Have questions about PIE&G Connect service? Search here from our list of frequently asked questions.
As of 2022, PIE&G provided energy services to 31,600 active members. We serve approximately 12,934 natural gas meters and 34,547 electric meters throughout our nine-county service territory. We maintain 886 miles of gas pipeline and 4,759 miles of electric lines, with 3,820 miles of overhead line and 1,137 miles of line underground. We serve approximately 7.5 members per mile of line.
With 100 full time employees and several more temporary employees, Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op is one of the largest employers in Presque Isle County. We are a company built on the premise of providing outstanding service to rural areas that other companies refused to serve, a premise we continue to uphold and strive to improve upon today.
We are re-committing to that mission with our plans to build a world-class fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network — PIE&G Connect!
PIE&G is building a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network – the gold standard of communications transmission – over its existing electric distribution infrastructure, that will take fiber directly into homes and businesses and will deliver reliable, high-speed internet services.
Construction began in 2021 and will continue as we build our network across our nine-county electric service territory. The network will be constructed in four phases (click here to view the construction map).
PIE&G Connect began connecting our first internet subscribers around the Onaway area in the early summer of 2022. We are currently offering internet service to electric members in Phase 1 in the following areas: Onaway, Black Lake, Canada Creek, Tower, Fingerboard and Mullet Lake. Our fiber internet project roll out is a four-year plan that will reach all PIE&G electric members.
To ensure we deliver the best service possible once we build the network, proximity to PIE&G’s headquarters for operational support was a main consideration for the initial plans. The second consideration was the nature of our Tap architecture design, which dictates the order of the build along our existing overhead electric distribution system. These factors helped to determine our buildout plans.
To find where your electric service address is located on our four-year plan, first find your “Map Location” on your electric bill. The two letters of your Map Location correspond to the list of zones within each phase of our Fiber Construction Timeline here.
No. Electric rates will not be raised to subsidize the buildout or deployment. We keep each of our divisions separate and comply with strict rules regarding the subsidization of non-energy activities by electric and natural gas utilities.
Fiber-optic systems are made up of tiny strands of glass that carry data using light waves, resulting in super-fast internet speeds and enhanced reliability. Most internet providers use fiber in their systems but use copper lines for the final connections to the home, resulting in slower speeds. PIE&G Connect believes Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) is the best, most sustainable communications choice. With our FTTH service, we offer “symmetrical” speeds, meaning you’ll enjoy the same high speeds whether uploading or downloading.
A fiber-optic network sends and receives data at the speed of light. In addition to super-fast transmission speeds, a fiber optic network can carry an extremely high amount of data. Fiber is also more reliable than other networks, because it’s less susceptible to interference and damage from lightning and other acts of nature.
Broadband commonly refers to high-speed internet access that is always on and faster than traditional dial-up access. Broadband fiber-optic networks can deliver voice, data, video and email services over the internet.
Managed Wi-Fi offers a better all-around user experience for managing your profiles and devices and allows proactive member support to ensure you stay connected. With our PIE&G Connect IQ application, you will enjoy managed Wi-Fi that enables PIE&G Tech Support to remotely troubleshoot potential service issues you may experience and includes tools to personalize and improve your network performance. To learn more about PIE&G Connect IQ App, click here.
PIE&G created a new separate broadband division, PIE&G Connect, which will offer fiber-based internet and telephone services to members who receive electric service. The fiber division is being managed apart from the electric and natural gas divisions of the cooperative. Members will receive a different bill for each PIE&G service they subscribe to, whether it is electric, natural gas, or fiber internet service.
PIE&G members with an active electric account are encouraged to submit their interest in receiving fiber internet using PIE&G’s SmartHub app. Create a SmartHub account online here or download our free SmartHub mobile app (get it on Google Play or in the App Store). Provide us with an email address, so that we may contact you when service becomes available in your area.
Click here to submit your interest in fiber internet service.
PIE&G Connect service has no data caps or bandwidth “throttling”. Throttling is a practice used by some internet service providers (ISP), where the ISP intentionally slows or speeds up the internet service which restricts internet bandwidth or speeds without informing the customer. Some ISPs will use throttling to favor certain customers over others (such as business over personal service). With PIE&G Connect, all subscribers will receive the same lightning-fast internet speeds without data limits.
PIE&G Connect is working to offer voice over internet protocol (or “VoIP”) soon, in addition to broadband internet service. We will make announcements when voice service will be available. You can find our Voice pricing here.
TV service is not offered. A variety of streaming services and on-demand video services are available for purchase from other third-party providers.
No. PIE&G Connect does not require a contract or long-term annual commitments.
PIE&G Connect is actively connecting internet service in the open zones or map areas here. We encourage potential subscribers to let us know they are interested in receiving fiber internet services as early as possible (click here to register your interest). We will contact members who have registered their interest with us as their residential or business service address locations become eligible for on-site installation of service.
Internet service will be available to electric members located in the zones of Phase 1 by early summer of 2023. We will begin offering service to electric members in Phase 2 zones starting in the Cheboygan area in late summer – early fall 2023. After you register your interest with us "here”, PIE&G will contact you when we are actively making connections in your area. Please provide us with your contact information, including email address and daytime phone number. Our Member Services Reps will call to start the process of fiber installation and setting up your new internet account.
Yes. If you haven’t already done so, you will need to install our free SmartHub App to help you manage your new fiber internet account. SmartHub allows you to manage all of your PIE&G accounts anytime.
To get the app for Apple devices, go to the Apple App Store. For Android devices, go to the Google Play Store. To learn more about SmartHub and how to get the app, click here.
We also recommend that you download our free PIE&G Connect IQ app (available at Google Play or the App Store) to optimize your internet service experience. The app also gives you access to PIE&G Connect Technical Support staff who can remotely troubleshoot and resolve any potential problems you may encounter with your connection. To learn more about PIE&G Connect IQ App and how to install it, click here.
SmartHub - After you download the app, you will need to click on “Manage Notifications” to let us know how you’d like PIE&G to contact you and for what purposes. There are lots of features available for all of your PIE&G accounts on SmartHub too – Account and usage history, Billing history, Pay your bills, Email or Text notifications, Outage Reporting and more.
Note: All fiber internet subscribers will need to create a SmartHub account to view their internet service billing statements. PIE&G has eliminated paper bills for internet service, in the interest of cost-savings, resource conservation and preventing waste. To create a new SmartHub account online, click here, then click on the link under “New User? Sign up to access our Self Service Site” and follow the prompts. Please have your electric account number available.
Initially, we’re asking members to go to PIEGConnect.com and follow the link to submit their interest in receiving service. When we are ready to have you subscribe for services, one of our member service representatives will contact you to begin the process to make your new fiber connection and set up your new internet account. When crews are in your area and are ready to finalize the process, we will contact you to schedule an appointment for in-premises installation.
In-premises fiber installation is fairly straightforward and the impact to you should be minimal. We pull the fiber from our main overhead electric poles, following power lines to attach the fiber to your home or business. The fiber will either be hung or buried underground depending on how your PIE&G electric service is delivered to the premises. Next, we attach the fiber line to a box (called a Network Interface Device, or NID) on the exterior of your premises. From this box, we will run fiber into the premises. Finally, the fiber is plugged into a state-of-the-art wireless router (the Gigaspire) we provide.
An in-home-installer will finalize your connection (from the nearest electric pole) and test the services from your equipment. Once the installation inside the premises is complete and tested, your service should be ready to go!
Note: To receive a $5 per month discount on your fiber internet package, be sure to sign up for “Automatic Payments” using your SmartHub app. Discount will apply after your first billing and successful Auto Pay enrollment.
Fiber construction often involves digging in the ground or trenching on and near your property, and our crews will be working in the neighborhood. Our contractors are trained to minimize any damage, and should any unintended damage occur, they are to repair the ground area and pick up after themselves before leaving the job. Weather and precipitation can affect the ground or soil conditions, but crews will do their best to minimize the impact under the circumstances.
Many rural communities have not had access to the same speeds and capabilities as those in larger cities. The lack of broadband availability in rural areas versus more metropolitan areas is known as the “digital divide” – or barrier between those who have access to advanced technology and those who don’t. A few of the many advantages of broadband access are:
PIE&G’s main reason for creating a new fiber internet division, is to offer high-speed internet services to meet the needs of members like you. Just as we have done for nearly a century, electric cooperatives are stepping up to fill a void in unserved and underserved rural communities. Many PIE&G members have no access to internet service at all, or the quality is lacking. Co-ops recognize that internet service has become a staple of modern life. You will no longer have to rely on intermittent service from DSL, fixed wireless or satellite internet to stay connected online. With PIE&G Connect fiber service, you will have reliable cell phone connections, be able to stream high-definition media smoothly and quickly, have the data capacity to download and upload data such as files, photos and videos at super-fast speeds, and have access to the latest technological advancements and applications.
Our Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) world-class service will be reliable, affordable and backed by your local, trusted co-op. Just as we acted in 1937, to bring electricity to residents in rural northeast Michigan, and again in 1994, to bring natural gas service to members, PIE&G is fulfilling its mission of commitment to community, by bringing another essential service to the area.
Fiber internet is considered the gold standard - the fastest and highest quality internet technology available. Fiber optics can handle more users and more data at consistently higher speeds. We also offer 24/7 Help Desk support located in the U.S.
You will be able to run multiple devices – such as cell phones, computers and laptops – simultaneously in your home or business without decreased download and upload speeds. The table below gives you a speed comparison between what you may have now, and what’s possible with FTTH:
| Download* | 3 Mbps | 25 Mbps | 100 Mbps | 1 gigabit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 MB presentation | 4.7 minutes | 33.6 seconds | 8.4 seconds | .8 seconds |
| 100 photos | 16.3 minutes | 2 minutes | 29.4 seconds | 2.9 seconds |
| 2-hour HD movie | 4.8 hours | 34.4 minutes | 8.6 minutes | 51.5 seconds |
| 50 GB game | 1.7 days | 4.8 hours | 1.2 hours | 7.2 minutes |
No, you can sign up for the services individually. Phone service is optional if you have active residential internet service. Our phone service is currently undergoing final testing and should be available soon.
PIE&G Connect’s phone service uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. The phone calls you make are processed over the public telephone switched network, which results in a higher quality call than traditional VoIP calls.
In the majority of cases, yes. We sign agreements with various telephone carriers to “port” or transfer your existing phone number over to the new PIE&G Connect phone service, so that members may keep their same phone number. There may be, however, a few exceptions where your current provider will not allow you to keep your number. Please allow two weeks for your current phone provider to complete their porting process.