Frontier sent a proposal on Jan. 27, 2025 to bring Fiber Internet to all homeowners at Canyon South One. This is a $43/unit bulk rate with an incentive of $13,600 ($200 /unit) for the HOA upon execution of the agreement. There are no additional costs to the homeowner or the HOA for Frontier to deploy its fiber-optic lines to all 68 units in our HOA. Individual homeowners would then decide whether to use Frontier as their internet service provider instead of or in addition to whatever services they currently buy from Spectrum or other companies. The HOA Board was able to hear from the Frontier business development manager and a company engineer at its next meeting, which was March 6. Below is a summary of the proposal and FAQs based on the questions raised by your HOA Board.
Our questions answered:
Who pays for this? Frontier proposes a five-year deal that starts with the homeowners association paying $43 per unit per month ($2,924 total) or $35,088 per year, with up to 3% annual increases. Obviously, the HOA would have to pass the cost along to homeowners in a maintenance increase. At our current assessment, we would be asking homeowners for a nearly 8% increase in maintenance.
What is the advantage? Streaming services are replacing cable TV nationwide and more people are working from home and videoconferencing online in a generational shift of habits. Our HOA was wired fifty years ago for landline phones, and Frontier is offering us a free infrastructure upgrade in exchange for this bulk deal. Homeowners who subscribe to Frontier internet would receive free installation inside their units and an eero WiFi router.
What if not all homeowners want Fiber internet? This bulk pricing is for 100% of homes in the HOA. The bulk offer does not include an opt-out option, and deploying fiber to our units one at a time based on individual orders is impractical for both the company and the HOA.
What are the rates to add phone or television service? Frontier offers home phone service for $24.99 per month and partners with YouTube TV to give a $10/month discount. Like Spectrum, YouTube TV includes major networks ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and other major channels such as ESPN, CNN and HGTV. There might be a few channels that are different from Spectrum, but that would be up to the homeowner to research when they choose their provider. Frontier does not currently have mobile cellular service.
Can homeowners keep Spectrum? Yes, while paying their share of the Frontier bulk deal, homeowners are free to keep any Spectrum service, such as the package of TV and “unlimited mobile.” The HOA Board also will solicit a bulk counteroffer from Spectrum before signing a contract with Frontier.
Will rates go up? The bulk offer is for five years with rate increases capped at 3% per year for five years. If the service is deployed in fall 2025, the first full year would be 2026, and the first increase presumably would be in 2027. The rate cap does not apply to any extra services that homeowners subscribe to.
What does the installation involve? Frontier uses contractors to dig very narrow trenches across the property and uses its own teams for pulling the fiber through the conduits and splicing it. Frontier fiber is considered low voltage and can be between 12” – 18” deep. If the contractors accidentally bore through our irrigation or outdoor lighting wires, Frontier says it will take responsibility to repair the damage. Frontier installers run the fiber from distribution terminals at each building to the units in a quadraplex or duplex. The fiber may be in a conduit along the fascia or Frontier may use a barely noticeable product called Invisilight. For units that do not take up the service, the fiber will terminate in an exterior “smart media panel.” Homeowners who contact Frontier to become customers and provide the installers access will have the fiber run to an interior wall plate to connect their broadband router and, if desired, connected to copper wire for telephone jacks.
What other costs are involved? There are no taxes on internet, but cancellation and router restocking fees may apply. Phone services come with taxes, fees and surcharges. In California, YouTube TV (current prices here) is currently exempt from state sales tax but it charges for a large menu of add-ons such as 4K Plus and Sports Plus.