Letter #1 to Rogers

On October 12, 2010, I sent the following letter to the System Planner at Rogers Cable Communications. I will post any responses that are received.

We are writing Rogers Communications today to appeal for high speed internet access to be provided for our neighbourhood. We believe that this installation would not only be beneficial for us, but for Rogers as well. We ask that you consider our request and direct it to the person who can best establish a solution.

 

Background

 

We live at 2 Parr Boulevard in the Township of Springwater, County of Simcoe. Our street alone contains 44 estate homes. The subdivision is bounded by Sunnidale Road (County Road 40) to the north, County Road 90 to the south, and is located between the City of Barrie (population 125,000) and the Town of Angus (population 10,212, including Canadian Forces Base Borden). Both communities are fully serviced with multiple high speed internet service providers.

 

I have attached an aerial photograph of the area taken in 2008. In this small overhead picture, there are at least 108 residences in the immediate vicinity as well as the Essa Transformer Station operated by Hydro One.

 

It is our understanding that:

• Parr Boulevard and its homes have been pre-wired with cable lines;
• Rogers has cable lines installed along County Road 90;
• Rogers is currently providing cable and high speed internet access to residents of County Road 90.

Proposal

 

If our assumptions above are correct, there are two opportunities for Rogers to use existing infrastructure to service our neighbourhood:

 

1. Rogers could secure an easement through two private properties (one on County Road 90 and one on Parr Boulevard) to connect the existing lines. Approximately 162 metres of cable, trench, and easement would be required. Or,

 

2. Should Rogers not be able to make arrangements with two adjacent property owners (one each on County Road 90 and Parr Boulevard), Rogers could utilize the existing Hydro One corridor to connect to Parr Boulevard requiring approximately 345 metres of cable, trench, and an easement agreement with Hydro One Networks and one or two homeowners.

 

Either way, there is a potential connection for at least 44 households to connect to the existing Rogers communications system.

 

What’s In It For Us?

 

We will not provide a large discussion as to why high speed internet is an important and integral service to a community as we are sure you are well aware of the benefits. But we would ask you to imagine your own life without high speed internet access at home for months on end. Think of what it is like to not have access for even one week. We can tell you that it is an isolating and frustrating existence.

  

As a result of this lack of service, our neighbourhood is denied opportunities that could benefit people financially, emotionally, and socially.

  

What’s In It for Rogers Communications?

  

There would be numerous benefits to Rogers should high speed internet access be proved to Parr Boulevard. For example:

• By becoming the original supplier of high speed internet to the area, a loyalty pattern could be established by the 44 households in the area. That is 44 accounts not held by Bell, Telus, or any of the other emerging providers. People are generally lazy and typically do not switch providers once they are established.
• If high speed internet is provided to the area, there are further opportunities for Rogers loyalty by “bundling” other services (such as home phone, internet, cable tv, wireless phone accounts). Once residents establish that they can get a high speed connection from only one provider (Rogers), they may be willing to switch all of their other household accounts to Rogers to benefit from bundled savings.
• If high speed internet is provided to the area, people may consider operating businesses from home at which time Rogers could also benefit from additional business accounts including phone lines, fax lines, cellular services, etc.
• From a revenue point of view, current high speed internet rates are approximately $45/month. That is $540 a year, per household. With 44 households on the street, there is a potential investment in Rogers of $23,760 per year. That is for internet service alone and does not include the potential for the bundling of other services and loyalty that could possibly be attributed to Rogers.

We understand the difficulties and cost of servicing rural areas, however, there appears to be an adequate population base and the proximity to existing Rogers cable infrastructure to support the connection. We ask you to reconsider our neighbourhood-specific situation and ask that a solution be considered to provide a high speed internet connection.

  

We would be willing to engage in any dialogue, correspondence, or meetings necessary to implement a strategy. We can be reached at ---.---.---- or ---.---.----. We thank you for your time and consideration.