Why do I need to make a $99 deposit if the installation is free?
When people call for service, they often question why they must provide a deposit. There are several
reasons why deposits are important. But before we get to those reasons, clarifying the process we
hope will help subscribers.
First, the entire $99 deposit is put on as a credit to your account. This means your service is prorated until the deposit credit is exhausted; this typically results in your first month of service being “pre-paid” and your second month of service being reduced as the full $99 deposit is refunded.
Second, the $99 deposit can be refunded if the customer's circumstances change before the service is installed. This happens occasionally if someone moves or something happens and they no longer want service. The deposit is meant to help both Axiom and the Town understand the number of committed subscribers, which helps with the final planning and deployment of the network.
Cost
The grant funding accounts for up to 270 installations. If we provide the funding for an installation, the state and the Town want to ensure that the customer actually takes the service. A deposit is a strong signal that the potential customer is taking service. Since there is limited funding, building a drop to a home to find out that the homeowner did not intend to take service is not a permissible use of funds.
Planning
Signing up early allows the engineers to design the installation to your home ahead of time, which saves costs and helps Axiom rationally deploy resources to create efficiencies in the deployment schedule. Also, by signing up early, we can better understand any challenges in getting your home service and identify any “non-standard” install costs that would need to be covered by the homeowner. These costs are typically associated with non-existing underground conduits that must be installed for the home to receive service. There is more information on the Vienna website on what a standard and non-standard installation is.
Accurate Customer Counts
Because the Town owns the network and will be deriving fees to help cover the ongoing cost of the network upkeep, it is important that the Town have an accurate count of pre-install subscribers to help them reconcile revenue projections. Having a subscriber make a deposit solidifies that the requests for service are accurate.