- Why choose Citizens Mutual?
Citizens Mutual provides the best internet service over a state-of-the-art fiber optic network. But it doesn't end there. We understand that our customers expect and deserve to have great customer service. All of our employees are focused on ensuring that your service is working properly and in the unusual event that you experience a problem, we are responsive and courteous. We understand that your communication service is critical to your lifestyle and we treat you like we would want to be treated. This is all rooted in us being local and a Cooperative.
- What is a Cooperative or Co-op?
Simply put, a cooperative is an organization which is owned and run by its customer members. Members share the profits of the organization, so unlike other businesses, when you're part of our co-op, profits are returned over time to you in the form of Capital Credits. When you do business with a co-op, you ultimately get the service at cost!! All it takes to be a member of the Citizens Mutual cooperative is becoming a customer.
- What are Capital Credits?
Capital credits are an annual check received by our members from any profits made by your cooperative. They are somewhat the same as the dividends that investor-owned companies pay to their shareholders except that Citizens Mutual "dividends" go back to the members/owners (AKA You and Your Neighbors). Our board of directors meets annually and determines how much to pay out in capital credits.
Citizens Mutual prides itself in giving back to its' members, having paid out over $2,000,000 in just the past 5 years!!
- Is Citizens Mutual a new Co-op?
Absolutely not! Citizens Mutual has been in business serving southern Iowa for over 100 years! Our story began in the early 1900s with a small group of farmers who needed telephone service and grew into a cutting edge telecommunications provider employing many of our local residents. We have been deploying fiber optic technology for over 35 years. Our fiber powered network has been recognized for our achievements by many organizations, including the State of Iowa as a "Connected Certified Community", as well as having the distinction of being designated as "Gig-Certified" and a "Smart Rural Community" by NTCA, the Rural Broadband Association.
- What is Fiber and how does it benefit me?
Fiber optic cable is made of bundled strands of glass. Each glass strand acts as a conduit for light signals that send data to and from your devices. Your home or business is connected by a dedicated optical fiber strand back to our network. Each fiber optic strand can carry multiple signals at extremely high speeds, delivering 100X more bandwidth than a copper network. This technology allows for faster, more reliable internet speeds for an incredible experience. Fiber optics is universally regarded as the best technology for internet connectivity, and Citizens Mutual operates a 100% fiber network.
- What does it cost to get fiber to my house?
Not a thing!! As a member of Citizens Mutual there is no charge to get a fiber drop to your house. All construction expense is covered by Citizens Mutual.
- What is a drop?
A drop is the term used when our construction crews bury the fiber optic service line to your home or business.
- When will construction be done, and when can I expect service?
If you live in an area where service is available and we need to bury a drop to your house, we typically have the construction complete within a couple of weeks, depending on weather.
If you live in an area where we have received funding to expand out to, Citizens Mutual is dedicated to providing fiber within a reasonable timeframe. Please refer to the map on our "Service Area" section of our site to see what the buildout deadlines are for the various areas of interest. While these dates reflect the deadlines of our projects, we will be connecting customers to our network as we complete areas of construction. We will reach out to registered customers as we get close to starting construction to keep you updated on our progress.
Once construction starts in a new area, construction can take 3-6 months to build out the new area, depending on the availability of materials, Iowa weather, and other factors. Once construction is complete, Citizens Mutual will contact you to schedule an appointment to activate your services.
If you live in an area where we have not yet made the decision to expand, please register your interest by entering your address above and following the registration steps. When and if we have enough people that have registered, our board will consider expanding into your area.
- How do I stay updated with Citizens Mutual's buildout status?
We are excited to share updates on our construction projects! Feel free to request to join our Facebook group, Citizens Mutual Fiber Expansion, to stay up to date on all of our fiber buildout progress!!
- What is an "Advocate" and how can I become one?
