Spectrum Internet – How will their nationwide policy changes affect my park?
This article first appeared on the Rivers & Rockies Outdoor Lodging Coalition (RROLC.org) website
in their R&R Campfire Chat section.
[PREFACE: Barry Conley of RVParkTV.com/It’s All About Satellites, Mary Arlington of Rivers & Rockies, and many others were in a September 2024 townhall meeting in which the sole topic was Spectrum’s recent actions. Mary then requested Barry explain the situation for our members, which resulted in this joint effort.]
Spectrum’s Internet policy changes and how it may affect your RV Park or campground
Many of you have received letters from Spectrum regarding your internet service. Some have even received a Notice of Material Breach from Spectrum and may have had your internet shut off.
The gist of the letters is that Spectrum has changed their nationwide internet policy and is now enforcing the clause in their business-class internet contracts which prohibits parks from redistributing or reselling internet to their campers.
Business class internet service is designed for use in your park’s office, primarily for the computers and printers and other devices in your office. Industry experts are saying that Spectrum is within their rights to enforce this clause in their contracts that campground owners have signed.
Action Item #1: Be Proactive
Check your contract today to make sure that you have the right to redistribute your internet connection.
If you would like help understanding your contract, reach out to RROLC founding member Barry Conley at RVParkTV.com who has offered to refer our members to an industry leading attorney.
I haven’t received a letter. Am I safe?
The short answer is no. If you haven’t received a letter, it’s just a matter of time. The reason is that Spectrum has identified and started notifying high-data usage accounts first. Those are the accounts that are impacting the service of other customers the most. It appears from comments from industry experts that this is a nationwide policy change for Spectrum and that at their discretion they can roll this letter out to all parks that are redistributing or reselling their business-class internet service
So why is this happening? We have had service for years, so why now?
There are many reasons, but it boils down to bandwidth and how cable companies’ provision and sell internet. Internet providers like Spectrum or Xfinity or Lumen or AT&T will provision a non-enterprise or bulk internet circuit for a neighborhood, not an individual customer. They do so based on the idea that just one customer out of 50 will be downloading via that internet circuit at any one time.
It used to be that your campers used internet just for things like an occasional email or social media post. Now they are streaming live TV, YouTube, NetFlix, Instagram, and Tik Tok, gaming, uploading and downloading large photos and videos, and the KOA North American Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report showed us that nearly 50% are working while they are camping at your campground.
When a park with 100 sites redistributes that internet connection they share with their neighbors, during peak hours that internet circuit is being connected to by 200 or more devices; smart phones, smart TVs, laptops, and tablets. All those devices accessing your business-class internet connection is a breach of Spectrum’s AUP or Acceptable Use Policy.
Peak hours in your park are the same as the other customers on your neighborhood’s internet circuit, 4-10 pm. When your campers are on, that circuit is overloaded. No one is getting a good connection including Spectrum’s other paying customers on that circuit.
Spectrum is the only internet provider in my area. What can I do right now?
1st, contact Spectrum. Residential service, which is what Spectrum considers RV park users to be, is handled through their Community Solutions department. They may be able to reverse or delay account termination until a permanent solution can be found.
2nd, if unsuccessful with #1, stop sharing your internet connection with your campers. Shut off your park’s guest Wi-Fi and use the business internet service only for your campground’s office and employees.
3rd, sign up for Spectrum’s bulk service through their Community Solutions department, at least temporarily until another solution can be found. This bulk service may cost $25-35 per month per site in your park, but the approximately $1 per day increase in cost to your camper’s fee is certainly something the market will bear and the option of having no service is not one most of your campers will find acceptable. It may take time for them to provision the new bulk internet service to your park, so be prepared for downtime if your data usage is extremely high and Spectrum is unwilling to work with you on delaying termination of service.
What options do I have?
Probably the best one is to work with a managed services provider (such as our company). They already have wholesale distribution agreements with internet providers like Spectrum to provide bulk internet without the prohibition on redistribution. They are also experts in delivering that internet connection to your campers through managed wi-fi networks.
Even if you are already in a bulk internet service agreement with Spectrum or another internet service provider, talking to a managed services provider could save you thousands per year.
I use Xfinity, AT&T, or another internet provider. Should I be concerned?
Definitely. As other providers see the revenue increases that Spectrum will get from providing dedicated internet access to parks like yours, they are likely to follow suit.
The old adage “better safe than sorry applies”. Now is the time to start looking into options. We are here to assist you, if you’d like to reach out to us.
Barry Conley: barry@itsallaboutsatellites.com
Ted Maes: ted@itsallaboutsatellites.com
Thank you so much for explaining this to us!