NH Broadband on Islands

[The Real BigGuy]

Is there any update on when the NHEC will get to installing Broadband on the islands? Last year I heard rumors that 2026 would be the year. Checking the Co-Op & installer websites provides 0 information.

[JMR]

Hub66 says they are looking to do Rattlesnake this year. Not sure about other islands

[ishoot308]

Hub 66 fiber on Welch...

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

Is there any update on when the NHEC will get to installing Broadband on the islands? Last year I heard rumors that 2026 would be the year. Checking the Co-Op & installer websites provides 0 information.

I was excited in early 2021 when NHEC announced that their goal was to bring high-speed fiber-based internet to all NHEC members. I sent an email to the internet folks at NHEC asking specifically if "all" included the NHEC members who were serviced on Lake Winnipesaukee islands. Here, in part, is the answer I received:

Thank you for contacting us about NHECÂ’s broadband plans. We are working hard to reach all of our members who need high speed InternetÂ…including our island members!

We are in the early phases of building out fiber networks to reach unserved members. We do not have a detailed construction plan at this time, however we expect to have news soon about our plans for 2021 and beyond. We’ve heard from many members who are in situations similar to our island members – located in remote, hard-to-reach places. We are committed to serving all of our unserved members and expect to be connecting the Winnipesaukee islands as part of our buildout. For now, we have to ask for your patience, as it may still be several years until we reach you.

Now, more than five years later, I have found that getting any kind of commitment from, never mind a response from, someone from NH Broadband who is in a position to know (or, for that matter, even in New Hampshire) is just a big exercise in frustration.

Despite the claims on NH Broadband's website that it is a "local company" whose employees "live and work in the communities [they] serve," good luck trying to communicate with a customer service rep who is in New Hampshire or will actually put you in touch with a NH Broadband rep who is in New Hampshire, despite any promises that might be made. All customer service functions have been contracted out to Conexon Connect; if you call you will be speaking with a rep in North Carolina, or Georgia, or maybe Arkansas. Same thing if you reach out using email. My multiple requests to have a conversation on the phone or through email with a NH Broadband person in New Hampshire, who can provide real answers to basic questions about getting NH Broadband service to NHEC members on Winnipesaukee islands is like banging my head against a wall.

NH Broadband is not singing the same tune they were in early 2021 regarding service on Winnipesaukee islands. As far as I'm concerned, it's a broken promise.

[tummyman]

NHEC is not cooperative on anything unless it is their linemen fixing a service issue. Management is useless. Found that when they cut down all my trees. You could try and contact a Director, but they usually never respond. They are only there to collect big salaries. Want to have fun....go to one of the Board of Director meetings and ask, during public comment, what the plans are. You'll get to see the "Taj Mahal" where they meet....that you pay for! Nothing but the best for the BOD or senior management. When they say "member owned", it is pure BS!!!!! There ads for NHBroadbaknd are deceiving....they say they have service to X number of customers, but that is only the number of homes where they have a tap for service for "access"...not the number who are actually customers. Never do you see how many have actually signed up. My guess is it is a small number and they don't want to fess up with the costs, etc. etc. In Moultonborough, there are taps at every house, but i almost never see any of them actually hooked up to homes. If on an island, consider Starlink and be done ! Forget waiting for the cable folks. JMHO !

[TheTimeTraveler]

I think the agreement that NHEC has is to allow Conexon to use their electric poles as a means to distribute their wireless internet service over a period of time to specific islands or communities.

I would guess that NHEC is somehow financially benefiting from this arrangement and they can wash their hands of the specific details of it --- it's up to Conexon to get it together and get it all done.

My guess would be that Conexon is paying rent to NHEC for every pole that they utilize to expand their service to new customers (and every customer that signs up would be a new customer for Conexon).

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

I think the agreement that NHEC has is to allow Conexon to use their electric poles as a means to distribute their wireless internet service over a period of time to specific islands or communities.

I would guess that NHEC is somehow financially benefiting from this arrangement and they can wash their hands of the specific details of it --- it's up to Conexon to get it together and get it all done.

My guess would be that Conexon is paying rent to NHEC for every pole that they utilize to expand their service to new customers (and every customer that signs up would be a new customer for Conexon).

NH Broadband, a wholly owned subsidiary of NHEC, contracted with Conexon several years ago to provide various services for NH Broadband, including customer service responsibilities such as billing and handling telephone and email inquiries. This is because NHEC/NH Broadband did not at the time have the in-house capability to quickly ramp up and provide these ISP services in a competent manner. The Conexon contract is for eight years, and I was told the assumption is that NH Broadband will be up to speed enough at the end of this term such that the customer service functions can then be brought in-house. I'm pretty sure that decisions on which NHEC members will be eligible for NH Broadband service and when is something that always has remained in-house.

[The Real BigGuy]

Thanks for the responses. It sounds like my inability to get answers re: when NHBroadband will be available on islands is not unique. My assumption is that Conexcon (or whatever) doesn’t have a plan for the non-bridged islands. I’m not all that surprised because of the install costs vs. the number of prospective customers per island.

I have thought about alternatives but, cost for the months we are not there (Hub 66) & the lack of good sight lines (StarLink) have left me dubious.

[CowTimes]

In May of last year NH Broadband posted on Facebook that they would be getting to the islands staring with, in order, Little Bear, Devens, Cow, Sleepers and Rattlesnake, with completion by the end of 2026. I have called and emailed to try to get an update to no avail.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

Thanks for the responses. It sounds like my inability to get answers re: when NHBroadband will be available on islands is not unique. My assumption is that Conexcon (or whatever) doesn’t have a plan for the non-bridged islands. I’m not all that surprised because of the install costs vs. the number of prospective customers per island.

I have thought about alternatives but, cost for the months we are not there (Hub 66) & the lack of good sight lines (StarLink) have left me dubious.

Hub66 has been the only viable option for us on Cow. Not enough clear sky for Starlink. The Hub66 service has been very good. The only downside is the cost. If you're not aware, they do drop the monthly fee to $40 during the "off-season" (Nov. 16 to Apr 15). It's nice to have access to my webcams and such over the winter.

[WinnisquamZ]

Don’t understand the “clear sky” statements on starlink. Is it similar to direct tv? Understood it requires a simple line to the sky


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[Mike]

Originally Posted by WinnisquamZ

Don’t understand the “clear sky” statements on starlink. Is it similar to direct tv? Understood it requires a simple line to the sky


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Unfortunately that's not the case. Starlink needs a very wide, mostly unobstructed view of the sky — roughly a 100° cone centered toward the north in New Hampshire. Even small obstructions (a few percent) can cause repeated dropouts. Their network of satellites move throughout the sky, whereas DirectTV has a single satellite (in this area) that is in geosynchronous orbit so it is always located at one spot in the sky (mostly towards the south).

I believe their phone app has an augmented reality that you can use to see if it will work in your location. I tested an actual unit at my place, which is on the southwest side of Cow and could only get intermittent connection due to trees on the north side.

Fortunately I have line of sight to Gunstock mountain where Hub66 has one of their antennas.

[WinnisquamZ]

Thanks


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[Cal-to-NH]

Hi folks:
I thought about setting this on a separate thread, but saw this thread come-up.
I don't like it when people change-up things on threads, but hopefully I can get some grace extended by you-all.

I thought I might share my recent experience switching. Some things I expected, and some not. Be aware I am not an expert on this stuff. This is observations from a novice.

My Spectrum bill, taxes and fees included, Internet + TV Silver plan was $291/mo.

Shutting off Spectrum: You cannot cancel using your on-line Spectrum website. You have to call. Unless you say you're moving, you will be redirected to their "Retention" dept. I made the mistake, and they transferred me to retention. They will talk you to death, and after 45 minutes they had lowered it to $206 for the same service I already had. When I told her I still wanted to terminate service, she told me that they don't have to honor requests to shut off service. Interesting, I could almost see the "SS" on her collar through the phone. She said I still had 10 days on my currently paid plan, so I just told her I'd call back in a few days. After reading on-line that telling them you're moving is the way to go, I called 2 days later and said I was moving. They did not transfer me to Retention dept. My service was terminated at the end of my regular billing cycle, and it took only 5 minutes to do, so keep this in mind. Also, they tell you there is no refund if you cancel during a period you've already paid for - yet I was notified by Email that my refund check of $15 was in the mail. I cancelled 8 days before my billing cycle ended, so I don't know what the refund is for...

NH Broadband: They always have deals upon sign-up. The fee is $80/mo for 1 GIG service, and that's inclusive of fees and taxes (WYSIWYG). I got a $35 off/mo for 6 months, but just figure $85/mo. The install was interesting. The installer was dirty and disheveled, smelled, but seemed to be good at what he did. He was told that the fiber was already run to the house, and it wasn't. So he called, and two technicians came out immediately to run it. It took about 2 hours to do, and despite some humorous setbacks, they got it done. FYI the modem will be at the entry to your home and then there is a run through the house walls using existing telephone lines (which luckily I already had in the house, since they will NOT do this as a service - so if you don't have the standard coaxial Cable TV+telephone line at multiple outlets in your house, you need to get an electrician to run this line to wherever your wireless router will be). When all was run and started-up, I did a speed test. It was 500 Mbps, not 1000. I had a friend tell me the same thing happened to him last year, so I noted this to the technician. He told me that's because my phone lines are Category 5E, and he assured me that "his" equipment is good for 1 GIG. (I looked this up on-line and some references indicated that 5E is good for 1000 mbps, but other references indicated that it's no greater than 300, so I'm still not sure what the reality is on this topic). Total install time was 4 hours. After they left, I had to spend 15 minutes cleaning up my land and even the street, because there was a lot of cut wire, zip-lock bags, and 6 screws in my driveway. They will just install and leave without cleaning-up. Anyway, I find the 500 mbps is just fine for everything. FYI one more unexpected benefit of NH Broadband. I lost power today, and after the generator came on I had internet. With Spectrum, I never had internet if power was lost.

Streaming options I am using now: Of course, Youtube TV @ $85/month. Again, they have different intro offers, but figure $85/mo. It's also WYSIWYG. Out here, they will give you a choice of either the PORTLAND link or the BOSTON link. The BOSTON link is the one you want, because it has NH WMUR and NHPBS where the PORTLAND one just gives you Maine stations and no NH ones. It has pretty much all of the sports stations that standard Cable has. You can't get NESN on Youtube TV, so I pay for the NESN 360 app because I can't live without watching the Sox and Bruins. It's $20 a month if you pay for a whole year up-front. If you pay month-by-month it is $30. Youtube TV allows up to 6 TVs and NESN 360 allows 5 TVs
Note: If you have a non-smart TV, there's no issues if you get a ROKU stick (Amazon, $29). ALSO, if you have a SAMSUNG TV, and I suspect many people do, you can't download the NESN APP on your TV, so a ROKU stick is in order for you as well.

What I gave up: In the end, the only two channels I gave up that mattered to me was History Channel and HBO MAX. Both can be added, but I'm still not thinking the cost is worth it... I may change my mind.

So apples-to-apples, the $291 goes to $80 + $85 + $20 = $185

I have a friend who has a second house in NC, and he uses the same Youtube TV and NESN subscriptions at both houses, since they allow multiple TVs, and his two cable bills were $280 up here, and $209 down there. So he saved close to $400 a month by cutting the cables... So for you snowbirds or 2-home folks, it can be a huge savings.

I expect 80% of this stuff is repeated elsewhere on this forum, but maybe there was some new info in this that could help ???

[winterharbor59]

Ok but what if you want some of the streaming services that are included with Spectrum? Paramount+, Disney, ESPN+? It seems that Spectrum has been bundling these in to prevent folks from leaving? And can you record shows with YouTube tv? Or access shows you missed like you can with OnDemand? We looked at all this & it seemed we would be paying about the same. Not to mention the convenience of everything on one remote which we’re used to.


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[Cal-to-NH]

Great Points, Winterharbor59
But also missing the point of my post, really. Your questions seem to be based on some idea that I am telling people to do what I did. If anyone's thinking that, please don't

I have some info on some of your questions, and I give them below, but not to all of your specific questions...

We have other streaming services, but didn't mention them because they are not connected to Spectrum in our case... We have DISNEY+ (HULU, ESPN, DISNEY channels) already through our cell phone carrier ($15 per month). We also have Amazon Prime and Netflix.

Again, my intent was to give general info from one guy who cut the cable - with an apples-to-apples cost difference - and with the "paradoxes and pitfalls" that happened along the way... I thought this might interest some folks..

Any attempts to use my post as more than that is not practical, as including the probably hundreds of other streaming services, options available to add-on and special "want" requirements that different people have, and coupling those to all avenues available to the public on getting them would take a major database to lookup for the "yes, but what if..." options like yours above. So I hope you understand....

I also don't want to detract from some people wanting to pay extra for convenience - I get that. In my case, the cost was too much. For someone else, no problem...

Here's the two questions I can answer as I indicated above. YouTube TV has almost limitless DVR and recording options as others have, but I actually - don't laugh - have never used it on any platform I've used.... Also, you can use just the one remote if you have a smart TV. You say you did your research, but you might want to update your research. Offers and technology options change over time, as do the Spectrum charges..... I could well have been that in the past these things weren't offered....

[kjbathe]

Originally Posted by Cal-to-NH

). When all was run and started-up, I did a speed test. It was 500 Mbps, not 1000... because my phone lines are Category 5E

Interesting. CAT 5E is good for a gig to over 300 foot runs. Maybe it's clever marketing that 500 up + 500 down = Gigabit Internet? Or maybe you instantly fell into the fine print of "speeds not guaranteed" ��