Lake Cherokee Internet

March 16, 2010

The weather has been cooperating and we have made progress. For those of you deep in Lee and Mud Creeks, I apologize for the delay in getting service to you. We have been seeking a repeater tower location for weeks, but have been unsuccessful in getting agreement from any shareholder in the necessary location. We have a solution and will be implementing it within the next week...I promise...Except for a very few pockets, the entire Lake is now covered. If you have been waiting for service, except for Lee/Mud Creeks, call for an appointment. I do need a dock location in the ND-section and will trying to secure that this week. It is needed in lot ND-07-09 locations.

Addressing some of the outages we have had,our network is nearing completion but we still have some work to do, especially electrical. On several occasions the power has been interrupted on a couple of towers, and on one occasion, at the main office while some electrical upgrades were completed by the CWC Maintenance Staff. Since it was work related to the Generator, we lost power without backup. Also, we have had several outages caused by our "back haul" supplier. We are investigating alternative sources for back haul as well as for redundancy. There are not a lot of options here at the Lake, but we are pursuing the ones we have. We know that whatever the cause of the outages, whether we can control it or not, we are responsible for getting it fixed.

Please note the CUG/LCI Technical Support Number 877-610-9434 (WIFI). Sending an email to lcicherokee@gmail.com will not get you service as I do not check this each day and have no access to trouble shoot problems. PLEASE CALL THE ABOVE NUMBER 24 HOURS A DAY IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS. FOR NETWORK OUTAGES, THEY MONITOR IT 24X7. FOR INDIVIDUAL OUTAGES AFTER HOURS, THEY WILL CHECK NETWORK STATUS FIRST, AND IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT SYSTEMIC, WILL RESPOND WITHIN 24 HOURS.

The installation subsidy will expire 3/31/2010. After that date, basic installation will be $125.00 plus the radio. If you are on the list before 3/31, we will cover the $125.00, regardless of your actual install date.

Thanks for all your support and patience. In less than 5 months we have built a network and installed over 200 subscribers. That could not have been done without your support and response.

LCI INSTALLATION FEE PROMOTION HAS BEEN EXTENDED

Beginning in November, the CWC established a subsidy program for shareholders desiring to sign up for LCI, our new High Speed Wireless Internet service. The subsidy program was due to expire on February 28, 2010. Under this program, the CWC would pay up to $125.00 of the $175.00 + tax cost of basic installation. Due to the overwhelming response from the shareholders, we will be extending the subsidy program until Wednesday March 31, 2010. In order to qualify for this promotion, you need to be on the installation list by Wednesday, March 31, 2010. Just send your name, lot number, telephone number and your request to be placed onto the installation list to lcicherokee@gmail.com.

LCI is providing very high-speed Internet to our Lake Cherokee Community at the low cost of $46.00 per month, if you set up a PayPal Account. PayPal will automatically charge your credit card each month, so your service will not be interrupted. However, if you choose not to have these charges made automatically, you will have to manually enter payment each month, through PayPal, but the monthly charge will be $54.38 and each month you would need to remember to make your payment in order to keep continual service. PayPal is a secure site and they are used throughout the world for financial transactions.

Many shareholders have already taken advantage of the $125.00 savings on the promotional installation fee. Take advantage of this offer and place yourself on the installation list. Only CWC shareholders will be receiving this subsidized promotion. This is our way of saying thank you for your support.

If you would like to attend an informational meeting about LCI, with the LCI project team and members of the tech. support, CUG, be sure to send your name, lot number and contact telephone number to LCIcherokee@gmail.com to be placed on the meeting list. The meeting usually takes place on a Saturday morning and takes about two hours. You will be contacted when the date has been set. We will discuss LCI, equipment needed, how to get started, and basic information about our high-speed wireless Internet. You will also be able to meet with the technical support team of CUG (Community Utilities Group). We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1.   I have three computers in my home, will all three be able to sign on the Internet at the same time?
A. Yes. Once you have purchased a subscription plan and established a User Name and Password, you have access on all the computers.

2. I have an old computer that has been on dial-up, what is needed to make it wireless? How much will it cost?
A. You will need one of our radios mounted on your house. The radio is $50.00.      If your computer has an Ethernet card, and almost all do, you are in business.

3. How will family members be able to use the computer when I am not home?
A   They will need your User Name and Password.

4. Can the password be stored and be used automatically? Yes

5. Do I have to buy a new computer just to get high speed Internet? No.

6.   How secure is the payment information and who is responsible if someone gets personal information?
A. PayPal is the most secure Internet payment system available. Millions of people use it daily. Neither CWC nor CUG see any of your card information, so PayPal is responsible.

7. Will someone be able to see the WI-FI and be able to sign on without paying? No

8. Who do we contact at the CWC for questions about Internet Service? lcicherokee@gmail.com

9. Who at CWC can handle technical questions? Currently lcicherokee@gmail.com .   CUG will responsible for maintaining the system when it is operational.

10. What effect does bad weather have on my service? The same effect it has on your cell phone usage.

11. Will I need to purchase virus and hacker protection?
A. If you do not currently have this protection and you use the Internet, you should acquire it immediately regardless of who provides your Internet connection. There are some very good ones available free.

12. How long does it take to get a technician if my Internet goes out?
CUG will know you are down because they will monitor the radio on your house, but you call their 800 number. They will have it repaired within 24 hours.

12.   I am on another ISP, and want to change ISP, is that any problem?
No. If you have a contract, you should review it before canceling.

13. When can I expect service?
We are taking subscriptions right now. Currently, there is a backlog of requests, but we are working on them as rapidly as possible.

14.    Most Wireless Internet services slow down as more people are signed up. Will this happen to Lake Cherokee Internet?
We are committed to providing enough capacity to eliminate this problem. We will monitor usage on the network and add bandwidth when needed.

Dan Merritt
lcicherokee@gmail.com

LCI INSTALLATION FEE PROMOTION HAS BEEN EXTENDED

If your question(s) remains unanswered, please E-mail lcicherokee@gmail.com with your questions(s).

Dan Merritt lcicherokee@gmail.com

LCI INSTALLATION FEE PROMOTION HAS BEEN EXTENDED

If your question(s) remains unanswered, please E-mail lcicherokee@gmail.com with your questions(s).

Dan Merritt
lcicherokee@gmail.com