Dec 21, 2023 | Family, Gaming / Esports, Why Fiber?
Though many parents may be skeptical about their teen’s passion for video gaming (and the seemingly extensive number of hours they play them), they might be surprised—and even impressed—by the economic opportunities brought about by gaming, especially in competitive esports. Perhaps the most eye-popping impressive statistic parents and their college-bound kids should be aware of is the tremendous amount of esports scholarships available for college: $16 million according to the most recent data!
Below, we provide several tips for gamers who want to take their hobby to the next level and help them pay for their college education through esports.
When combined with their skills and many hours of playing on FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network—the fastest, most reliable internet a gamer can utilize—these tips may help students outperform the competition and get a well-merited scholarship for their future.
Tip 1: Join a Gaming Club and/or Compete for a Spot on a High School Esports Team
If possible, join a gaming club and/or compete for a spot on a high school esports team. Joining a gaming club or playing on a high school esports team puts you in direct contact with players you’re not used to playing against, which are probably your friends and other family members. Those players already know your abilities and weaknesses—and you know theirs.
Thus, to truly get ahead, you need to start playing against different people, and in a more competitive arena. Joining a gaming club can start you on the road to more competitive play, improved tactics and skills, and college-level esports.
Similarly, high school gaming teams provide an environment comparable to competitive esports at the collegiate and professional levels. They also teach additional gaming skills and techniques you might not be well versed in, introduce you to other games you haven’t yet mastered, and give you actual tournament experience—all the factors, in short, that collegiate teams are looking for and that improve your chances of achieving an esports scholarship.
Tip 2: Record Your Gaming Sessions
As you continue to hone your gaming skills and gain more experience playing competitively, we recommend you record your gameplay. It’s simple to do and there are many apps available to create recordings of your games, so check out their features and make a few practice recordings.
Recording your gaming sessions lets you see your progress—and learn from your own mistakes. It also allows you to “show off” your skills and achievements to others and gain feedback from them, too. Even more importantly, esports recruiters, especially coaches, will want to see examples of your esports play (see Tips 3 and 4, below).
Tip 3: Create an Esports “Highlight Reel”
Having tested your mettle in a gaming club or on a team, and recorded and reviewed your sessions to improve your gameplay, consider creating a highlight reel of your best gaming experiences. This is similar to what other high school athletes in other sports like football and basketball do. It takes some time to learn to edit and splice a highlight reel, but it’s a useful skill for self-marketing—and for other areas of life, too.
But don’t just think of a highlight reel as a braggadocious ego trip. An esports highlight reel can be used to pique the attention of esports recruiters and coaches, who are always scoping out rising talent and who need a quick pitch that stands out from the rest of the pack.
Tip 4: Reach Out to College Esports Coaches
Dedicated esports players should attempt to contact esports coaches as early as they can during their college search and application process—preferably even before the application and scholarship process begins, if possible. While esports coaches and recruiters follow Twitch and similar esports platforms to find and assess players, would-be esports scholarship winners should take the initiative and reach out directly to coaches.
Putting yourself on an esports coach’s radar early—and continuing to share progress, achievements and wins with them through your highlight reels—can have an enormous impact on scholarship success. Be confident and assertive in your communications with coaches, but don’t overdo it, either. Striking the right balance between self-confidence and humility is also key, so be mindful of your approach.
Tip 5: Think Beyond the Game
Finally, remember that most colleges aren't just looking to train professional gamers. Indeed, many colleges award esports scholarships to gamers with tangential interests like video production, coding and programming, graphics design, and marketing.
Resourceful applicants should highlight these gaming-related interests and any experience they may have in them in their college and scholarship applications and essays. These additional interests and experiences help candidates stand out—and may just be the decisive factor.
By joining up with other gamers you don’t usually play against, competing on high school teams, improving your gameplay, and showing off your talents online and to coaches, you’re well on your way to winning an esports scholarship. Above all, stay positive, keep challenging yourself, and keep playing!
With FPUAnet Communications’ fast fiber network, you’ve got the speeds and the bandwidth to handle just about any game. And with any luck—and some hard work—all that distortion-free gameplay may pay off in the form of a generous esports scholarship, too!
Follow FPUAnet Communications’ social pages to keep up with esports and to learn more about online gaming. Feel free to reach out to our friendly experts if you’re interested in an upgrade to make your gaming experience even better!
Dec 15, 2023 | Billing & Support, Small Business, Why Fiber?
Every once in a while, we at FPUAnet Communications get a complaint about call disruption—a formal term for a frustrating concept usually referred to as a “dropped call.” And we share in your frustration.
There can be a few reasons why a call may terminate unexpectedly, from standard technical or weather-related hiccups to more complex matters related to different calling networks. Of course, we cannot control or explain the weather!
But, we can help explain how different calling networks can sometimes create issues for customers, which we’ll do in this article. We’ll also suggest when you should take the time to reach out to customer service for assistance.
Understanding Voice Over Internet Protocol and Call Termination
To understand why some calls, get suddenly dropped or why some calls “don’t go through” in the first place, we need to explain how FPUAnet Communications’ Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls work.
Firstly, VoIP transmits its signal—your voice and the voice of the other caller—through the internet. After moving at ridiculously fast speeds, the signal (and your voice) then connects to its end point—i.e., a cellular phone—through a process known as “call termination.”
Call termination is the crucial step that lets FPUAnet Communications keep you connected to family and friends over the phone as well as through email and social media. At its most basic, call termination simply refers to the process of routing calls from one phone company to another.
Dropped Calls Due to Call Termination Issues
Now, as the old saying goes, “It takes two to tango.” With call termination, there are almost always at least two parties (meaning, two companies) involved. And just as with tango dancing, sometimes things can get a bit tangled up—and in this case, that can lead to the dreaded dropped call.
Remember that with VoIP, lots of data is transformed instantaneously and then rapidly moved over the internet before hitting your phone in the form of your voice and the other caller’s voice. It’s a technological wonder, but one that sometimes hits snags over the networks. Hence, occasionally, customers will experience dropped calls due to call termination errors.
When to Call Customer Service
It’s tempting to call FPUAnet Communications’ customer service when you’ve experienced a dropped call seemingly out of the blue—especially when the weather seemed perfect on both ends of the call! But keep in mind that because there are often two calling networks involved in the call, FPUAnet Communications’ customer service can only assist or investigate when you are the initiating caller—or when both callers are FPUAnet Communications customers. That’s because any technical problem due to call termination errors is nearly always an issue with the calling network of the person who initiated the call in the first place.
When deciding whether to call FPUAnet Communications’ customer service number, follow this rule of thumb: if you originated the call and the call was dropped, feel free to reach out to us at any time; however, if you received the call from another person—and that person is not also a FPUAnet Communications customer—there is, unfortunately, nothing we can do to assist with that call.
Please know that we are not trying to discourage you from reaching out to us! But we don’t want to waste your valuable time if the dropped call was initiated on another company’s network.
Just remember: we can investigate and assist with outbound call termination issues—the calls made by you on our network—just not inbound calls made to you by other callers from other companies’ networks.
As always, please be sure you’re following FPUAnet Communications’ social pages to learn more about how our high-speed fiber internet can help keep you in touch with your loved ones!
Dec 6, 2023 | Billing & Support, Why Fiber?
Beginning in April 2024, you’ll probably start to see a new and rather official-looking label on some marketing materials, advertising, and websites for broadband internet services.
Given the importance—and even necessity—of high-speed broadband internet to our economy and everyday lives, the government is now requiring a new consumer-friendly broadband service facts and information label to appear on certain internet service marketing materials.
Keep reading for answers to common questions and more information about these “broadband facts nutrition labels” that you will soon begin to see, including on FPUAnet Communications’ website, social media, and other materials that highlight our high-speed fiber internet services!
What exactly is the new broadband facts “nutrition” label?
Quite simply, the new broadband facts nutrition label is an easy-to-read statement of basic information about available internet service that’s been recently mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) when broadband (high-speed) internet service providers advertise the sale of their services.
What is the purpose of the broadband facts labels?
Like other labels, the government requires for many kinds of goods and services (including food ingredients, nutritional facts, and over-the-counter medication), the new broadband facts label provides essential information that consumers want to know before choosing a company to provide internet service.
Most importantly, the labels are designed to make it easier for you to compare competing internet service offerings—just like consumers do when choosing what type of breakfast cereal to purchase at the grocery store!
What information will be displayed on the new labels?
The labels contain the most pertinent information about internet service that customers need to make informed choices about their broadband options. Just by glancing at the new labels, you’ll more easily see distinctions between various services and plans, such as the price of monthly services, fees, and internet speeds offered by companies.
Specifically, the Broadband Facts label includes the following detailed information:
- The company name of the broadband internet service provider;
- Price per month;
- Whether the price is an introductory rate, and if so, the duration of that rate and what the new rate will be when the introductory rate expires;
- Whether the monthly price requires a contract, and if any, what the terms and duration of the contract are;
- Additional monthly fees and costs, and if any, an itemized list of each cost (e.g., required equipment rentals);
- Any one-time fees at the initiation of service, if any (e.g., installation fees, administrative fees, etc);
- Any early cancellation fees, if any;
- Taxes, if any (which will depend on local and state laws);
- Any discounts, including bundled service discounts (i.e., whether combining contracts for other company services like landline telephone service lowers the monthly costs of broadband service);
- Whether the company participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program, a government program that helps reduce internet service costs to qualified consumers;
- Typical download and upload speeds, and latency;
- Data information, including whether there’s any data cap and what price for any additional data exceeding that cap may be (if any); and
- Links to network management (e.g., content blocking) and company privacy policies, and customer support contact information.
What broadband-specific terms on the labels do I need to understand?
Most of the terms on the label can be easily understood, but some of the more techy-sounding terms might need a bit of an explanation. These include:
- Typical Download Speed: represents the generally-expected speed that internet data and information are downloaded from the internet into your home or office’s internet connection (the speeds for browsing the internet, streaming music/movies, etc.);
- Typical Upload Speed: represents the generally-expected speed that internet data and information are uploaded from your home or office’s internet connection and sent back through the internet to others (the speeds for conducting a live stream, uploading photos/videos, etc.); and
- Typical Latency: represents the generally expected amount of time it takes for internet data and information to transfer from one designated point to another (especially important for online gaming).
How will the information be presented—and why does that matter to me?
The information must be set forth in a standardized, uniform manner. That means that just about all labels will be structured nearly identically to make it easier for consumers to directly compare and contrast services and pricing from different companies.
The labels are particularly valuable to customers who have recently moved into a new area (and with internet service providers they may never have heard of before). And for consumers considering an upgrade to better internet, the labels help make the benefits of improved, faster broadband—like fiber internet—even more obvious.
At FPUAnet Communications we’re proud to offer the fastest, most reliable internet consumers can get—and at a fair and reasonable price. We’re confident that the forthcoming “broadband facts nutrition labels” will help make that even clearer to customers.
As always, should you have any questions about the labels, our products, and services, or wish to upgrade your internet, feel free to reach out to the friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives at FPUAnet Communications. And keep up with our social pages for more updates on our advanced fiber network!
Nov 16, 2023 | Family, Why Fiber?
Fiber internet is the fastest and most reliable internet technology available
Fort Pierce, Florida – November 16, 2023 – FPUAnet Communications, a division of the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA), is pleased to announce the launch of fiber internet service in the Lincoln Park area of Fort Pierce.
Fiber internet is the fastest and most reliable internet technology available, and it will provide Lincoln Park residents and businesses with the speeds and bandwidth they need to thrive in the digital age.
“We are excited to bring fiber internet to Lincoln Park,” said Jason Mittler, FPUAnet manager.
“Fiber internet will provide Lincoln Park residents and businesses with the speeds and bandwidth they need to work, learn, and engage online. It will also help to attract new businesses and residents to the area, and support economic development.”
FPUAnet is offering a variety of fiber internet plans to Lincoln Park residents, with speeds up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).
Fiber internet is symmetrical, which means that upload and download speeds are the same, making it ideal for activities such as video conferencing, streaming high-definition video, and school work.
FPUAnet would like to thank the following partners for their support in making this launch possible:
- Allegany Franciscan Ministries
- The City of Fort Pierce
- St. Lucie County
“We are grateful for the support of our partners on helping to bridge the digital divide; bringing fiber internet to Lincoln Park,” said Mittler.
“This launch is a testament to our commitment to providing the Lincoln Park community with the best possible internet service.”
The service will be available to Lincoln Park residential customers for as low as $1 per month if they also qualify for the federally funded Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
This rate is made possible through a combination of discounts provided by the ACP, Alleghany Franciscan Ministries, St. Lucie County, and the City of Fort Pierce.
“We want to make fiber internet accessible to everyone in Lincoln Park,” said Mittler. “Our partnerships along with the ACP offer is a great way for residents to experience the benefits of fiber internet at an affordable price.”
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About FPUAnet Communications: FPUAnet Communications is a division of the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) that provides high-speed fiber optic internet service to residents, businesses and institutions in Fort Pierce and surrounding areas. FPUAnet is committed to providing its customers with the fastest, most reliable, and most affordable internet service possible. Additional information is available at https://fpuanet.com/.
About FPUA: Fort Pierce Utilities Authority is a municipal, not-for-profit utility provider. FPUA’s mission is to provide our customers with economical, reliable, and friendly service in a continuous effort to enhance the quality of life in our community. Fort Pierce is one of more than 2,000 communities in the United States served by a community-owned electric utility, and one of very few who also provide water, wastewater, natural gas, and Internet services. Public utility systems are owned by the people they serve. All benefits from our locally controlled utility remain right here in the community. Additional information is available at www.fpua.com.
Nov 13, 2023 | Family, Why Fiber?
If you have a gamer in your life, whether it’s your own kid or a family friend’s child, you likely know how much video gaming is integrated into their lives. But even beyond the meteoric success and outright appeal of video gaming to young people (and even many not-so-young people), gaming now provides tangible benefits to serious players: competitive esports and esports college scholarships.
Parents of college-bound gamers might want to pay attention below, as we discuss college-level esports and the burgeoning ecosystem of esports scholarships. And don’t forget that the high-speed fiber internet delivered to smart TVs and gaming devices by FPUAnet Communications may just give the budding esports scholar in your life the edge he or she needs to own the competition!
Varsity Esports Are Exploding Across Colleges and Universities
Following the 2010s and the exponential growth of video gaming and esports, it’s obvious now that collegiate esports are truly taking off as a legitimate competitive endeavor. This explosive growth is mostly due to advancing internet technology like FPUAnet Communications’ fiber network and apps that make gaming more social and more competitive, as well as increased talent among players. Indeed today, there are approximately 500 American colleges and universities offering esports scholarships.
Every year, more and more colleges and universities across the United States add varsity esports programs to their rosters. And yes, we did say “varsity”—as in intercollegiate competition, not just a club or diversionary dorm room duel. Robert Morris University was the very first college to create a varsity esports team back in 2014—and the trend has only ballooned since then.
At the varsity and college level, schools typically create individual teams of players around particular games. This gives gamers the opportunity to advance and even excel at strategies and tactics suited to the complexities and skill needs of that title, enhancing the competitiveness of each game and of esports more generally.
Beyond enormously popular and well-known titles like Fortnite (played by untold millions of people around the world both casually and competitively), several other titles are most commonly played at varsity level esports in colleges and universities in North America. In particular, Call of Duty, League of Legends, Rocket League, Smash Bros, and Valorant are among the most frequently duked-out games in collegiate esports.
Other games are also increasingly popular, however. Overwatch is noted for its hero customization and intense fighting, requiring stout players and almost preternatural reaction skills to succeed. Additionally, Rainbow Six: Siege and its almost alchemical blend of gaming genres like strategy and tactical shooting has attracted legions of players to the game based around Tom Clancy’s novels. Both games are fielding more varsity teams and are increasingly seen at college-level esports tournaments.
Collegiate Esports Give Rise to Generous Scholarship Opportunities
Because there are actual competitions and bragging rights to be bandied about, colleges are also competing for the best talent in esports. Thus, more schools are also providing scholarships for their best esports players. That means real dollars are increasingly available that the top gamers can put toward the costs of their higher education. Indeed, in 2017, Harrisburg University became the first college to offer full-rides to its leading esports competitors, including room and board!
Already, an estimated $16 million in college scholarships exist just for esports players—not a small sum for a sport that barely existed only a decade ago. And as collegiate esports continue to rise, we can expect more schools to establish varsity programs, as well as expand their existing esports teams, too.
All this burgeoning esports growth at the college level means that more scholarships—and even larger dollar amounts—are likely to be dedicated to esports gamers. Hence, for the truly talented and committed gamer, esports should be taken seriously, and gamers should consider taking steps to make themselves more competitive for esports scholarship opportunities.
The Esports Gender Divide
Despite the stunning growth in collegiate varsity esports, we hasten to note an important issue inside the gaming and esports community—the gender divide. Though females make up almost 50% of all video gamers (49% to be precise, according to one 2023 analysis), statistics show that men receive 90% of esports scholarships.
With patently lopsided statistics like that, the divide has not gone unnoticed. Arguments abound for this staggering disparity, but at least one likely reason for the imbalance is that most of the games more typically played by female gamers are less likely to be the games that comprise competitive varsity esports in colleges.
With that in mind, however, savvy female gamers with a keen interest in esports games that are played at the varsity collegiate level may want to be particularly on the lookout for scholarship opportunities that have too frequently landed in the hands of their male counterparts. Their unique backgrounds and talents may help give young women an edge over their compatriots in the coming years—and also help broaden and improve the sport as well.
To stay on top of the ever-changing and always-exciting esports scene, follow FPUAnet Communications’ social pages. We’re confident that our high-speed fiber internet can improve any gamer’s experience and perhaps even help prepare them for competitive esports and the worlds of opportunity they open!
