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Dear Fellow Lake Sheen Reserve Homeowners,
We are writing to you regarding the recent decision by the HOA Board to sign a bulk agreement with Summit Broadband. While the proposal from Summit initially seemed appealing, additional information from our current provider, Spectrum, as well as further analysis, suggests that this decision may not be in the best long-term interest of our community.
Below are several critical reasons why we should reconsider and vote to cancel this contract:
We all must attend the HOA meeting on April 16th, 2025 in person to vote to cancel this contract. Florida Statutes (Section 720.309(2)(a)) require in-person attendance for this vote, and proxies are not allowed.
Spectrum has confirmed that their High Split Option utilizes both fiber and existing coaxial infrastructure, requiring no on-site construction or disruption to our community’s landscape. This means we can upgrade to faster internet speeds without dealing with invasive construction.
Key benefits of Spectrum’s proposal include:
For context: Summit offers a one-time door fee of approximately $35,000 for a 10-year commitment. Spectrum’s proposal provides $250 per household (approximately $30,000) per renewal, resulting in a total of $90,000 over 10 years.
In contrast, Summit’s 10-year agreement leaves no room to adapt to changing technology or market conditions.
Summit’s service offers speeds of 1Gbps x 1Gbps, increasing to 2Gbps at year five. While these speeds sound impressive, they far exceed what the average household requires. According to reports, even heavy internet users rarely need speeds above 200Mbps for streaming, gaming, and video conferencing. Four (4) TVs simultaneously watching a movie in 4K only requires 100 Mbit or more simply, only 10% of a 1Gbps connection.
By agreeing to Summit’s terms, we are paying for unnecessary capacity that most, if not all, of us will never fully utilize, particularly seasonal residents or those who use the internet primarily for basic tasks.
While Summit’s representatives and others may have touted fiber as a value-adding feature, there is no concrete evidence that fiber alone significantly increases property value. Reliable, fast, and affordable internet service matters far more to potential buyers—features Spectrum already provides.
For example, the nearby Lake Sheen Sound community was referenced in Hotwire’s presentation to illustrate home value increases. However, their fiber provider is Spectrum, not Summit or Hotwire.
According to real-estate representatives from Coldwell Banker, when asked if having Fiber increased home value, their response was: "fiber would not translate into a higher home value. I have never seen coax vs fiber even considered in an appraisal."
The rapid evolution of technology makes locking into a 10-year contract risky. Within this timeframe, new providers, services, or technologies may emerge that could better meet our needs at a lower cost.
Spectrum’s shorter agreements retain the freedom to explore better options without being trapped in an inflexible deal.
Several critical questions about Summit Broadband’s service remain unanswered, which could affect service quality and reliability:
Furthermore, Summit Broadband has a 1.5-star rating on Yelp and 98 complaints with the Better Business Bureau (BBB)—which is notably high for a smaller company. These customer reviews and complaints indicate serious concerns about service quality and customer support.
In addition to Summit Broadband's 1.5-star rating on Yelp and 98 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), numerous customer reports highlight significant service and support issues. For instance, customers have reported prolonged hold times when contacting customer service, with one individual waiting on hold for 56 minutes without assistance. (Source: Facebook Link)
Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, some customers experienced difficulties canceling their service, citing a lack of support from Summit Broadband. (Source: Facebook Reviews)
Furthermore, in a 10-year contract with the city of Lakeland, officials expressed concerns that Summit Broadband may have "overpromised and underdelivered" in its commitment to bring broadband to the city, even one year into the agreement. (Source: Facebook Link)
These instances, among others, raise concerns about the company's service reliability and customer support. In contrast, Spectrum provides proven service reliability, transparency, and the clarity we need about the service we’re receiving.
This isn’t just a Lake Sheen Reserve issue. Two other HOA communities in Florida—Paradise Palms and Terra Verde—initially signed with Summit but ultimately switched back to Spectrum due to service quality and performance issues.
Yes, we switched from Summit to Spectrum and we are very pleased. Internet is much faster and the channel selection is better. We have just renewed with Spectrum for another five-year term.
Better $, and proven, reliable service. Spectrum was the clear winner in our evaluation.
Lesson for Lake Sheen Reserve: Before locking ourselves into a 10-year deal, we should be asking why other HOAs are choosing to walk away from Summit after living with it.
By signing a bulk agreement with Summit, the Board has removed our freedom to choose an internet provider that works best for our individual needs. Even if we prefer to stay with Spectrum or another provider, we are now obligated to pay for Summit’s service—essentially paying twice for internet.
This is a significant overreach that impacts every homeowner, regardless of whether they supported the decision.
It is important to note that the current coaxial cable infrastructure can support speeds up to 10Gbps, which easily exceeds the needs of most households for at least the next 20 years. With the right upgrades, our current technology can easily accommodate future bandwidth demands without requiring the high costs associated with implementing fiber-based solutions.
Fiber technology may seem like a "future-proof" solution, but it comes with a heavy financial burden and the risk of being locked into a contract for the next decade or more, without the flexibility to adjust as new technologies emerge.
Current cable technology offers us the opportunity to future-proof our community at a fraction of the cost, without requiring a large-scale infrastructure overhaul. We can upgrade as needed, keeping our options open and without committing to an inflexible, costly fiber plan.
While it was reported that 85% of survey respondents were in favor of the bulk broadband agreement, this figure is misleading. Only 55% of the 124 households participated in the survey, meaning that the actual percentage of households in favor of the agreement is much smaller. More importantly, the survey results were not representative of the entire community, as many homeowners did not participate. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand that this “85%” support does not reflect the views of the entire Lake Sheen Reserve community.
Additionally, the survey was presented in a way that may have led to biased results. Technical decisions, such as selecting an internet provider, should be made based on clear, objective criteria, ideally using tools like a Pugh Matrix. This is a structured decision-making method that helps evaluate different options against weighted criteria. In simpler terms, it allows decision-makers to objectively compare multiple choices based on factors such as reliability, cost, and flexibility.
Unfortunately, it seems that this process may not have been applied here. Without such an analytical approach, the decision-making process may have been influenced by personal opinions rather than a thorough, objective evaluation of all available options. This lack of objectivity could result in a long-term commitment that may not serve the best interests of all homeowners.
I urge all homeowners to carefully consider these points and vote to cancel the Summit Broadband contract. There are better options available, such as Spectrum’s proposal, that offer greater flexibility, less financial risk, and maintain the integrity of our community.
Let’s prioritize what truly benefits our homeowners: affordable, reliable, and adaptable internet service without long-term commitments that limit our options.
IN ORDER TO CANCEL THE SUMMIT CONTRACT, OR AT LEAST PUT IT ON HOLD UNTIL THESE FACTORS ARE DISCUSSED, ATTEND THE HOA MEETING ON April 16th, 2025. VOTING IS BY ATTENDEES ONLY. NO PROXIES. PLEASE ATTEND AND VOTE.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. If you wish to discuss these topics and more, join facebook group "Lake Sheen Reserve Unfiltered" or via www.facebook.com/groups/lsrunfiltered
Sincerely,
