What is the scoop on Hyperfiber in Hot Springs Village?

HyperFiber is in the process of installing internet service in various areas of the Village. This company has not previously worked inside Hot Springs Village, and there have been a few snafus. But don’t worry—it is all being worked out.

The hierarchy of HyperFiber installation in Hot Springs Village works this way: HyperFiber oversees two general contractors, who in turn employ subcontractors. Somewhere in this pecking order, a few things were overlooked.

Hot Springs Village Public Services Director Ken Unger explained, “Right now, HyperFiber is in the process of restoring all of the areas they [already] touched.”

Unger said initially, the POA had talked about a method of installation that did not involve cutting the pavement. This installation method would be comprised of installation approximately twelve inches or so away from and along the road. “We had multiple preconstruction meetings and discussions with them [HyperFiber], but somehow, through the chain of command down to the workers performing the installation, the expectations were not interpreted correctly. We had some areas where HyperFiber did not perform the work according to the agreement.”

“We stopped them. They also had not done a good job of restoring areas that were cut. They were moving fast. Their process allows them to move very quickly. By the time we saw what was happening, they had already touched quite a bit of area.”

“They are currently working on patching and installing straw and seed in areas off of the edges of the road and patching the cuts they made.”

Unger continued, “We haven’t been 100 percent satisfied with patches, either. We are working through that with them. We told them that in some of the initial areas, we will probably have to seal the roads when springtime comes, and they will be responsible for contributing to some portion of the sealing process.”

“The new approach we are taking to resolve all these issues is for them to install fiber down and off the edge of the pavement. This will hopefully be better for them and better for us.” Unger hopes they will move any disturbed landscaping back to where it should go.

When they come to driveways, they may have to come a little bit into the road, but at least the cut will be along the driveway. HyperFiber will patch this cut. The final result will be more aesthetically pleasing than the way they were doing.

“It is not uncommon to have these types of issues on most projects. You have to go through some growing pains. I apologize to the people who have been dealing with the issues, but I will say that HyperFiber is trying to make it right. They have actually met with homeowners. They have tried to make restoration to the satisfaction of homeowners. As far as I can tell, they are trying to do the right thing. There have just been some missteps.”

“Again,” Unger stressed, “They are moving very quickly. Progress like this is painful, but it is a good thing for the Village because it will give us more options.” As quickly as the fiber is being laid, customers are being connected to the new service. This is in sharp contrast to Connect2First, which planned to build its entire system before connecting users to the system.

“If they are in front of your house, chances are you will have service pretty quickly,” Unger said. Unger was unaware of how many customers HyperFiber has recruited, but he guessed several dozen, if not more.

“HyperFiber has agreed to provide service to many areas lacking good internet service.”

Even if someone is not inclined to switch their internet provider, hopefully, the presence of Hyperfiber will spur the other providers to provide better service or pricing. Who knows? When competition is introduced, good things happen,” stated Unger.

“I think they are going to be a good partner for us. They have agreed to provide free service to the POA.” Certain POA locations have already been identified, but the Public Services Director said he has asked for a modification of the agreement to be expanded to the entire scope of POA-owned buildings. “This is a big plus to the Village.”

On a side note, HyperFiber is in the process of investigating the possibility of sponsorships to help get the word out.

By Cheryl Dowden