Hey Westminster, this post will let you know what Ting Internet has been up to in your community over the past year. We kicked off Phase 3 construction last January and started work in Phase 4 in September. We’re pleased to report that Phase 3 has been officially lit and Phase 4 construction continues.

We’ve also been to a ton of events around town, and have had a blast meeting you all and chatting about crazy fast fiber Internet and what it can do for your homes and businesses. Thanks to everyone who attended the Phase 4 community party in October 2018. Ting donated $25 per person that attended to the Embrace Fund in support of Breast Cancer Month.

Here are some other exciting Ting Internet highlights from 2018.

The Internet has transformed the way we communicate, travel, work and play. It’s even changed the way we parent. It presents new challenges, but also excellent opportunities for learning and growth.

If you have kids, regardless of their ages, they probably have access to the Internet at some point in their day. Whether it’s your middle schooler playing Minecraft, or your teenager chatting on social media, Internet use requires a degree of responsibility. You can’t shield kids from everything and while it’s not realistic to monitor every second of their day, keeping an open dialogue around parental controls and Internet safety certainly can help.

At Ting Internet, we like to think of parental controls as training wheels for learning to use the Internet respectfully and responsibly. Browse our guide of parental controls for platforms like YouTube and Netflix below. These practical steps, paired with an open conversation around Internet safety, can help you raise kids who have a mature awareness of the Internet.

In our Westminster progress reports, we offer as much information as we possibly can on the fiber network build process. We’ll also talk about Ting events, promotions and some of the work we’re doing in the Westminster community. Check back regularly to keep up to date on the latest.

An update on Phase 3 and Phase 4

In our last update, we announced that Phase 4 construction was underway. We also explained a slight delay in installations for the last few areas of Phase 3. Today, we’ll provide an update for network progress in Phase 4 as well as those areas in Phase 3.

Cable companies are increasing prices again

Still have cable TV? Thinking about cutting the cord? Right now may be a great time to cancel your cable service as their prices are once again going up.

Back in October 2018, it was reported that if you still have Spectrum’s cable TV service, you should get ready to pay more. Depending on what market you are in and what package you have, you will see an increase in your broadcast TV price from $8.85 to $9.95 and your receiver cost will grow from $6.99 to $7.50. Digital adapters will also rise from $4.99 to $5.99 each and, if you have the Latino View add-on, it will be going up from $7.99 to $8.99 a month.

You may also see a $5 price hike on your Internet service. It will be interesting to see if they continue to charge this price as $50 5G Internet continues to roll out in the United States.

Your protections under the OTARD law

2018 has been a great year for over-the-air TV and, with the new 3.0 OTA standard on the horizon, your antenna is about to get better with free 4K over-the-air. Yet, we often hear that a homeowners’ association (HOA), or a similar group, attempts to block someone from installing an antenna on their condo or house. However, the OTARD (Over-the-Air Reception Devices) law is clear on this; you have every legal right to install an antenna, even on a condo, if you own it or have an exclusive use area of your rental property.

You may be interested to learn that the FCC’s OTARD law further prohibits most restrictions that an HOA might try to enforce, such as preventing installation, maintenance or use of an antenna, or unreasonably increasing the cost to do so.

The rule also applies to rental properties where the renter has an exclusive use area, like a balcony or patio. This includes condominium owners, co-op owners and tenants, townhomes, manufactured homes and single-family homes as well. The rule does not apply to common areas such as the roof or exterior walls of multi-dwelling units.

Your cable company is inflating your bill

Cable is a crazy web of bundles, introductory offers, ride-alongs and hidden fees. Our favorite is the bizarre but important-sounding HD Technology Fee. We’ll get to that.

We’re used to paying too much for cable TV and Internet access. We’ve come to accept misleading introductory pricing and the term contracts that come along with it. We’re used to bill creep.

One of the big things that sets Ting TV apart from your cable company is our approach to pricing. We’re clear, upfront and honest about what you pay. With our Internet service, the price you see is the price you pay. That’s $89/mo for gigabit service, plus taxes where applicable.

The same will go for our TV pricing. Here are some of the fees you will never see on your Ting TV bill.

• Broadcast TV fee ($5 on average)
• Regional sports fee ($3 on average)
• HD technology fee ($10 on average)
• Miscellaneous fees (varies)