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City of Portland

Frequently asked questions, common questions about homeworks connect & our partnership with the city of portland.

There’s been a lot of excitement generated about HomeWorks Connect and our partnership with the City of Portland to revolutionize the City by bringing gigabit fiber internet service to City residents and businesses, and with that comes many questions! If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for below, call our office at 517-647-1258!

Who is HomeWorks?

HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative is a rural electric cooperative, headquartered in Portland, that has been serving your neighbors with reliable electricity for over 80 years. HomeWorks serves parts of 13 counties across mid-Michigan. In 2018, the Cooperative founded HomeWorks Connect, its fiber internet division, to fulfill a need for quality rural broadband access throughout its service territory and beyond.

If I have adequate internet service, why should I switch to HomeWorks Connect fiber internet?

HomeWorks Connect is bringing true gigabit fiber internet to the City of Portland, which is by far the most reliable type of internet available in your area. To learn what makes fiber superior to other types of internet service, click here .

I have City utilities, but I live outside the City limits. Am I eligible for HomeWorks Connect service?

We are building our network out within the City limits first, but the plan is to work toward potentially serving residents beyond the City limits once that buildout is complete. So, go ahead and pre-register for service on our website if you are interested (at no cost or obligation to you). That way, you’ll be on our list and we will stay in touch with information on our progress in your area so you’ll be among the first to get connected when we get to your neighborhood.

What is a "gigabit city?"

Gigabit cities are among the country’s internet elite. They enjoy a true high-speed fiber network with unlimited bandwidth and gigabit speed (1,000 megabits per second) . This can revolutionize how we live and work. Gigabit cities provide game-changing opportunities for residents and small businesses, alike.

What does it mean to pre-register?

Pre-registration lets us know which areas are most interested in having high-speed fiber internet installed. It’s not a contract, so you’re not required to take service if you only pre-register. You will be notified via email when you are able to sign a contract so it is important to pre-register with an email address you frequently use.

We use interest to help us determine which zones are moved to the next step when there is space to add another zone into the construction process. When the time comes for your zone to be in the commitment step, you are then asked to confirm your package choices and sign a contract which guarantees that your home will be connected to our infrastructure.

What if I can't log into my pre-registration account? Should I make a new one?

If you’re having problems logging into your account, please call our office at 800-668-8413 and we’ll be happy to help you log in! If you create a new account every time you forget your password, it make our process much more slow to get your home connect as we have to look into which account created for your address is the correct one. You won’t want to wait any longer than you already are so don’t create duplicate accounts!

Will the price I pay each month jump after the first year like it does with other internet companies?

At HomeWorks Connect, we don’t believe in pricing games. As a cooperative committed to providing reliable services throughout rural mid-Michigan, we promise to keep prices affordable and to avoid large price jumps so that you’ll never be surprised when you open up your monthly bill.

How and when do I get my contract?

We know that it can feel like you’re waiting forever to even have a contract to sign but we don’t want to trap anyone in a contract before we’re able to provide them with service. The goal is to be able to connect a home within a few months of the member agreement form being signed so it’s important that we don’t open zones up for signing before we are able to do this. Your contract will be delivered using the email address that you used when you pre-registered. Only those who are pre-registered will receive contracts so it is important to do so!

What are the steps to connecting my house?

Each home will go through the five steps listed here: gathering interest, design, commitment, connection, and in service! When your zone is in any of the steps, certain requirements must be met before the zone can move to the next step.

Each zone begins with gathering interest and ends by being in service. We are limited as to how many zones can be in each step by the number of crews we have in the field installing the fiber as well as by the time it takes to design a new area for fiber installation.

A zone cannot move from gathering interest into being designed until we have available engineers to begin designing it. When we have an available team of engineers, we choose the zone at the top of the gathering interest step to be designed next. In the same way, a zone cannot move from being designed into commitments until we’ve designed and constructed the mainline fiber in that zone.

When the construction is done, a zone is opened to connecting and a zone will stay in the connecting step until it reaches 100% of its goal. Then, we can be sure that our drops are installed in the most cost-effective way, saving the end consumer money.

What if I can't sign my contract via my email?

If you’re having an issue opening or receiving our contract, give our office a call at 800-668-8413 and we’ll be happy to work with you to set up another way to sign your contract. You can also visit our office to sign your contract at any time.

What comes after signing my contract?

So your zone turned blue, you signed your contract, and you’re expecting a phone call any day now, but what’s taking so long? When we begin connecting homes, we start on roads that have the highest percentage of houses signed up so that our installers and drop contractors can work most efficiently.

Connecting your home to our HomeWorks Connect network requires a few key steps. First, after your contract is signed an engineer will begin drawing up plans for the route our fiber will take from the mainline to your home.

Then, if necessary, MISS DIG will be called and you’ll be notified to mark any personal underground services so that our drop crews can come dig a trench from the mainline to your home. If your electric service is overhead, we’ll likely take the same route with fiber and if your electric service is underground, again we’ll likely follow that route.

After the drops are installed, a splice team will come and connect each end of the drop – one end to the mainline and the other end to a box on the side of your home. Then, you’ll be scheduled for installation and when our installers come to your home, they will connect the box on the outside of the house to the modem inside your house.

Can I use my own modem? What about my router?

HomeWorks Connect will provide your modem. You can choose to use your own router or include a state-of-the-art WiFi router from HomeWorks Connect in your package. These options will be discussed when you sign your contract, prior to your installation process.

Can any TV be a smart TV?

If your TV has an HDMI port, there is likely a way for it to connect to the internet. The most common way to turn a non-smart TV into a smart TV is through a device such as Roku or Amazon Fire Stick. These devices allow you to stream from programs such as Netflix or Hulu?on your TV. They also often allow you to access live-streaming services such as SlingTV or HuluTV which can replace your cable package.

Why is the City of Portland partnering with HomeWorks Connect?

At the direction of City Council, the City of Portland began exploring the feasibility of offering high-speed internet services through its own electric utility in 2018. While conducting years of due diligence by heavily scrutinizing various models, the City engaged in discussions with HomeWorks Connect regarding various strategies to align common interests and bring this increasingly essential service to the City, its residents, and its businesses. As a result of those discussions, the City and HomeWorks Connect developed a plan to achieve that goal.

HomeWorks Connect is a trusted local provider that has been providing fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) services to its rural members since 2018. The broadband internet service offered by HomeWorks Connect has been widely praised by its members as highly reliable and capable of providing the necessary bandwidth and speed for commercial, academic, and home-based business purposes.

Can I sign up at the City of Portland offices?

No. Your internet service will be provided through HomeWorks Connect, so you should sign up at HomeWorks.org/Portland, or by calling HomeWorks Connect at 517-647-1258.

As a City of Portland resident, will I pay more or less for service than what HomeWorks members pay?

You can rest assured that we don’t play any pricing games at HomeWorks Connect, so our internet package prices are exactly the same for HomeWorks members and non-members, alike, including City of Portland residents. You can see our packages & pricing here .

I'm already in a contract with another provider. What are my options?

If you’re in a contract with another provider, you can still pre-register for HomeWorks Connect service, with no upfront cost or commitment on your part. That way, you’ll be on our list and we will keep in touch with you to provide information on our progress in your area for when your contract is up and you can make the switch.

Why should I pre-register?

Pre-registration allows us to know where we are most wanted! It also helps a zone’s interest levels to increase and the zones with the highest levels of interest will move forward toward construction more quickly. It also guarantees that you’ll receive a contract for signing when your zone is open for commitments.

Will I actually receive your advertised speeds?

While many companies advertise speeds but can’t guarantee that you’ll receive them, with HomeWorks Connect your home will be able to access the speeds you’re paying for so long as your technology is up-to-date. Older models of laptops and TVs don’t have the equipment inside of them to utilize some of our higher speeds and could prevent you from being able to upload and download at the top speeds in our packages. We recommend using newer models of equipment if you’ll be connecting them to the internet as well as using Ethernet cables to connect your device to our modem whenever possible in order to ensure top speeds are being reached.

In rare instances, due to overwhelming network congestion, the top speeds may be momentarily unavailable. We monitor the amount of traffic on our network and if this becomes a recurring issue we will upgrade the network to eliminate the network congestion. We thank you for being understanding as we work to build and grow our network.

I saw the trucks go by, when will my house be connected?

Unfortunately, just because a truck goes by doesn’t mean we’ll be to your house within days or even weeks. Oftentimes, the trucks you see are constructing our mainline fiber backbone. This backbone must first be hung from our poles. Then, other crews will go back and connect all the pieces of fiber together using splicing technology. Then, after all the pieces of mainline are connected, we are able to begin constructing drops from the mainline to houses. This whole process can take months to complete so although seeing trucks does mean we’re working in your area, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be connected later this week.

Do I have to pay for installation?

When customers pre-register for service and get on our list while we’re building out in their area, they will receive free installation of service to their home!

What if I signed up for the wrong package, can I change my order?

When your contract is sent to you, your package will be confirmed. If you need your package to be changed at any time, give our office a call at 800-668-8413.

What does being in the "design" step mean?

When your zone is being designed, we have multiple things take place. First, the map of the zone is given to our field engineers who send crews out to decide where we can run overhead fiber and where the fiber will have to be buried. Then, we begin designing our fiber system from our substations outward and when the designs are finalized, crews come through to construct the designs. After the construction crews hang the fiber, a splicing crew goes through and connects all the pieces together. This allows light from the substations to reach homes at the end of the fibers. Without the lines being spliced, even if a home is connected it is not able to receive internet service as it cannot receive light. After all of these steps are complete, we’ll open the zone up for commitment.

Once I sign my contract, how long before I am connected?

The goal is to have a 6 to 8 week lead time from contract signing until installation but in our earlier zones, this may vary as we work out the processes required to get from contract to connection. We are appreciative of your patience as we begin building this new business. When your area is ready to be connected, members who have signed contracts will be contacted to set up times for our installers to come.

I signed my contract, but haven't been called for an install yet. Why is that?

As mentioned above, the goal is to have each contract be connected to the internet within six to eight weeks of the signature. However, in some instances that timeline gets extended. Be patient, we’ll give you a call when it’s your turn to be connected. If you’re not sure if you signed the contract correctly or are concerned you’re not on our list for install for some other reason, give our office a call at 800-668-8413.

What types of devices can I connect to my high-speed fiber internet?

Your high-speed fiber internet is just like any other internet you’ve had but faster and more reliable! You can connect everything from laptops and cellphones to TVs, smart-home appliances, and even thermostats or other security devices. With fiber speeds, there’s no limit to the type of things you can connect to the internet.

For Businesses

We know that businesses often have more questions about a service before they subscribe. Here’s some of our commonly asked questions from our business subscribers:

I run my business out of my home - which plan do I choose?

We leave this decision up to you! If your business doesn’t need a static IP address, go ahead and use the residential plan. We won’t charge you more just because you’re using the internet to run your business!

Do I have to sign up for a business plan just because I'm a business?

Nope! We don’t charge anyone more just because they’re using their internet access to run a business. Instead, we only charge you more if your business needs a static IP address. Some businesses need these to operate, others have never even heard of a static IP address so we encourage you to pay for the plan that makes the most sense for you!?

What is the difference between a business plan and a residential plan?

The difference between our business plan offerings and our residential plan offerings are only one thing: the ability to add static IP addresses. Some companies require static IP addresses, so the business plan includes one static IP address and gives the ability to add up to four more static IP address for an additional cost per IP address.

I need a different offering than what's listed, who do I call?

We understand that every business’?internet needs are as unique as the businesses themselves so our plans won’t work for everyone. If you need something different than what is offered in our standard packaged – be it more IP addresses, added phone lines, or a different Mbps offering – please reach out! We’re happy to create a custom internet plan for you that meets both your needs and your budget. Our number is 800-668-8413.