blink when transferring data. No lights indicate a problem with your WiFi.

Ethernet, Phone, USB: When the corresponding ports on the back of your router are in use, these will light up green and blink.

Elevate offers a referral program for both residential and business internet customers. Residential customers can save $25 off their bill for referring a new customer. Business customers can save $50 off their bill. New customers must sign a 12-month contract. The more customers you refer, the more you save! AND, it gets better. The customer you refer gets $25 off their first bill too (or $50, if it’s a business)!

No! That would be silly, and let’s be honest, a bit annoying. You can earn a $25 credit on your bill for every single customer you refer who signs a contract, whether that’s just 1 or 50. Same goes for businesses too! If you are a current customer, your account must be active.

Here’s where it gets a little bit tricky. Since Elevate isn’t available everywhere yet, the referral incentives are only available in live zones. This means in order to receive a referral credit, you must already be an Elevate customer AND the new customer you refer must also be located in an area where we can provide service today.

It’s OK if you refer friends and family to sign up for Elevate even if they aren’t in a live zone, but we won’t be able to credit your account.

We like to keep things simple. Once you’ve shared the news with neighbors and friends to sign up for Elevate, just remind them (A LOT) to mention your name when they speak with a member of our customer service team. Or, make it super simple for them and include this link in the email with instructions to fill in your name when it asks if a friend of family referred them - https://www.elevateinternet.com/serviceagreement. If they complete the agreement, both you and they will earn the $25 credit!

Once a customer you referred has signed up and made sure to give you credit, you’ll see a $25 credit appear on your next Elevate bill. They will see the credit on their first Elevate bill. If your account is not active, you will not receive a referral credit.

• The person/business you referred didn’t actually sign up
• The person/business you referred was already an Elevate customer
• The person/business you referred is not in an area we can offer service today
• The person/business you referred chose not to mention that you referred them
• Your account was not in good standing

That’s a bummer. A new customer must mention your name or business at the time they sign up for service, either by entering it when they sign their agreement or when speaking with an Elevate customer service representative to finalize account details and installation. Your best bet? Badger, nag, harp, pester, and annoy your friends and family with reminders so they CAN’T forget to mention your name.

No. Your referral incentives exist only as a credit on your account. They cannot be exchanged for cash in the event you suspend your service before your credits are exhausted. The credits are non-transferable—meaning you cannot transfer your referral credits to another customers account.

We love to hear that you’re suggesting TV or phone to your friends, but unfortunately, we can only offer a referral credit to you when you refer a new customer to Elevate.

Each $25 you earn is credited to your entire Elevate account. For example, if you have 150 Mbps internet ($54.95/mo.) and local TV ($29.95/mo.), your bill is approximately $79.95/month.* You referred your neighbor, your parents, and your brother—all of them signed up as new Elevate customers! Your account is credited with 3 referrals for a total of $75, which means your next bill is only $4.95. That’s right, get enough referrals and your bill could be FREE.
*Taxes and fees excluded.

We think it’s a little silly for an internet company, especially one that provides ultra-fast speeds on a reliable fiber connection, to print, stamp, and mail thousands of paper bills each month. So, we don’t. We’ll deliver your bill electronically each month to the email you have registered with your Elevate account. If you need a copy of your bill you can access it by logging into your account online at https://dmea.smarthub.coop. If you require Elevate to mail you a paper bill, you will be charged a paper statement fee of $5/statement/month.