Several thousand customers in La Pine will soon have faster internet speeds and bigger bandwidth, as new fiber-optic cable is installed, according to BendBroadband.

The higher speed, up to 1 gigabyte upload/download speed, is part of BendBroadband’s multiyear planned upgrade throughout Central Oregon, said Mark Schaaf, associate manager of communications at TDS Telecom, which owns BendBroadband.

Customers have been put on notice in La Pine of the fiber-to-the-home upgrades in La Pine, Schaaf said.

The new cable replaces an old coaxial network that will be shut down as the new cable comes on line.

Customers must go to https://shop.bendbroadband.com  to place an order to have the new equipment installed at their homes or businesses, according to a company statement. Schaaf would not say how many customers have already been serviced.

The upgrades are free, but the deadline is Oct. 31, according to the company statement. BendBroadband has been working with High Desert Utilities to construct the fiber network over the last few months, according to the company’s website. When construction starts in neighborhoods, door hangers are placed at each home, the company stated.

Rex Lesueur, a La Pine resident, said that the cables were replaced at his home several months ago.

“We’ve been very happy with the service,” Lesueur said. “BendBroadband took care of all the equipment and installation. We did not have to provide any of the equipment.”

TDS Telecom, headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, serves more than 1,000 communities in the United States.

BendBroadband has been serving the Central Oregon communities of La Pine,

Bend, Redmond, Sisters and Sunriver for more than 60 years, according to company’s website.