UPDATE – Tuesday September 13th

We have not yet received a formal announcement, however, our building rep with RCN has advised that Tuesday September 13th has been chosen as the 2nd date for the modem upgrade project. The formal announcement will be posted and distributed to qualifying units once it is available.

Is everyone at Park Tower supposed to be getting new modems?

GOOD QUESTION – NO! Most residents already have the necessary equipment. Just about 200 units were in need of this upgrade.

How would I know if I needed the upgrade?

GREAT QUESTION – First, RCN advised us they would be proactively contacting residents either by phone or e-mail. Second, we distributed a door drop to only those 200 units. So, if you need the new modem, you should have received their notice under your door.

Is this new modem really necessary?

KEY QUESTION – Yes, if you want the best user experience. As explained below, it will reduce buffering, reduce dropped connectivity and improving internet capacity. Since Park Tower does not have home run wiring, one of the ways RCN tries to compensate is through hardware upgrades such as this.

UPDATE – Friday August 8th

We raised concerns with RCN, that for those of you who need the upgrade, August 11th may not work. The fact is, many residents are on vacation or otherwise unavailable on that day. AND, many of us may not be comfortable doing the ‘self-install’, which is perfectly understandable and reasonable.

After addressing these concerns, our building rep has confirmed they will add a date in September. Almost half those residents who need the new modem have scheduled an appointment or signed up for the self-install option. So once this first phase is completed, and they have a list of residents still needing the new modem, a second date will be chosen and notices will be issued.

In the interim, if you have any problems or questions, do not hesitate to contact the office.

RCN is planning some enhancements to the cable network serving units at Park Tower.

As a result of this process, they will be upgrading older modems which many residents still have and won’t be compatible with the changes being made. Older model modems will be changed to a ‘Docsis 3.0’ modem. Docsis 3.0 modems can offer a significant performance boost over older modems such as reduce buffering, reduce dropped connectivity and improving internet capacity. These replacements will not be necessary for everyone. Some units, particularly newer installations from recent moves, already have the new modems.

RCN is planning proactively to contact over 200 qualifying Park Tower residents to get the necessary replacement scheduled. There will be a number of ways you can chose how to receive the new equipment:

• Shipped to your home free of charge.
• Pick up modem onsite lobby event
• Installed by tech free of charge during lobby event

According to our rep with RCN, the old modems need not even be returned, so if you believe you can walk yourself through the install, you do not need to schedule a visit with a tech.

The tentatively plan to begin making calls directly to qualifying Park Tower residents, the first week of August. A date for the onsite lobby event has not yet been set in stone, but once it is, they will begin making calls.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail the office.