UPDATED October 11th

From The Team At ASTOUND To Residents Of The 15 Units

If you have not already upgraded your Astound Broadband equipment as part of the recent renewal and transition…

October 9, 2024

Dear Resident of Park Tower Condominium Association,

Astound Broadband recently partnered with your Association to upgrade your services and equipment to the following:
• Preferred Video Service
• Paramount+ with Showtime
• Three (3) Android Cloud Based HD/DVR Powered by TiVo
• 1 GIG x 1 GIG Symmetrical High-Speed Internet Service
• One (1) Optical Network Terminal (ONT)
• EERO (Enhanced Mesh WiFi), up to Two (2) Devices

On Monday October 28, 2024, the coaxial cable will no longer transmit a signal to your equipment. As a result, you will lose television and internet service if you have not transitioned to the new fiber connection. To schedule an appointment to upgrade your services, please contact our customer service department at the number provided on our resident notice.

In addition to the services included in your bulk package, Astound also offers mobile phone service, expansive tiers of additional HD programming, and much more. When contacting us, you will have the opportunity to personalize your experience by adding to, or upgrading, your account with services that best fit your lifestyle.

Thank you,

Astound Broadband, Chicago

UPDATED October 4th

SEVERAL UPDATES!!!

FIRST – With The Transition Work Behind ’02 And ’14 Unit Walls Near Full Completion, The Next Step Will Be Equipment Installation

We expect a formal notice from ASTOUND to be issued within the next week, however they’ve advised the dates available for making appointments for free equipment installation will be Wednesday October 23rd through Saturday October 26th. Instructions on making your appointment and what to be prepared for will be included in the notice.

Once we receive the notice, it will be door dropped to all ’02 and ’14 units, and this post will be updated.

SECOND – The ’15 Tier Coaxial Cable Line Will Be Decommissioned On Monday October 28th

Any Owners or residents on the ’15 tier who have not already scheduled an equipment install, should do so during the ’02 and ’14 installation period. First of all, because it is free. Second and most importantly, come October 28th, you will lose cable TV and internet access if you do not have the new equipment!

So ’15 units who do not have the new equipment in place, should watch for the ’02/’14 notice and follow the instructions to schedule your free install.

FINALLY – ASTOUND Has Scheduled The Next Tier To Transition, The ’09 And ’12 Units.

The Astound Broadband Fiber-to-the-Home transition project start date has been scheduled from Monday, October 14th to Tuesday, November 19th. The specific details of the schedule are as follows:

Monday, October 14th – Tuesday, November 19th

– Astound will place PVC protection for the entire 09 and 12 tiers from the top down (floors 55-3) and begin open the wall at the work location followed by vacuuming. Astound will need to cut a 2 ft. x 5 ft. opening in the existing drywall. The location of the drywall opening will be on the living room side of the wall. Below are floorplans showing work locations:

– Astound will begin coring on Monday, October 14th and that will overlap with laying of the PVC protection, and the work area will be vacuumed.

1. Installation of PVC Carpet & Floor Protection; Create Drywall Opening; Vacuum Work Location:

October 14th all ’02 and ’14 units from 55th to 46th floor
October 15th all ’02 and ’14 units from 45th to 36th floor
October 16th all ’02 and ’14 units from 35th to 26th floor
October 17th all ’02 and ’14 units from 25th to 16th floor
October 18th all ’02 and ’14 units from 15th to 5th floor
October 21st all ’02 and ’14 units from 4th to 3rd floor

2. Coring And Vacuuming Work Location

October 14th all ’02 and ’14 units from 55th to 46th floor
October 15th all ’02 and ’14 units from 45th to 36th floor
October 16th all ’02 and ’14 units from 35th to 26th floor
October 17th all ’02 and ’14 units from 25th to 16th floor
October 18th all ’02 and ’14 units from 15th to 5th floor
October 21st all ’02 and ’14 units from 4th to 3rd floor

Monday October 21st – Monday, October 28th

– Installation of Backbone Fiber (Access to ALL ’02 and ’14 ALL Floors). Astound will run backbone fiber 6 days and will need access to all the units in tier, floors 55-3, the following days:
All ’12 Units All Floors – Monday, October 21st, Tuesday, October 21nd and Wednesday, October 23rd
All ’09 Units All Floors – Thursday, October 24th, Friday, October 25th, Monday, October 28th

– Fiber Rewire, Drywall Closure, Drywall Patching, Sanding and Removing of PVC to occur as follows:

1. Fiber Rewiring and Drywall Closure ’12 Units

Monday October 21st  55th – 46th Floors
Tuesday October 22nd  45th – 32nd Floors
Wednesday October 23rd   31st – 18th Floors
Thursday October 24th   17th – 3rd Floors

2.  Fiber Rewiring and Drywall Closure ’09 Units

Friday October 25th   55th – 46th Floors
Monday October 28th   45th – 32nd Floors
Tuesday October 29th   31st – 18th Floors
Wednesday October 30th   17th – 3rd Floors

3. Patching Drywall ’12 Units

Thursday October 31st   55th – 46th Floors
Friday November 1st  45th – 36th Floors
Monday November 4th   35rd – 26th Floors
Tuesday November 5th   25th – 16th Floors
Wednesday November 6th   15th –3rd Floors

4. Patching Drywall ’09 Units

Friday November 8th   55th – 46th Floors
Monday November 11th   45th – 36th Floors
Tuesday November 12th   35th– 26th Floors
Wednesday November 13th   25th – 16th Floors
Thursday November 14th   15th –3rd Floors

5. Sanding & Removing PVC ’14 Units

Tuesday November 5th    55th – 44th Floors
Wednesday November 6th  43rd – 32nd Floors
Thursday November 7th   31st– 20th Floors
Friday November 8th  19th – 7th Floors
Monday November 11th 6th –3rd Floors

6. Sanding & Removing PVC ’02 Units

Wednesday November 13th  55th – 44th Floors
Thursday November 14th 45th – 32nd Floors
Friday November 15th  31st– 20th Floors
Monday November 18th   19th – 7th Floors
Tuesday November 19th   6th –3rd Floors

Our team will be coordinating the painting of the work locations, and that schedule is TBA, soon.

Park Tower Condominium Association 09 and 12 Unit Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Re-Wire Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Will the re-wire project cause any interruption to my current Cable and Internet service? No. Astound is installing a parallel backbone that does require any interference with the existing coaxial system.

2. How should I plan for the fiber rewire project?
The work in your unit should take approximately 90 minutes to complete depending on the specific wiring that required for your particular unit. Prior to the arrival of the Astound representative, please safeguard valuables and move furniture located between the point of entry and fiber termination point.

3. What will the fiber optic cable look like in my unit?
The fiber optic cable used in the units is very thin and almost invisible. It is too delicate to be run without being adhered to the wall, baseboard, or ceiling. To receive the newly contracted Astound service, you must have the fiber optic cable installed in your unit.

4. Can I request to have custom or additional wiring in my unit?
Yes, the on-site contractor can provide a quote and scope of work at the time of the unit wiring. Please notify the contractor of what additional wiring you would prefer. The individual quote will be based on the scope of work required. You have the option to provide the contractor with a separate date and time to schedule custom wiring. Please note that custom wiring cannot be done during previously scheduled construction or installation times. The resident will be invoiced and pay the contractor directly for any non-standard customized work. Payment is due upon receipt.

5. The schedule does not include specific time slots. When will my unit be visited? The wiring technicians will begin at the first floor listed at 9:00 am and proceed through the end of the floors listed.

6. What happens if my unit is not re-wired?…Units that are not re-wired will not be able to receive the newly contracted services…After the re-wiring is completed, in each respective tier, an implementation project will be scheduled in order install the new equipment and activate the new services in each unit…Upon completion of the implementation project, for each tier, the coax will be deactivated…Any units not re-wired will lose cable & internet service…Any unit that does not schedule to receive the new equipment will lose cable & internet service; as the existing equipment cannot operate in the fiber environment.

If you have any questions, please contact the Management Office at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

UPDATED September 6th

ALL UNITS WILL HEAR NOISE FROM TIME TO TIME

Wall Openings And Repairs, And Concrete Coring Will Be Noisy During Working Hours

Expected 9am To 4pm

The fiber transition work, as we have explained in our notices, does include some concrete coring and wall opening and repairs. So, as workers are coming and going from each floor, neighboring units in and around the tiers where work is being done will hear noise.

While our notices are identifying and targeting the particular tiers where work is being done so that those residents are aware when we will be coming to their units, everyone should follow along.

Eventually you will hear noise at some point from this work. Eventually, the noise will be coming from your unit too.

If you have any questions at all about this project, don’t hesitate to call or e-mail anytime. That’s, 773-769-3250 or parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

UPDATED August 28th

Work on the ’02 and ’14 tiers is expected to start on Monday (September 3rd) as scheduled.

They’ve advised that the window for equipment installation will be Wednesday October 23rd thru Saturday October 26th. This will also be the last opportunity for any ’15 units to schedule a free installation before the Coax cable serving that tier is decommissioned. That is scheduled for Monday October 28th, after which cable TV and internet service will no longer be available over the coaxial cable in the ’15 units.

ASTOUND is already looking forward to the next tiers to be completed. We expect the ’12 tier and the ’10/’11 combined tier. The ’10 and ’11 units will share a fiber back bone with the point of entry in the ’11 unit being guest bedroom. This is along the shared wall with ’10 Studio near the window.

Share any questions with us at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

UPDATED August 23rd

Our Team Completed A Schedule For The Work Location Painting For The ’02 And ’14 Units

After ASTOUND completes the fiber line installation and repairs the drywall, our team will follow and paint the repair location. The team will visit twice on your unit’s scheduled date – to lay down floor protection and do a first coat in the morning hours 9am to 12’ish and then a 2nd coat in the afternoon about 1-4pm. Expect about 45 minutes each visit.

The schedule for this phase of the work follows:

For the ’14 Units (REVISED 09/10.24!!)

Wednesday 9/25/24           55, 54,  53, 52

Thursday 9/26/24               51, 50, 49, 48

Friday 9/27/24                    47, 46, 45, 44

Monday 9/30/24                43, 42, 41, 40

Tuesday 10/1/24                 39, 38, 37, 36

Wednesday 10/2/24           35, 34, 33, 32

Thursday 10/3/24               31, 30, 29, 28

Friday 10/4/24                     27, 26, 25, 24

Monday 10/7/24                  23, 22, 21, 20

Tuesday 10/8/24                 19, 18, 17, 16

Wednesday 10/9/24           15, 14, 12, 11

Thursday 10/10/24             10, 9, 8, 7

Friday 10/11/24                   6, 5, 4, 3

For the ’02 Units

Monday 10/14/24                55, 54, 53, 52

Tuesday 10/15/24                51, 50, 49, 48

Wednesday 10/16/24          47, 46, 45, 44

Thursday 10/17/24              43, 42, 41, 40

Friday 10/18/24                   39, 38, 37, 36

Monday 10/21/24                35, 34, 33, 32

Tuesday 10/22/24               31, 30, 29, 28

Wednesday 10/23/24         27, 26, 25, 24

Thursday 10/24/24             23, 22, 21, 20

Friday 10/25/24                  19, 18, 17, 16

Monday 10/28/24               15, 14, 12, 11

Tuesday 10/29/24               10, 9, 8, 7

Wednesday 10/30/24         6, 5, 4, 3

Also, for all ’02 and ’14 Unit residents, when preparing your space for workers remember we will need a reasonable path clear to the work location. And, for the work locations circled below plan on making about 6′ of clearance in all directions. This includes the wall adjacent to the work location and window and HVAC convector.

UPDATED August 15th

Notice From ASTOUND To All Owners And Residents Of ’02 And ’14 Units, All Floors

August 15, 2024

Dear Resident of Park Tower Condominium Association,

Please be advised that the Astound Broadband Fiber-to-the-Home re-wire project start date has been scheduled from Tuesday, September 3rdstart to Tuesday, October 8th. The details of the schedule are as follows:

Tuesday, September 3rd – Tuesday, September 10th

– Astound will place PVC protection for the entire 14 and 02 tiers from the top down (floors 55-3) and begin open the wall at the work location followed by vacuuming. Below are the work locations:

– Astound will begin coring on Tuesday, September 3rd and that will overlap with laying of the PVC protection, and the work area will be vacuumed.

1. Installation of PVC Carpet & Floor Protection; Create Drywall Opening; Vacuum Work Location:

September 3rd all ’02 and ’14 units from 55th to 46th floor
September 4th all ’02 and ’14 units from 45th to 36th floor
September 5th all ’02 and ’14 units from 35th to 26th floor
September 6th all ’02 and ’14 units from 25th to 16th floor
September 9th all ’02 and ’14 units from 15th to 5th floor
September 10th all ’02 and ’14 units from 4th to 3rd floor

2. Coring And Vacuuming Work Location

September 3rd all ’02 and ’14 units from 55th to 46th floor
September 4th all ’02 and ’14 units from 45th to 36th floor
September 5th all ’02 and ’14 units from 35th to 26th floor
September 6th all ’02 and ’14 units from 25th to 16th floor
September 9th all ’02 and ’14 units from 15th to 5th floor
September 10th all ’02 and ’14 units from 4th to 3rd floor

Tuesday September 10th – Tuesday, September 17th

– Installation of Backbone Fiber (Access to ALL ’02 and ’14 ALL Floors). Astound will run backbone fiber 6 days and will need access to all the units in tier, floors 55-3, the following days:
All ’14 Units All Floors – Tuesday, September 10th, Wednesday, September 11th and Thursday, September 12th
All ’02 Units All Floors – Friday, September 13th, Monday, September 16th, Tuesday, September 17th

– Fiber Rewire, Drywall Closure, Drywall Patching, Sanding and Removing of PVC to occur per the schedule below.

1. Fiber Rewiring and Drywall Closure ’14 Units

September 10th   55th – 46th Floors
September 11th   45th – 32nd Floors
September 12th   31st – 18th Floors
September 13th   17th – 3rd Floors

2.  Fiber Rewiring and Drywall Closure ’02 Units

September 16th   55th – 46th Floors
September 17th   45th – 32nd Floors
September 18th   31st – 18th Floors
September 19th   17th – 3rd Floors

3. Patching Drywall ’14 Units
September 20th   55th – 46th Floors
September 23rd   45th – 36th Floors
September 24th   35rd – 26th Floors
September 25th   25th – 16th Floors
September 26th   15th –3rd Floors

4. Patching Drywall ’02 Units
September 30th   55th – 46th Floors
October 1st   45th – 36th Floors
October 2nd   35th– 26th Floors
October 3rd   25th – 16th Floors
October 4th   15th –3rd Floors

5. Sanding & Removing PVC ’14 Units
September 24th   55th – 44th Floors
September 25th  45th – 32nd Floors
September 26th  31st– 20th Floors
September 27th   19th – 7th Floors
September 30th   6th –3rd Floors

6. Sanding & Removing PVC ’02 Units
Wednesday October 2nd   55th – 44th Floors
Thursday October 3rd   45th – 32nd Floors
Friday October 4th  31st– 20th Floors
Monday October 7th   19th – 7th Floors
Tuesday October 8th   6th –3rd Floors

We are excited to have this opportunity to provide you with our premier communication services and look forward to offering you the most innovative technology!

Thank you,
Astound Broadband Chicago

Park Tower Condominium Association 14/02 Tier Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Re-Wire Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Will the re-wire project cause any interruption to my current Cable and Internet service? No. Astound is installing a parallel backbone that does require any interference with the existing coaxial system.

2. How should I plan for the fiber rewire project?
The work in your unit should take approximately 90 minutes to complete depending on the specific wiring that required for your particular unit. Prior to the arrival of the Astound representative, please safeguard valuables and move furniture located between the point of entry and fiber termination point.

3. What will the fiber optic cable look like in my unit?
The fiber optic cable used in the units is very thin and almost invisible. It is too delicate to be run without being adhered to the wall, baseboard, or ceiling. To receive the newly contracted Astound service, you must have the fiber optic cable installed in your unit.

4. Can I request to have custom or additional wiring in my unit?
Yes, the on-site contractor can provide a quote and scope of work at the time of the unit wiring. Please notify the contractor of what additional wiring you would prefer. The individual quote will be based on the scope of work required.
You have the option to provide the contractor with a separate date and time to schedule custom wiring. Please note that custom wiring cannot be done during previously scheduled construction or installation times.
The resident will be invoiced and pay the contractor directly for any non-standard customized work. Payment due upon receipt.

5. The schedule does not include specific time slots. When will my unit be visited? The wiring technicians will begin at the first floor listed at 9:00 am and proceed through the end of the floors listed.

6. What happens if my unit is not re-wired?…Units that are not re-wired will not be able to receive the newly contracted services…After the re-wiring is completed, in each respective tier, an implementation project will be scheduled in order install the new equipment and activate the new services in each unit…Upon completion of the implementation project, for each tier, the coax will be deactivated…Any units not re-wired will lose cable & internet service…Any unit that does not schedule to receive the new equipment will lose cable & internet service; as the existing equipment cannot operate in the fiber environment.

If you have any questions, please contact the Management Office at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

UPDATED August 8th

Equipment Installation Appointment Instructions For The ’15 Units Are Now Available

Notices from ASTOUND with the details will distributed door to door in time for the weekend with instructions for Owners and Residents of  ’15 units to make free appointments to get their new equipment installed to the fiber line. The available installation dates are Wednesday August 21st through Saturday August 24th.

IMPORTANT: For the 01/03 Tier, the co-ax service will be decommissioned on Monday August 26th. If any Owners or Residents did not get their new equipment installed, you can take advantage of this free install window. After the 26th, the old equipment will not receive service.

ASTOUND will have multiple teams of technicians here at Park Tower on those dates  to install the new equipment and get residents set up. For anyone who will not be home or cannot arrange for someone to meet with the technician, you can contact the office at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com and we will work with ASTOUND on the alternatives. Generally though, free installation will be available anytime they are here in the future for equipment installations.

It is important that everyone arrange your appointment as soon as possible, so that you can keep receiving service and start enjoy the new services such as the 1GIG Upload/Download internet speed.

For the complete instructions for setting up the appointment, as well as an FAQ about the install process and new service and equipment, Click Here.

ASTOUND advises that appointments will take about 45 minutes to an hour or so on average. This depends on how many devices you have that need to get set up, and of course they want to answer any questions you have. Also, since the new program relies heavily on Wi-fi service, it is vital that they set up the devices in the best possible arrangement for maximum coverage. To that end, technicians conduct “heat mapping” of each unit to make sure each unit gets the best possible service throughout the space.

One question we get frequently is, “If I presently pay for 1GIG premium service, will I still be billed for it?” NO! That charge will go away. In fact they’ve already started processing this in their system and statements for July service should start reflecting this.

We expect Owners and residents will have questions. Please review the FAQ included with the notice (above). If you still have any questions at all, e-mail our team and parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com and we will follow up.

You can also review our ongoing Fibhttps://www.ptcondo.com/astound-fiber-upgrade-on-the-horizon/er Project post for more FAQs and a history of the project to date:

UPDATED August 2nd

UP NEXT: The ’02 Tier and the ’14 Tier

Right now, it is looking as though they will begin at the end of August, possibly Monday the 26th.

That’s right. Having completed three tiers now, ASTOUND is going to graduate to installing the new fiber lines in two tiers at once, in tandem.

Originally we expected they would continue downward…’14, ’12, ’11, ’10 and so on. However, the co-axial lines on the ’02 tiers have been very problematic recently, and actually causing building wide issues as you may have seen in a recent Weekly Newsletter. So, they’ve requested to skip to the ’02 units. After that however, we do expect they will continue downward with ’12, ’11, ’10 and so on.

Stay tuned for formal notices, which we expect to distribute and post in the next week or so.

ALSO – Want To Learn More About The New TIVO Cloud DVR?

You can view YouTube Tutorials online:

Click Here For A Playlist Demonstrating How The New DVR Functions.

UPDATED July 11th

We Have A Few More Frequently Asked Questions:

Question? For the equipment installation, I’m told I need to be home or have an adult present. Why can’t I just give them permission to enter?

Answer: Liability, most importantly, but also, residents know where all their stuff is – tvs, phones, modem, and other devices. They can’t search around each unit looking for the existing equipment, and most of us probably don’t want them rifling around our homes anyway. However, liability is a big deal. If they are alone, what happens when a resident calls and says a briefcase full of $100 bills is missing from a closet? An entanglement we would all like to avoid, I’m sure.

Question? I have an older TV that does not have an HDMI port, but read that I will need one. What do I do? Do I need to get a new TV?

Answer: No, you should not need to get a new TV. Most of this new technology has fortunately evolved to incorporate all sorts of gizmos to help it adapt to older technology. Such as this “HDMI to AV” adapter, which will probably be what most such situations will call for:

An Owner in just such a situation reported to us, “Figured we would have to get rid of the tv and get a newer model. [Our ASTOUND tech] told us, all we needed was this inexpensive little converter.  Not only does it work great but the picture is better than ever. [The tech] saved us the expense of buying a new tv. There may be many residents who have older tvs (that have no HDMI ports) who should be told by Astound that there is this inexpensive way to convert that tv to receive the new technology.” We have asked ASTOUND to incorporate this information in their future FAQs for the project.

Question? Our new video services include Paramount+. That’s awesome, but I can’t access it. Help?

 Answer: Good question. It is not as simple as or exactly like being and individual subscriber or having the streaming service App. You won’t get a login and password for the App.

First, to clarify it is “Paramount+ with Showtime”. A bit of semantics, but there is a difference. You will have access through ASTOUND to all the same programming and it will be on demand capable. But the experience will be a little different than through the standalone Paramount+ App.

ASTOUND put together the following informational flyer, to help understand this better:

Paramount+ with Showtime rebrand notice

UPDATED July 1st

Here Are Some Frequently Last Asked Questions The Office Has Received, Regarding The Fiber Upgrade:

Question? What all does our new Cable/Internet Package include:

Answer:

• ASTOUND Preferred Video Service (similar cable lineup)
• Paramount+ with Showtime
• Three (3) Android Cloud Based HD/DVR Powered by TiVo
• 1 GIG x 1 GIG Symmetrical High-Speed Internet Service
• One (1) Optical Network Terminal (ONT)
• Enhanced Mesh Wi-Fi (Includes up-to two Eero Devices)

Question: I presently pay for a 1 GIG internet service upgrade with ASTOUND. Since the new package includes 1 GIG, will the charge go away?

Answer: Yes – once your fiber line is installed and your new equipment is set up, that charge will go away automatically.

Question: Can I upgrade to a faster speed than 1 GIG?

Answer: Yes. At present, you will be able to upgrade to 2 GIG for $30/month and 5 GIG for $50/month. These rates are subject to change as they are retail rates.

UPDATED June 27th

Equipment Installation Instructions For The ’01 And ’03 Units Are Now Available

Notices from ASTOUND with the details were distributed door to door on the evening of Wednesday June 26, 2024, and discussed at the Fiber Project Meet and Greet.  (Electronic version available below.)

It is time for residents of the 01 and 03 units to make appointments to get their new equipment installed to the fiber line. ASTOUND will have multiple teams of technicians here at Park Tower on Wednesday July 10th through Saturday July 13th to install the new equipment and get residents set up. For anyone who will not be home or cannot arrange for someone to meet with the technician, you can contact the office at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com and we will work with ASTOUND on an alternative.

The co-axial line will be shut down to the 01 and 03 units in about 7-10 days from Saturday July 13th, so it is important that everyone arrange your appointment as soon as possible, so that you can keep receiving service and start enjoy the new services such as the 1GIG Upload/Download internet speed.

For the complete instructions for setting up the appointment, as well as an FAQ about the install process and new service and equipment, Click Here.

ASTOUND reported at the Meet and Greet that appointments will take about 45 minutes to an hour or so on average. This depends on how many devices you have that need to get set up, and of course they want to answer any questions you have. Also, since the new program relies heavily on Wi-fi service, it is vital that they set up the devices in the best possible arrangement for maximum coverage. To that end, technicians conduct “heat mapping” of each unit to make sure each unit gets the best possible service throughout the space.

One question that came up a lot at Wednesdays meeting was,”If I presently pay for 1GIG premium service, will I still be billed for it?” NO! That charge will go away. In fact they’ve already started processing this in their system and statements for July service should start reflecting this.

We expect Owners and residents will have questions. Please review the FAQ included with the notice (above). If you still have any questions at all, e-mail our team and parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com and we will follow up.

UPDATED June 26th

Fiber Backbone Installation For ’15 Units Scheduled By ASTOUND To Begin Monday July 15th As Expected

Notice of their expected work schedule and an FAQ were distributed on Tuesday June 25th, to all ’15 units from floors 55 to 3. This includes preparation work, opening the drywall at the work location, coring an opening, running the fiber backbone and installing the point of entry in each unit, and patching the drywall.

OWNERS AND RESIDENTS will need to make sure there clear is a clear path to and around the installation location. This will be in the living room along the shared wall with the bedroom where the column is located by the window. Workers will need to be able to get to the work location and have reasonable space to maneuver at the work location. About 6 feet of space should be reasonable. (If belongings are in their path or blocking the work area, there would be a labor charge to the Unit Owner associated with moving them.)

Please review the schedule and FAQ, and contact our team with any questions. (Click Here to view an electronic copy.) We strongly encourage all other Owners and residents to review this schedule and FAQ as well, so you get an idea of what to expect. They will be making their way in the coming months from the ’15 tier, to ’14, then ’12, ’11, ’10, ‘9, ‘8, ‘7, ‘6, ‘5, ‘4, and ‘2. These materials will help you prepare.

ASTOUND will be making their way from the 55^th floor down in multiple phases, entering each unit multiple times on multiple days, and it is important for you to be prepared and know what to expect so this process can be successful.

This does not yet include scheduling for our team to complete painting of the work location. We will be working on that and should be releasing a schedule in the next week or so.

The process will start Monday July 15th and continue into mid-August as outlined on the calendar. We do expect the repainting that we will be coordinating, will follow on the heals of the “Sanding & Removing PVC” on the schedule, which is set to begin from the 55th floor down on August 6th. A more detailed schedule is being mapped out by our team.

Please contact the office with any questions, at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

UPDATED June 24th

Learn More About The Fiber Rewire Project Underway Now!

ASTOUND Town Hall/Meet & Greet Wednesday June 26th

5:30 to 7:30PM In The 2nd Floor Party Room

CHANGE IS COMING – The Co-Ax Network Is Being Decommissioned Tier By Tier, Starting With The ’01 and ’03 Units

New services and new equipment will be needed for you to receive TV programming and internet service. There is much to learn. To help, representatives from ASTOUND will be here in person to discuss the fiber rewire project and answer questions about the process, new equipment and new services. They will also be releasing the schedule and fact sheet for the upcoming equipment installation process for the ’01 and ’03 units.

They’ve given us a preliminary window of Wednesday July 10th through Saturday July 13th for free installation appointments. Several crews are expected to be here each of those days, and they will need an adult present to conduct the installation. We anticipate ASTOUND will release a formal notice about this process in conjunction with the Meet and Greet on June 26th.

A similar process will unfold for the next tier, the ’15 units. That fiber rewire is expected to begin on Monday July 15th, from the 55th Floor working down. The walls will be opened, a fiber backbone will be installed, followed by points of entry and a reconstruction team to get your walls closed back up. More is to come about this from ASTOUND.

All other tiers will follow throughout the rest of the summer and fall from the ’14 Units on down to the ‘2 Units.

For more about the Meet and Greet and an FAQ about the process and new services to come, Click Here.

UPDATED June 14th

For The Most Part, Specifics For The ’01/’03 Tier Will Continue To Be Posted With The Riser Project Updates

But to answer a couple questions relative the fiber recon, as ASTOUND makes their way down with the 01/03 fiber lines, reconstruction efforts will continue to follow from the 38th floor up to 55, as originally expected. We had to make some adjustments though for recon on floors 37 down to 3:

Floors 37 – 34    Thursday & Friday June 20th and 21st

Floors 33 – 30    Monday and Tuesday June 24th and 25th

Floors 29 – 26    Wednesday and Thursday June 26th and 27th

Floors 25 – 22    Friday and Monday June 28th and July 1st

Floors 21 – 18    Tuesday and Wednesday July 2nd and 3rd

Floors 17 – 14    Friday and Monday July 5th and 8th

Floors 12 – 9      Tuesday and Wednesday July 9th and 10th

Floors 8 – 5        Thursday and Friday July 11 and 12

Floors 4 ­– 3        Monday and Tuesday July 15 and 16

More specific to the ’01/03 process is available at: https://www.ptcondo.com/01-03-hvac-riser-project-scheduled/

MORE UPDATES ON THE FIBER UPGRADE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO FOLLOW ALONG:

UPDATED June 12th

ASTOUND’S Formal Announcements Regarding The Fiber Install Process And The Equipment Changes For 01/03 Residents Is Now Available

ASTOUND successfully launched their fiber line installation this week, and so far things are progressing as hoped. We are keeping a close eye on their progress, and will be integrating what we learn into future announcements as they continue with other tiers. The 15 Units will be right behind the 01 and 03 Units, so anything helpful or of value from this experience will be passed on.

For the 01 and 03 Units we are starting to turn our attention to the equipment installation phase. Below is a link to their formal announcements, first for the Meet and Greet, Wednesday June 26th 5:30PM to 7:30PM, as well as their onsite installation support event scheduled for July 10^th, the date new equipment installations are scheduled to get underway. This will be most relevant for the 01/03 tier, but for with the Meet and Greet on June 26th, anyone curious to learn more will be welcome.

(6.26 Meet & Greet_Town Hall)

More is to come, but mark your calendars for these events. You’ll also find a very informative FAQ about this process to help address questions they hear during similar installation programs.

More is expected from ASTOUND, specifically about scheduling the 01/03 equipment installation. We expect something formal to be released in conjunction with the June 26th Meet and Greet. And of course we expect scheduling specifics for the ’15 tier to be released soon as well.

Share any questions with us anytime, at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

UPDATED June 7th

Due To The Reschedule Of The 01/03 Fiber Line To Monday June 10th (see below) The Previously Anticipated Town Hall/Meet And Greet Date Has Been Pushed To Wednesday June 26th From 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

At this time, all other dates are expected to remain the same relating to the equipment installation and cable line decommissioning.

We have one correction though. The date we expect to begin the ’15 tier installation is Monday July 15th, not the 22nd as we previously posted. Our apologies for any confusion.

The team at ASTOUND just sent us the materials to distribute to residents giving notice and more information for this process and details about the new services you can expect. We are completing a final review after which this should be distributed next week.

UPDATED June 4th

From The Team At ASTOUND, Regarding The Status Of The 01/03 Fiber Line Installation:

PLEASE READ – REVISED TIER 01 and TIER 03 – FIBER REWIRE SCHEDULE

June 3, 2024

Dear Resident of Park Tower Condominium Association,

Please be advised that the Astound Broadband Fiber-to-the-Home re-wire project start date has been rescheduled
from a Monday, June 3rd start to Monday, June 10th. The details of the new schedule are as follows:

Monday June 10th – Wednesday June 12th : Installation of Fiber Backbone
– Astound will run main (backbone) fibers for the entire 01 and 03 tier from the top down (floors 55-3).
– Access to all units in the tier is required

Monday June 10th – Monday June 17th: Fiber-to-the-Home Rewiring
– Astound will start with two units on 55th floor and continue going down from there.
– We will need access to both units (01 and 03 tier) to splice and to install fiber wall plates.
– Rewire schedule per floor is as follows:

June 10th units from 55th to 50th floor
June 11th units from 49th to 42nd floor
June 12th units from 41st to 32nd floor
June 13th units from 31st to 22nd floor
June 14th units from 21st to 11th floor
June 17th units from 10th to 3rd floor

We are excited to have this opportunity to provide you with our premier communication services and look forward
to offering you the most innovative technology!

Thank you,

Astound Broadband Chicago

UPDATED May 30th

We Have More Information About The Fiber Project And Some Dates We Can Share

We are waiting for ASTOUND to release formal notices that can be distributed as well as an FAQ to help everyone understand the coming process and new services. For now, we have some initial dates residents can pencil in.

First, related to the 01/03 tier, presently undergoing the Riser Project, ASTOUND will be beginning the fiber line install next week. Residents of the 01/03 tier can refer to their calendar for specifics, but they will begin Monday June 3rd on 55 and work their way down. If there are any changes to expectations, we will get the word out as quickly as we can.

Very soon, we expect ASTOUND to release an initial notice about the Fiber Rewire effort. This will include explaining the changes in service and equipment. This will be accompanied by the FAQ to help residents understand the process and changes, and to help set expectations. To support that they are planning an event – a Town Hall Meeting/Meet and Greet on Thursday June 13th. Representatives will be here to explain the project and answer questions between 5pm and 7pm.

For the 01/03 residents, the dates for new equipment installation are expected to by Wednesday July 10th through Saturday July 13th. The aforementioned notice will include information on how to set up an appointment to get your new equipment installed for free.

Following that process, the Co-Axial cable service to the 01/03 tier is expected to be cut off on Monday July 22nd, and those residents will be the first to go live on the fiber network.

It is also expected that the ’15 tier fiber installation will get underway on Monday July 15th. [CORRECTION] The equipment installation would likely follow in August, as well as the fiber installation for the ’14 tier…and the process will continue on down over the next several months. We are awaiting final confirmation for the ’15 tier timing and a calendar to distribute to residents.

They’ve committed to additional Town Halls, and even some ZOOM events so residents on the coming tiers will have opportunities to learn more about the process and what to expect as additional tiers get scheduled for fiber and equipment installation. However, the FAQ they will be distributing is extremely informative and may cover much if not all the questions you may have about the changes and the new equipment.

This is a lot and we know residents will have questions and feedback, but we are excited to get this significant improvement rolling for the PT community. Feel free to contact us anytime at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

UPDATED May 16th

The Team At Astound Is Gearing Up To Begin The Install For the ’01/’03 Tier, With The ’15 Tier To Follow In July

And after that, they will continue downward through the tiers, 14, 12, 11, 10 and so on.

This process is expected to begin as a part of the final phase of work on the ’01/’03 HVAC Riser Project, June 3rd. They will be working their way down from the 55th Floor. Then, there will be a pause as we wrap up with Riser work and a break for the week of the Independence Day Holiday. Then we expect their work to continue one tier at a time with the ’15 starting Monday July 8th.

We await their formal project calendar to be released, and we will distribute that (and update this post) once it’s available.

They’ve also announced that the fiber line is expected to go live as they install each tier. They will set up scheduling for equipment installation upon completion tier by tier. This was previously unexpected, but should result in a more efficient transition.

The are also working on scheduling for Town Hall Meetings and tutorials to help residents learn and understand the new equipment and services. The DVR platform will move from TIVO to a cloud based service, which we are told is user friendly and will give much more recording flexibility and capacity.

MORE TO COME…stay tuned!

UPDATED March 15th

What happened on Tuesday? Intermittent internet outages and slow downs: Click Here

ORIGINAL POST

Bulk Cable And Internet Service Is Expected To Soon Get A Boost With A Fiber Upgrade

We’ve gotten the questions about it, and we now have some details we can share including a potential timeframe for work to begin!

Along with the price decrease negotiated by the Association, thanks to the efforts of the Ad Hoc Commission that worked on the cable and internet contract renewal, replacement of the coaxial cable network with fiber as the primary source of video and internet service was considered. This has not yet been formally approved by the Board, as we negotiated the details and reviewed potential construction plans for the effort. This will include opening up walls in most units and installing new equipment in all units, so there’s been quite a bit to review.

With or without the agreed wiring plan, we did push ASTOUND to implement the price decrease March 1st. Originally they only agreed to the price decrease once the fiber network went live. They agreed with management that there were too many variables outside of the Association’s control, and capitulated to making the price adjustment concurrent with the Association’s new budget year, starting March 1st.

Also, we can now announce we expect the Board to formally consider an agreement with ASTOUND for the fiber installation plans at the next Board Meeting, Monday March 11th. Assuming the effort is approved as negotiated, work could began as soon as the 2nd or 3rd week of May 2024. If that happens, installation of new equipment for the fiber service could occur as soon as August. It would be possible that all units would have access to the agreed to 1 GIG upload and 1 GIG download of service by September.

Assuming the agreement is approved, detailed schedules will be put together as quickly as possible and shared with all residents and Owners. We will outline the expected timeframe for the construction work and when we will need access to the units to do wiring. We can’t yet speak to the schedule for installation of equipment, but that will not take place until after the fiber infrastructure is installed. However, it will take about 15 working days from the moment ASTOUND enters a unit to begin the fiber installation process, to the day we expect to finish.

The fiber lines will be run in the chase serving the HVAC Risers. These are the plumbing risers that serve the convectors units which heat and cool your home.  There are 17 such risers, but we will only need to access 11 of them to get fiber into every unit. This is because some risers serve two units. (Such as the riser we recently had a leak on, the ’01/’03 riser – it serves the ’01 guest bedroom and the ’03 studios.) Thanks to dual unit risers like this, we will not have to make openings in every single unit. Those where we do make openings, will be closed up and painted. Those we do not will only have a small opening made for the fiber line junction box that will be installed in every unit.

THIS IS A LOT…I know, but our team wanted to bring everyone up to speed and answer some of the questions we’ve been getting. More will be coming, and most importantly detailed schedules for the work.

One other question we’ve gotten…

Since the contract will be allowing up to 1 GIG Uploads and 1 GIG Downloads, if we presently pay for a 1 GIG upgrade, will the charge for that go away?

YES! In fact, anyone who presently has speed upgrades to 1 Gig will see that charge go away once the network goes live.

Feel free to share any other questions you may have, at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

Stay tuned!