On Friday, December 6, 2013, the Pelican Bay Foundation Board of Directors convened a special meeting to approve a new bulk services agreement with Summit Broadband. The Board heard a presentation of contract essentials from their outside counsel. They also reviewed a comprehensive timeline starting with the formation of the Media Infrastructure Committee thru the RFP process, the creation of a cross-functional team to review the responses and regular communications to the Pelican Bay community. The motion to award a contract to Summit Broadband for bulk cable television and high-speed Internet services carried unanimously. Services will begin on or around February 1, 2015.
The contract will provide the community with an expanded package of television services, and high speed Internet. The contact also has provisions for substantial upgrades in internet speed for those residents who require it, discounted equipment for expanded television service within the home, and either unlimited or local telephone. The new bulk services agreement provides more services and discounted options than have previously been available and truly affords Pelican Bay residents a “one-stop” purchasing structure for deeply discounted television, Internet, and telephone services.
To be specific, the fee structure is as follows – $72.75 a month includes:
- Cable Television – $37.50 per month with an annual escalation of a maximum of 3%. That can be compared to the current Comcast rate of $35.00 per month with an automatic annual escalation of 5%.
- Internet Service – $14.00 per month for high speed Internet (100 Mbps download/20 Mbps upload) with no escalation for the term of the contract. That can be compared to currently advertised market rates $49.99 for half the Internet speed (50 Mbps).
- A fee for infrastructure construction will be included in each member’s bill during the first five years of the contract. This fee is $21.25 per month.
In addition to the bulk services, there are a number of optional or a la carte products that a member will be able to purchase. Probably the most compelling is the Unlimited Telephone package (local, regional and North America with landline calling to Europe) at $19.95 for the first year. This fee increases to $24.95 per month if fewer than 2,500 residents sign-up for this service. This compares to advertised pricing of the major carriers of $29.99, $44.95, and $57.99 respectively.
Starting in January 2014, you will receive direct correspondence from Summit Broadband designed to facilitate a smooth transition. While Summit has established a simplified process for implementation and conversion, it will be most successful for those members who communicate and follow the described, and carefully orchestrated process that Summit will lay out. Please be on the look-out for this correspondence, and respond to it in a timely manner.
The Foundation recognizes that there may be uncertainty about what a member should do, and when they should do it. So, in addition to the correspondence you will be receiving from Summit, the Pelican Bay Foundation will be establishing follow-up communications and a Help Line.
The Pelican Bay Foundation Board believes that this decision is in the best interests of our members and that it will help maintain Pelican Bay as a premier community. We look forward to an enhanced customer experience for our members once the construction and implementation is completed.