About Us
The Yampa Valley Electric Association founded Luminate in 2019 with the belief the communities of the Yampa Valley require a world-class telecommunications capability to remain vital, and the knowledge that if they didn’t provide it, no one else would.
Service to community is Luminate’s highest calling. Its dedicated employees are determined to build a 100% fiber optic network, delivering opportunities for commerce, healthcare, education, entertainment, and more. With the backing of YVEA, Luminate is creating the telecommunications infrastructure necessary to sustain vibrant communities for decades to come.
History
YVEA & Broadband: A Long & Winding Road
Yampa Valley Electric Association has been working on bringing broadband to the Yampa Valley for nearly 7 years. First through partnerships and now, with Luminate Broadband, we are at long last on the road to making the dream a reality.
How did we get here and where are we going?
2012
NORTHWEST COLORADO BROADBAND FORMED
Yampa Valley Electric Association together with Routt County, the City of Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs School District, Yampa Valley Medical Center, Yampa Valley Electric Association, and the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association banded together to create a non-profit chartered with bringing broadband to this corner of the state.
2014
FIBER OPTIC BROUGHT TO DOWNTOWN STEAMBOAT
Built with a $748,195 grant from Routt County, the initial fiber brought to Steamboat primarily serviced downtown businesses. The network, managed by Mammoth Networks, introduced high-speed fiber to the valley and significantly brought down the cost of high-speed internet for the customers that were able to access it.
2017
$2.2 MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION
In 2017, the fiber project was expanded to span the length of Steamboat Springs from the airport on one side to the U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices on the south side. This expansion provided critical infrastructure to businesses and government offices in the main corridor of Steamboat.
2018
PROJECT THOR ANNOUNCED
Recognizing that many, if not most, of the communities in northern and western Colorado, were still severely lacking in internet services, the Northwest Council of Governments partnered with many entities (including YVEA) to build a 400-mile loop from Denver through Routt & Summit counties among others. This high-speed loop will provide redundancy to prevent interruption.
2019
YVEA ANNOUNCES LUMINATE BROADBAND
After years of supporting joint efforts, YVEA recognized that, with Project Thor, it had the best chance to finally bring broadband to the rural areas in Routt & Moffat counties. Using existing infrastructure, YVEA will be building ultra-fast fiber loops to Craig, Clark, Hayden, Stagecoach & Steamboat Springs. Luminate Broadband will provide internet service to homes and businesses off of YVEA’s fiber infrastructure.
Community first.
We’re committed to making our communities better by building a network to ensure they thrive for generations, delivering opportunities in commerce, healthcare, education, entertainment, and more, that would otherwise be unavailable. Our services empower people to live the lives they want to live, where they want to live them.
At Luminate, we are dedicated to serving our communities. Through our world-class fiber network, we’re able to do much more than provide access to the internet. We empower others to lead by providing the platform to promote economic development, create local jobs, support community organizations, and encourage civic engagement. Our work is important and personal. We treat people like family, friends, and neighbors because often they are.
For us, the community comes first.
Happy Customers
Miles of Fiber
Coffees Consumed
Hard Workers