ALAMOSA — Jade Communications, a Southern Colorado internet provider, was named “Innovator of the Year” by Calix, a software, cloud, and services provider, during its ConneXions 2020 conference. Jade Communications’ new mobile app with internet parental controls and network privacy features is changing the way Southern Coloradans are connecting online. These innovations are being recognized globally, having earned the company the highly-coveted Calix Innovations Award. The international industry award is given to the top internet provider for delivering the ultimate subscriber experience.

Parenting has always been tough.

It’s even tougher today for time-starved parents coping with the realities of the pandemic while trying to supervise their child’s online behavior. Children stumbling upon inappropriate content is every parent’s worst nightmare.

“A parent told me ‘It’s like having eyes in the back of my head,’” said Jordan Wehe, Director of Marketing at Jade Communications. “We’ve had many families thank us for making 21st-century parenting easier.” The Jade WiFi app is unique in the industry and makes the world wide web safer, kid and family-friendly. It’s designed to give parents peace of mind that their children are learning, being productive and are safe from harmful internet content, cybercriminals, and/or malicious websites.

We often take for granted that our home networks are safe but it’s not always possible to be sure. There are too many temptations luring children that the app can block. It instantly stops access to harmful content by allowing parents to block entire categories such as pornography, gambling, alcohol and drugs.

“We constantly hear of children stumbling upon these sites just by looking up something innocent for school projects. If a child is searching for snakes, for example, they might end up seeing pictures of cute snakes or inappropriate and harmful pictures,” said Wehe.

Children may also watch something on YouTube that is not age appropriate. Besides blocking harmful content, the app also gives parents confidence that children are being productive while learning and studying online without any physical supervision.

Through the app, parents can completely customize the internet experience in their homes by setting time limits, at the profile level. They can dictate how much time their children spend on specific devices (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.), apps (TikTok, Snapchat, etc.), websites (Netflix, etc.) and more.

Parents receive notifications to keep tabs on their children’s online behavior, when online rules have been broken, or when new devices come onto their network. Parents can also see usage reports that show in detail how their children are using the internet.

All these features are designed to help busy parents who don’t have time to constantly monitor their child’s internet behavior but want to enforce the rules of their home. Parents can be assured knowing their children are safely virtually learning instead of playing video games or wasting time.

When it comes to virtual learning, the app receives two thumbs up from parents and teachers. Through app prioritization, parents can decide which devices get priority bandwidth during specific times so their child’s device doesn’t buffer during online learning.

Slow and lagging video streaming is a common complaint while children are trying to learn virtually. Many internet providers just recommend disconnecting devices that are not actively using the internet to increase bandwidth on other devices for faster streaming on devices that may need it.

“That’s where we can help and provide value to families. Nobody thinks of disconnecting their devices from the internet when not in use. It’s not realistic. With Jade WiFi, you can select which devices in your home get the most bandwidth at the right time,” said Wehe.

If children are virtual learning during the day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., the app ensures their learning device gets priority over other devices to receive the most bandwidth. The app also goes one step further and monitors whether the child is actually virtual learning.

If the child goes to another website or turns on the PlayStation, the app instantly alert parents.

Wehe heard from a parent that before using the app, she had to constantly supervise her son. She caught him using TikTok when he was supposed to be in a Zoom class. The app quickly put an end to that with no physical supervision required.

“Now, I can work and trust that my kids are learning too,” the mother told Wehe.

The Jade WiFi app is available for all Jade subscribers and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play. You can learn more about how Jade Communications has been responding to the pandemic to help enable families and their service communities here. The company serves Southern Colorado, including the historic San Luis Valley, offering Premium WiFi and other broadband services.