This example is from a member of Margarita Villa who currently has internet, phone, and television bundled through Spectrum and would save $16.92/month by switching to the proposed AT&T fiber internet while keeping Spectrum for phone and television.

Total Spectrum Bundled Service (current): $252.69

Internet: $79.99

Internet Bundle Discount: -$4.00

Voice Bundle Discount: -$10.00

3Play Wire Maintenance Fee: -$4.99

Net Spectrum Internet Cost: $61.00

Total AT&T Internet + Spectrum Phone/TV (proposed): $235.77

Spectrum TV: $117.96

Spectrum Phone: $29.99

Other Spectrum Charges: $27.19

(-2.92 estimated tax savings without Spectrum Internet)

Spectrum Tax: $13.63

Spectrum TV + Phone: 188.77

Proposed AT&T Internet: $47.00 (includes tax + fees)

Savings: $252.59 - $235.77 = $16.92/month

Other members' situations may vary. Reach out at hello@emeraldcommunitymanagement.com if you need help understanding how this would affect you.

Fiber internet is a highly-desirable amenity that attracts buyers and renters where it is available and deters them where it is not available. 

Upgrading keeps Margarita Villa competitive with newer fiber-enabled communities like San Luis Ranch, Avila Ranch (new homes off Buckley), Righetti Ranch, Toscano, Foothill neighborhoods, Poly neighborhoods (Fredricks), Johnson neighborhood, Downtown / Buchon, and San Luis Drive / High School. 

A study by Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council Americas found that it increases property values by up to 3.1% which equates to up to $18,000 for homes in Margarita Villa: https://starterkit.fiberbroadband.org/blog/study-shows-home-values-up-3.1-with-access-to-fiber.

In exchange for a 5-year commitment, we would receive a discounted monthly rate of: 

• $47 in year 1

• $49 in year 2

• $51 in year 3

• $53 in year 4

• $55 in year 5

AT&T would also provide a $5000 one-time payment to the HOA that would be used to offset the increased monthly assessment in the following year's budget. 

This would be implemented as an increase in the monthly assessment for all units. 

For example, if the current assessment is $400/month, the internet-included assessment would be $447/month. Residents would not be required to, but would likely want to cancel their current internet service to avoid paying for multiple internet services. 

Fiber upgrades are very costly and difficult to perform in existing communities with underground utilities (i.e. no telephone poles) like ours, but AT&T has existing underground telephone conduit throughout the community which makes them uniquely willing and able to perform the upgrade without an up-front payment from us and without major trenching and construction work. However, AT&T is only willing to perform the upgrade if we sign a 5-year contract that guarantees 100% participation.  

Other providers, such as Spectrum and DigitalWest/Astound declined to provide fiber service to our neighborhood because of the cost to trench roads and install new conduit. Margarita Villa would have to pay $250,000+ in up-front costs with any provider other than AT&T.

Fiber has a unique benefit over other services in that upload speeds are equal to download speeds. This makes a big difference for services like video calling and remote desktop that many remote employees rely on daily. To compare, Spectrum's fastest-available cable internet tier offers only 35 Mbps upload speed compared to 1000 Mbps upload speed with the proposed fiber.

Fiber is also faster with more consistent speeds than competing technologies. Instead of being shared, fiber is a dedicated connection to each home that doesn't slow down under heavy loads like cable, cell, and satellite internet.

The $47 discounted rate is a significant savings over the current retail rate of the same service from AT&T at $80 and also the current offerings from Spectrum at $125 for 940 Mbps, $105 for 500 Mbps, or $85 for 300 Mbps. 

Even Spectrum's lowest introductory bundled rate is $50 for 300 Mbps, so the proposed service is still a small savings for significantly faster service compared to Spectrum's limited-time, best-rate, slowest, bundled offering. 

A combination modem/gigabit router/WiFi access point and standard installation to a location inside each house are included at no extra charge.

A single, very small fiber would be installed from a box on the outside of the garage to a location inside each unit. It is typically run along the baseboard or corners of the walls and ceilings. Example photos are available in the Scope of Work document below.

Most customers find that it is sufficiently discreet as installed, but owners can caulk and paint over the fiber to further conceal it if desired. Suggested installation locations are the laundry area in the garage or the living area inside the house. The location and route can be customized by the owner at installation.

Spectrum cable, Dish Network satellite, and antennas would still be available for TV service. 

AT&T does not offer TV services directly, but they partner with DirectTV Stream to offer streaming live TV channels at an additional cost. Other streaming live TV services like YouTubeTV, Hulu, SlingTV, etc are also available: https://www.cabletv.com/blog/best-live-tv-streaming-services

Streaming services can be a significant monthly cost savings over even bundled rates from Spectrum.

Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and many other streaming video services are available at an additional cost and work best over faster internet.

Existing home phone service would continue to be available from Spectrum over cable. AT&T would also offer home phone service over fiber at an additional cost. 

Yes, you may continue paying for and using your existing internet service.  However, you would also pay for the AT&T Fiber internet service through the monthly assessment.

We would have the option to sign another contract to continue at discounted rates or move forward as individual customers at the prevailing retail rates. 

If we chose to move forward as individual customers, at current rates, the cost of service would increase from $47/month to $80/month, but rates 5 years from now may be higher. 

Most communities with similar community-discounted internet value it very highly and opt to keep it. See Roundhouse Place, SLO's "Fiber Optic Community", as a local example: https://www.roundhouseplace.com/ 

Current owners are not personally committed for 5 years. Future owners would simply assume the service through the monthly HOA assessment.

Internet would be available to the occupants of the unit. Owners could advertise and offer it as an included amenity and increase rent accordingly. 

If you are a renter and want fiber, let your landlord know!

To be determined, but likely no sooner than 2024.

All owners would pay the same internet-included monthly assessment and would have the fiber installed to the garage. You would not be required to install equipment inside the home, but if you or a future owner chose to complete installation at a future date, that installation would be an additional charge at the owner's expense.