I Can’t Believe I am Saying This…

but in an undisclosed location in Beaver Valley today, the first Georgetown customer got lit up – received service that is. We don’t know what they did first with all their new bandwidth but it probably involved uploading a video file in less than an hour.

This is the beginning of a quick roll out of service to the areas where we have licensed poles. The goal is to connect 200 customers by the end of December. We can see the end of this twisting, winding, five year journey; and can even peek a bit farther into the future.

Seriously…

Since our last update in September, Hawkeye has been racing around the island installing the necessary connections from the control cabinets at the school to the areas for which we already have poles licensed and fiber hung. At the same time, our new contractor, Evergreen Electrical, has been putting in the unplanned – and not particularly attractive anchors that CCI required of us late in the game. Hawkeye is following right behind them, installing the steel cable strand.

Terry has been sending out emails to homes that will be connected in this first phase. Over the next month and a half we will be connecting Town Center, Beaver Valley, Bowman’s Landing, Robinhood and Bay Point. Terry will send out advance emails and Axiom will follow up to schedule the install when it is time.

For the other areas, our contractors are hoping to finish with the anchors by mid-November. At that point we will submit the poles for final inspection and sign off from CCI. The timing of their response is completely out of our hands. The moment we receive our approvals, Hawkeye crews will be on the roads stringing fiber and bringing a little joy to all in the winter.

Buy your Router

Now is the time to start your research on the best router for your house. To recap, currently most of you have a combination modem/router from Consolidated that will not work with your new fiber hook up. Most of you also want to hook up multiple devices across your home and will need a wireless router with sufficient coverage to achieve your dreams.

Here again are several articles that give recommendations. We recommend that you order a router that uses the WiFi6 standard, the new standard, which will add to the longevity of the unit. Compared to 6 months ago, most routers now sold are WiFi6. The review at the end of the second link gives a nice, concise explanation of nomenclature, which can be very confusing.

NYT Wirecutter

CNET (with an FAQ on what is a Wireless Router)

The other option is to lease a router from Axiom for $7.95 per month. With this option, they would install the modem and maintain it remotely after installation. Note that GBLLC does not receive any fees for the leased router, so it does not matter to us whether you purchase or lease.

Tell your Neighbor

If you are reading this email you most likely have already signed up so this reminder is for your conversation with your neighbor. Stringing fiber from the pole to the home and installing the terminals at the house costs a fair bit more than the $99 fee. As long as our Hawkeye crews are on the island, we can subsidize the cost of the install, but for the first time we can see the end date of the construction phase – probably no later than spring 2023. After that for any new install we will have to charge the actual cost taking into account the length from the nearest pole on the road and the equipment price – a minimum $500 for a new install. So if you know a neighbor on the fence or just plain skeptical, point to the nearest Hawkeye truck and tell them NOW is the time for them to call Axiom at 207-271-2801 and sign up!

As always, please be patient with all the crews since large trucks on our narrow roads make life difficult for all involved. If you have any issues, please contact Terry.

Once again, the four phases of the process are:

• 1st phase: Hawkeye is hanging the support wires and fiber on the poles.

• 2nd phase: Hawkeye will connect fiber from the poles and extend to the home, coiling it at the end of the aerial run or at the end of the conduit. About 2 weeks before the start of work in an area GBLLC will send out a general email to customers alerting them of the work. For those having conduits terminate inside the home or requiring special work, a Hawkeye representative will be contacting them to arrange for this work.

• 3rd Phase: When a service sector on the island and access to the Control Area is complete, Hawkeye will install the Network Termination and test the lines from the home to the Control Area at the Town Office.

• 4th Phase: Axiom will call and discuss the service to the interior and schedule a date for the interior install.

Assigning a Representative

For seasonal residents, the home part/phase 4 of the install may be difficult to arrange. This is especially true because most of the installs will occur during non-seasonal times of the year. We are now allowing another entity to be the homeowner’s Authorized Representative. Simply email Terry and we will forward a form to be completed. It is our desire to make these efforts as efficient and painless as possible.

Service Terms and Pricing

New service may be deferred up to 12 months after service is installed. In other words, customers can sign up for the $99 install offer, then defer the start of service for up to 12 months. We understand that many have continuing commitments to Consolidated Communications, and we want to reduce barriers to taking advantage of the low initial install costs. Mention that you want service deferred when you sign up with Axiom.

As alway if you have more questions, need info on priciing please contact us or check out georgetownbroadband.com. Remember call Axiom at 207-271-2801 to sign up for service or email us with questions about the project. We are here to help!

Warm regards

Georgetown Broadband Team