May 2, 2018
Thank you for being a part of our network and helping LCCN with your donations, feedback, patience, encouragement and all the support that truly embodies the spirit of Love City. We are thrilled to continue serving the people of St. John as we build, grow and maintain the LCCN network.
Early in April we received final approval from the IRS and IRB for our non-profit status. This allows us to bill for the service that many have been enjoying free of charge thanks to the support of our generous donors. Effective June 1st, there will be a $55/mo service fee for 10 Mbps. This fee will put LCCN on sustainable financial footing, allowing us to continue delivering the service that St. John has come to rely on. This will also ensure that donor contributions are used more efficiently to further our mission and support program work to deliver connectivity in the event of another emergency.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue our work. We’re confident that this step will allow us to continue to serve St. John through the ongoing process of recovery and put us in the right position to pursue our mission well into the future.
Please find our FAQ below and feel free to reach out with any other questions.
Q: Why $55/mo? Are there other tiers? Is this tax deductible?
A: Your fee-for-service payments help to support our mission to build and maintain a hurricane-hardened network, but for tax purposes you will not be able to write this service off as a donation. We have positioned the pricing at a competitive level that will allow us to provide service and maintain the network, as we have been, while remaining a good option for the majority of our current users. The internet service we offer is part of our effort to build an emergency network to serve the whole of St. John and may not meet every individuals’ needs for an ISP.
Any additional contributions, and past gifts not provided for goods or services, are greatly appreciated. These gifts will go directly toward tax-deductible program work to further our mission including research, development and implementation of disaster-ready communications technology and network upgrades above industry standards to support resiliency and mitigate communications challenges in future storms.
Q: 10Mbps is slower than I’ve been getting. Will my internet slow down?
A: Speeds on our network have basically been a free-for-all with folks getting wildly differing speeds based on traffic and other technical factors. We have seen connection speeds suffer due to ‘bandwidth hogs’. To preserve the integrity of the network, we may limit speeds to 10Mbps. This speed will support Netflix HD streaming on 2 devices simultaneously. There are options available from other ISPs that can offer more speed, and we will never limit speeds in any geographic area where commercial services are not yet available.
Q: Is there a contract? What are the terms?
A: Billing will be month-to-month with no contract. Client information will be retained for those who wish to suspend service for any reason and service can be resumed at any time. Service will be provided free on calendar month of installation/activation. No statement credits will be given for unused service. In the event of emergency, service fees will be waived. LCCN reserves the right to change terms at any time.
Q: Can I keep my LCCN service as a back-up?
A: This is a great idea! If you are receiving internet from another ISP you can receive a significant discount for continued LCCN service. LCCN service will be active in the event that your primary ISP becomes unavailable. We’re working on several configuration options that will allow you to seamlessly use our service and a primary service provider at the same time.
Q: I’m getting reconnected to Viya or another ISP and I don’t want to keep LCCN service. What should I do with my Nanobeam?
A: Hold on to it! If you decide to uninstall please take a picture of your installation or take note of which way the Nanobeam is pointing. This network is intended to function when others cannot, so keep your Nanobeam safe and secure so that you can get online in an emergency.