Connecting Our Neighbors, Empowering Our Communities
Frequently Asked Questions
Internet
Unfortunately there is no exact calculation for how much bandwidth a household needs. Each device and activity requires a different amount of bandwidth. Below are some general requirements PER DEVICE. These are minimum recommendations; having higher internet speeds than the suggested values can enhance your overall experience.
Streaming (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.): HD streaming = 5-8Mbps, 4K Streaming = 25Mbps
Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.): 2-5Mbps
Video Calling (Zoom, Facetime, etc.): 4Mbps
Smart Speakers (Alexa, Google Nest, etc.): 1Mbps
Video Games: Online = 5Mbps, Downloading: 25Mbps
If you have multiple devices performing the same task simultaneously make sure you multiply accordingly
Fixed wireless uses radio waves to transmit data between our towers to your home. Our towers are mainly located on grain legs owned by our members or antenna towers owned by Federated. When you request to be connected to our fixed wireless service our technicians will verify that you have a clear Line of Sight (LOS) between your home and a nearby tower. They will then install a receiver dish on your property, typically the dish is installed on the house but can also we mounted on another building or a tree, the technician will determine the best location for a clear connection.
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We work hard to minimize any affects weather can have on our equipment be placing electronics in sheltered cases and creating strong mounting points for equipment. But at the end of the day we are still working with electronics and we have no control over Mother Nature.
Fiber optic: weather has very minimal affect of fiber optic internet services. The main impact would be if your home were to lose power your internet would also go down until power is restored.
Fixed wireless: in most cases inclement weather has limited impact on fixed wireless services but there can be exceptions. Long-term high winds can cause dishes both on homes and towers to shift which can make connections weaker. Heavy ice and snow can cover receivers making it more difficult for radio waves to pass through.
If you do not own the property you are hoping to have serviced by Federated Broadband we will need permission from the property owner. We will check if we have previously serviced the address, in which case we can schedule an install, or request contact information for your landlord and wait to hear back from them before scheduling an installation time.
Property owner permission is required for Fixed Wireless and Fiber Optic service installations.
Your chosen speed package indicates the speed of upload and download traffic available to you at any point in time. For instance, Fixed Wireless Tier 2 package provides you with 15Mbps download and 3Mbps upload. Those speeds are always available to you as we do not limit data throughout the month.
Every device you have connected draws from those max speeds available. There is no perfect science to the number of devices you can have connected per speed package as it is dependent on what each of those devices are doing.
Billing
No. Federated Electric and Federated Broadband accounts are separate. If you have both accounts you will receive two bill statements each month.
We have several options available for customers to pay their bill.
-Set up auto-pay with our office through a bank account and credit card. If you would like to set up with a bank account please complete the Auto-Pay Authorization Form and return to the office.
-Create account with our online billing portal or mobile app (iOS and Android).
-Call the office at (507) 847-3520 to process a payment over the phone.
-Write a check and mail it to PO Box 69, Jackson, MN 56143 or drop it off in the drop-box outside the main Jackson office. Be sure to include the stub from your billing statement.
The broadband billing cycle is for the current month of service. Bills generated at the beginning of the month are due on the 20th of that same month.
Example: broadband service for January 2025 - bill is generated for January 1 to January 31, customers will receive their bill in the first week of January, bill is due on January 20th.
When you start service in the middle of the month you will receive you first bill the following month. That first bill will include a pro-rated charge for the partial month of service and a full month of service.
Example: Service started March 10 - first bill received in the beginning of April with a service charge for March 10 through April 30 and is due on April 20th. The bill received in May will then be the standard speed package price.
Accounts closed after monthly bills have been generated will be charged for the full month of service. You may choose to maintain service until the end of the billing period or end on a specific day. If you choose to close on a specific date and not at the end of the month you will receive a refund check to the mailing address we have on file the following month. If you are closing your account due to moving please make sure you provide us with a forwarding address so you receive your refund.
General
We are currently working through the construction phases of two (2) Minnesota Border-to-Border grants. One in western Jackson county and the other in southwest Martin county and Truman area. Once these projects are complete we will be continuing to expand our fiber optic network to all of Jackson and Martin county. Federated's goal is to have fiber optic internet available to all its members in the next five (5) years.
Fiber optic internet is currently available in the cities of Ceylon, Dunnell, and Northrop. Home installations have begun in the Jackson county grant area.