FARGO – Cable One is making the switch to digital, and local cable subscribers need to start getting ready now to be prepared for the change early next year.

Scott Geston, the provider’s general manager in Fargo-Moorhead, said Cable One is one of the last cable companies to make the move.

“We just decided to wait until the technology was right and wait until the time was right for our customers,” he said.

On Jan. 27, Cable One will turn off the channels it delivers through analog signals to customers’ homes in Fargo-Moorhead.

The digital signal that’s replacing it launched Nov. 11, Geston said. Customers with compatible equipment already are enjoying the benefits, including 20 new digital music stations, five faith and family networks and up to six local access channels.

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Other customers are encouraged to get ready for the change as soon as possible, he said, because starting Jan. 27, they won’t be able to get programming without the proper devices.

The cable provider mailed a letter to local subscribers last week outlining the change and what steps they should take.

All TVs now connected through a Cable One box will be ready for the switch, Geston said. But customers who have television sets plugged directly into the cable line will need new equipment.

“The key is if the TV’s fed with the cable signal directly from the wall, you’ll need to add a new digital device,” he said.

Each cable customer can get two All Digital Devices, small boxes plugged into the cable line that transmit the digital signal to the TV, at no charge. Additional devices beyond the two free boxes are available for a monthly charge of $5 each.

Subscribers can order the new devices by calling (877) 692-2253 or by visiting www.cableone.net/alldigital/Pages/areas.aspx.

Geston said the new boxes will be delivered to customers’ homes after ordering and can be hooked up in minutes. But those who want or need assistance can request installation help from Cable One representatives, he said.

In some ways, the change is similar to the 2009 transition from analog to digital broadcasting of over-the-air TV that required getting new equipment or a compatible television set to continue getting free channels.

But it’s different in one big way, Geston said: While the 2009 change was required by the government to free up part of the wireless spectrum for other communications, Cable One’s switch will free up bandwidth the company will use to improve its own products, including more high-definition channels and faster Internet speed.

After the change, he said as many as 20 additional channels will be added to the digital lineup, and the company will be ready for more features and bandwidth needs down the road.

“We’re just trying to be smart about the future and offer our customers the products and services they like,” he said.