Summit Broadband has been our internet and cable TV provider since November 2018 when we signed a 10-year contract with them. Although we still have 2 ½ years left on our existing contract, for the past 18 months the Facilities Committee has been evaluating whether we should renew our contract with Summit or move to a different vendor. Given that we are one of Summit’s larger customers and we aren’t up against an immediate renewal deadline, we have quite a bit of negotiating leverage right now.
Based on survey feedback, many members get upset when the Board takes action and the members hear about it after the fact. Therefore, in addition to the details issued to members in June and a town-hall meeting in July to ask Summit questions, we’d like to present to you the reasons why this renewal is better and more cost-effective decision for Heritage Palms than living with obsolete equipment for another two years, and then trying to negotiate a new deal with Summit or another provider.
For the past several months, we’ve had members trialing new equipment and offerings from Summit, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Based on this and the terms of a new agreement, the Facilities Committee has recommended that the Board approve a contract extension with Summit. The Board voted to approve this money saving and greatly improved upgrade at their August 3, 2026 Board Meeting.
1. So, what were the benefits of a renewal with Summit?
a. We can sign a new agreement now that extends the original termination date by five years, with no price increases on the HP master contract for the next two ½ years and limiting the additional five-year term to only a 3% increase per year. The master agreement (or Bulk contract) payments are the ones that HP makes with your annual $866 fees.
b. Summit recognizes that the equipment they are currently servicing HP with went out of production three years ago and is costly for them to maintain. The result is they want to quickly move us to better technology and make it worth our while to do so. Waiting till January 2029 may not give us any significantly better deal and leave us with the old Synergy equipment.
c. With the new offering, depending on the number of TVs you have and the additional premium services you individually subscribe to in your home (these are the payments that you make directly to Summit on a monthly basis), the savings for you could be as little as zero or as high as $1,200/year. Based on the Facilities Committee’s estimates, the average homeowner will likely save hundreds of dollars per year with the new agreement.
d. If your home telephone service is through Summit, you’ll receive the next year of service at no charge under this new contract.
e. This contract also allows us the option to unbundle TV and Internet service if members eventually decide that streaming options are better and more cost effective than having Summit provide the TV channels. Streaming technology continues to advance at a very fast pace and the Board will continue to monitor the potential advantages of unbundling. Unbundling could save each home over $400 per year in the annual fees you pay to HP.
f. Over the last two years, Summit has vastly improved their customer service department and has held tech days at Heritage Palms to talk directly with our members. At the end of this letter is a chart that outlines our current offering from Summit versus what they will begin to provide with the new contract. You’ll notice a significant upgrade in equipment and internet speeds.
2. The new offering provides two set-top boxes (you may refer to them as cable boxes). Will I need to order and pay for more set-top boxes for additional TVs?
Previously, you were only provided one set-top box and had to pay for additional set-top boxes for each additional TV. Now, you get an extra set-top box free and then only pay for additional set-top boxes for TVs number three and more. However, there will now be another alternative that is even less expensive. The new summit offering comes with an app called SBBTV. You can load this app onto mobile devices and firesticks. Simply buy a basic firestick, if you don’t already have one, and load the free app (Summit will provide a username and initial password). Plug it into your TV and now you have your own set-top box – no need to pay for extra set-top boxes on those additional TVs.
3. What is the SBBTV app?
Summit provides an app that also allows you to watch TV on your devices when you are away from your HP home. You can see the guide, record and watch shows, rewind 72 hours to watch already aired shows, etc. It works anywhere you have internet access. If you subscribe to a premium service, or want to watch any channel included on your Summit TV, you can watch it anywhere and you wouldn’t need to pay for it separately up north, which can reduce your overall annual telecom costs. The app has been tested successfully by our trial members on planes, in hotel rooms, and in a number of other countries.
4. How many people were in the trial and when did it start?
In January 2026, six members were chosen to initially trial the new equipment and offering. They were chosen from among different unit styles, full-time and part-time, working and retired. Once these were installed and expectations were met, a letter was sent to all Association Presidents in March 2026 asking them to be part of the trial. An additional 24 members throughout HP agreed to participate. The trial feedback is very positive.
5. What will occur during the equipment installation in my home?
Part of the new agreement includes an initial optical fiber test in each unit. Once performed, technicians will be replacing your old ONT (optical network terminal or in other words, that small white plastic box) with a much better version. They will install two set-top boxes (or additional units if you so choose) and explain how the TiVo-based system works. They will then ask if you wish to install the SBBTV app onto your mobile phone or another device such as an iPad or tablet to make sure you know how it works. Installations for the trial members ranged from 45 minutes to two hours depending on the member’s technical understanding.
6. What about all those channels we lost two years ago?
All Paramount and other channels that disappeared will be part of the new offering. So yes, the Comedy Channel is back! All in all, over 200 channels will now be part of the package.
7. I’m still confused about this offering!
Not to worry. Summit Broadband will hold informational sessions at Heritage Palms, as well as video calls, to explain how everything works.
8. When would the installation start?
Summit will provide advanced notice for when it’s your turn, but full-time residents might see their installation before September. If you are not in residence, you can either delay installation until you return to HP or you can have your Home Watch open the door for the tech. Our goal is for all 1,662 units and common area networks to be completed by December 31, 2026.
9. Will the new router cover my large house?
The new equipment contract includes two significant changes: a WiFi 6e router that has significantly larger range and user capabilities and an extender if required to cover even further distance.
10. Why not switch to a new provider like Comcast or Hotwire?
Our current Summit agreement runs through the end of 2028. If we wanted to switch to a new provider (which would be our fourth; it seems like we are never happy with any broadband providers), it would mean waiting at least a year before we could even begin talking with other companies; the new vendor would have to lay their own fiber optic cables at HP; we would have to enter a new ten-year contract with that vendor through the end of 2038; and, any savings would be unknown until we renegotiate. With Summit, we are only entering into a five-year extension with immediate technology, speed, and savings benefits.
| OLD OFFERING | NEW OFFERING | |
| Infrastructure | Fiber to unit 1Gbps | Fiber to unit 10Gbps (10x current) |
| Internet Speed | 250Mbps | 1Gbps (4x current) Up to 10Gbps available |
| Wireless Router | Not included. Rental is probably only Wi-Fi 5. Less able to handle multiple users at once. | The latest modem/Wi-Fi Router (Plume Wi-Fi 6e Router), so you don’t need to buy anything. Your kids and Grandkids will be wowed. Yes, you can keep your old router if you choose. |
| Wireless Extender | Not included | One Included |
| Phone Service (Voice) | Available for a fee plus taxes | Available – first year of new contract the service if free, only pay the taxes |
| TV Package | Digi Basic with approx. 100 Channels | Base, Ascend, Peak, Sports, TiVo+ with about 200 Channels |
| Physical Connection | Coaxial Cable | WiFi and Bluetooth. No longer need to connect to physical cable. Take your TV out to the Lanai to watch the game. Furniture can now be rearranged! |
| Set-Top Box | One | Two, plus the SBBTV app on mobile and Stick devices |
| Digital Video Recorder | Physical and extra cost | Cloud based, no charge. Accessible anywhere with the SBBTV app. |
| Rewind TV | No | Yes, up to 72 hours using the guide |
| Voice Command on Remote | No | Yes |
