MARYANN NOAH, Lyndon Township Supervisor, has sent out a letter to all township residents in regard to high speed broadband Internet access in our area. The letter follows on this web page. If you wish, you can also download a print version (PDF file) of this document.

As Supervisor Noah receives your E-mails, letters or phone calls describing your experiences, we will post this feedback on this page so that other Lyndon Township residents can use  your experiences to evaluate their options.

INFORMATION ON HIGH SPEED INTERNET         

IN LYNDON TOWNSHIP    - April 2008   

Dear Lyndon Township Resident:  I have some news regarding high-speed Internet here in Lyndon. 

FOR THE BAD NEWS, it would appear the Wireless Washtenaw project to provide high-speed internet to all residents in Washtenaw County is again stalled for an indefinite period.

THE GOOD NEWS is that there may be other options for a large number of Lyndon residents at this time!

WIRELESS BROADBAND provided by Sprint/Nextel can be accessed in many areas of Lyndon now that we have a Sprint tower on N. Territorial at M-52. 

WIRELESS BROADBAND provided by Verizon Wireless also can be accessed in many areas of Lyndon. Both Sprint/Nextel and Verizon Wireless sell an antenna for $29.99 that claims to amplify the wireless signal. There are also more powerful amplified and external antenna systems that can be purchased for $250.00 to $400.00 from electronic stores or the internet, BUT check for return policies before purchase in case you do not get a good signal.  Note:  It is possible to get a much better signal in the winter than in the summer when the leaves are out, so it is best to try in the summer.  JUST TO CLARIFY:  You DO NOT need to purchase Sprint/Nextel or Verizon cell phone service in order to purchase high speed internet from these companies. 

SATELLITE BROADBAND:  These two-way satellite services are offered by HughesNet and Wild Blue.
Both require a satellite dish.  I have talked to several Lyndon residents who have the HughesNet system. Their experiences have been mixed ranging from “great” to “unacceptable-worse than dial up”.  I have had very negative comments from residents who tried Wild Blue.  These satellite services can be ordered directly from their national 800 phone numbers.  A local installer is Specialty Satellite & Antenna Services, 100 S. Clinton Street, Stockbridge, (734) 498-3366. Ask questions and shop around for your best deal.

WILL IT WORK AT MY HOUSE?
Both Sprint/Nextel and Verizon Wireless have 30-day “Worry Free” guarantees.  If you sign up for service and it is unacceptable, you are not held to a contract but you do pay for the days you tried it. After 30 days, you are held to your contract.  Your actual speed, depending on your location and other factors, may vary.  That’s why the 30-day trial period is an incentive to see if it works at your home. Sprint's website (sprint.com ) shows a wireless broadband coverage area.  It is not entirely accurate. Some areas indicating no coverage have actually been found to have coverage.

THE PRICES VARY. 
As an example, we found Comtronics (Sprint/Nextel store in Chelsea across from the Country Market on South Main Street) is less expensive than an Ann Arbor store.Some providers may offer discounts on their monthly service charges.  Example – if you work for or are retired from government or hundreds of various employers including Ford or GM, or simply belong to a credit union, you may qualify for a substantial discount.  It pays to ask for their discounted groups!  Simply opening up a small savings account at a credit union could qualify you for a nice monthly discount. Ask questions and shop around for your best deal…

CABLE IN LYNDON ??
Cable companies are not investing in infrastructure in Michigan except where there are high density populations of residential/commercial.  AT&T also does not seem to be interested in extending DSL to rural areas anytime soon.  There is no financial incentive to do so.  Lyndon Township would welcome any provider – wireless, DSL or cable.  But the reality of our low-density population does not appeal to the financial interests of these companies. 

PLEASE LET ME KNOW !
If you purchase wireless broadband or are lucky to be one of the few who can receive DSL over your land line telephone, would you please let me know how your service is working.   I would like to have an idea of your location in the Township and your satisfaction with what you have chosen.  That way I can let others in the Township know what works best in certain areas.  If you let me know, I will put this on our website.  Please e-mail me, Maryann Noah, Supervisor at:  supervisor@lyndontownship.org  or call me at (734) 475-2401, ext. 15.

HIGH SPEED INTERNET OVER YOUR TELEPHONE LAND LINE:
DSL (high-speed over your telephone line) is now available for some Lyndon residents.  Generally the availability seems to be centered around the Werkner Road/Waterloo Road/Mester Road corridor.
This can be accessed through AT&T or Verizon land line telephone service.  Right now through 5-3-08, Verizon has an attractive offer.  To find out if you are in their service range, contact these providers.  The incentive on-line offer from Verizon can be accessed at Verizon.com/best offer.   This Verizon offer is only for those who have the telephone lines that can handle DSL.  It is not to be confused with wireless that is broadcast from the cell towers.   DSL is considerably less expensive than wireless broadband.

HIGH SPEED INTERNET OVER YOUR CONSUMERS POWER ELECTRIC LINE:
Not available at this time.

MARYANN NOAH, Lyndon Township Supervisor

 *** As of May, 2008, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon are no longer offering a monthly discount for Broadband usage, however, they continue to offer monthly employee discounts for your Sprint/Nextel or Verizon cell phone. Please check with your representative. Make sure to ask questions and shop around for your best deal