Latest Information:
Engineers were out on Monday February 3rd to look over the property. Final contract negotiations are underway. They estimate 2 months to complete the installation.
We are waiting for the edited contract to then forward it to the lawyer for a final approval. The most recent change in negotiations was to add in a 2 to 3 year clause for us to be able to drop the TV portion of the service if the channels should happen to no longer be available by traditional broadcast. This is because a lot of the channels are moving to streaming only and that will protect us from having to pay for the balance of the contract with little to no TV channels. Anyone who wants to keep TV if the community drops it will be able to order it ala carte from BroadStar.
Situation up to 2024:
Currently all Owners are using their own Internet/TV/Phone providers (ISP).
Everyone is limited to Comcast, SpaceX and ATT in our community. We have very old coax cable lines underground that are well past their lifespan. Comcast has no plans to replace/upgrade our community with Fiber Optic connectivity as we are just too small. They only patch and fix the old cables as needed and only after a failure.
The Board has discussed, compared proposals and voted on this adoption of a common Fiber Optic utility at the January 16th 2025 meeting.
It will be considered an “amenity” if adopted and all owners will pay a monthly increase into their maintenance fees. The cost will be considerably less than what the majority of people are paying now as we will be getting a group discount. The increase will not be added to the budget until 2026. It is to be $50 per month for 2026 but that does not mean the fees will go up $50. It will depend on the overall budget.
Proposals:
We have three proposals all of which are at about the same cost per month ($80) per unit for just internet service. Blue Stream, Hotwire and BroadStar.
However, one of the services BroadStar offers a lower price, much higher speeds and also individual networks to each unit. The others are based on shared group networks of 40 to 60 units each which could be problematic should a group go down. None of these services (including Comcast and ATT) have very good ratings online. However BroadStar has the latest Fiber Optic technology with the fasted speeds in Florida.
The deal we have negotiated looks like this:
They will install the underground infrastructure ($300,000+) at no cost to the community – we will sign a 10-year contract.
Normally they offer three months free after the installation – we have negotiated all of the rest of 2025 for free. We suggest Owners keep their existing ISP and run the new system side by side for comparison.
Install should be done within three months (the other two proposals projected it would take the same amount of time, but they cannot start the installation until mid 2026).
All condo units will have their own Fiber Optic line to each unit. Each one is a separate network direct to the main system. The Wi-Fi hub will be centrally located on the ceiling or wall, and it is about the size of a smoke detector. Each unit can decide the best placement for their own setup and install. The speeds will be 5GB (2,500 MB) upload and 5GB (2,500 MB) download! The other proposals offer 300MB down and 25MB up. While the other services offer an optional upgrade to get higher speeds BroadStar is already at the highest speed. Also, unlike all the others there is unlimited data; so, no data slowdown or upcharges once you reach a certain amount of traffic used.
Where the other services require an “upgrade” to get the service to include TV and/or optional landline phone we have negotiated to get them both included at no additional cost.
The package will include 200+ TV channels and home VOIP phone line if desired. These include the local channels, a virtual DVR with 150 hours recording and a firestick interface for two TVs. The remote also has a button to skip commercials. You can watch any past show that aired over the last three days and schedule anything months into the future. If you look in the proposal at the bottom of this page you will see the local channel lineup. See page 8 for TV listings.
Owners can purchase premium channels (MAX, HBO, Netflix, etc.) over the Internet, use their existing accounts or though BroadStar a la carte on a separate bill. You can also download the BroadStar App and watch TV on this same network from anywhere in the world on any device over the Internet.
No need to run any network cable or coax inside the unit unless you want to or already have it. The system includes a 5K Wi-Fi 6 router. Centrally located Wi-Fi hub will cover 2500 sq ft. (most JLV units are only 1100 sq ft.). During the install BroadStar will have their people onsite to ask Owners how they want the network installed. They will show everyone how it works and make sure everyone is connected on all their devices. Owners will not have to do any installation at all. The installers will also show anyone who needs assistance how it all works.
Our Deal
All of 2025 will be at no cost to Owners. 2026 will be $50 per month. 2027 will be $60 per month. 2028 will be $70 per month and then 2028 will be $80 per month. After that there is a 3.5% increase per year through the rest of the ten-year contract. Projections see the last year being around $90 a month. That is an average monthly fee of $70 over the term of the contract.
Example: If you are paying $200 a month for your current ISP services you will pay $24,000 over 10 years. With BroadStar you will pay about $8400 over 10 years. Savings would be $15,600 over that period.
Here is a calculator so you can figure your own comparison:
Lastly the system will allow us to have a community network that will facilitate the installation of wireless cameras for security and an electronic COA bulletin board on the TV interface.
Here is the Proposal:
Note: For anyone working from home – like Jacqui and I do, you should always have a reliable backup option to access the Internet no matter what service provider you use. We use a T-Mobile Hotspot that is included on our cell phone package to get internet access every time Comcast goes down. Lately that has been about once every other week.
For those who are asking about reliability and testimonies – please look over this list of other communities who are using BroadStar. BroadStar sends out their own surveys to communities for reviews. You will see those results listed here as well.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18jhoVsVgsZRYXATotKg5fTlODL7N7XMI/view
