KMTelecom says it can easily handle increased internet traffic

With more people working from home and students now involved in distance learning, it is only reasonable to assume that internet usage has increased.
That is true, said Mary Ehmke, president of KMTelecom, but the company is able to handle the increased traffic.
“We’re in good shape with network capacity,” she said.
Traffic on the network has increased, she said, but the company has noticed no problems in handling that traffic. The company has been investing a lot of money in fiber optics, she said, so that all customers can get the bandwith they need. Since the network is all fiber, she said, there is unlimited capacity.
Most of the problems that have turned up have been with the users’ internal network, she said. Many times the customer has an older router or have supplied their own router. For those customers, she said, KMTelecom has been providing the company’s routers.
Along with being able to handle the traffic, she said, the company has been working with current customers and with new ones including helping students in the Kasson-Mantorville and Triton districts without internet access get connected so they can complete their schoolwork.
The company has also joined with other broadband and wireless companies to “Keep Americans Connected.” These companies have signed the pledge to ensure that customers in the United States are not cut off from communication services during the coronavirus pandemic.
During this time, Ehmke said, the company will not disconnect customers or charge a fee for late payments. They also are allowing customers who do not have access to get their services without the installation fee.
The company is also taking precautions to ensure the safety of both their employees and their customers, she said.
When installers enter a home, she said, they are relying on the honesty of the customer to tell them if they or someone in the home has a respiratory illness.
Before an installer comes to a home, Ehmke said, both a customer service representative and the installer calls the home. When they do arrive, she said, the installers have masks, gloves and boot covers.
While the staff is working, the KMTelecom offices have been closed to the public. Equipment returns can be dropped off at a designated place outside the building and there is a drop box for payments. Payments through the website are being encouraged.