Tech support in Rural AK nonexistent

[sli-er_15]

When I had equipment problems with my HN7000S I had to work on the equipment myself due to the techs not wanting to come out here because of the cost of travel. I eventually got my connection back up and running after paying for some parts and installing them, along with shipping costs.

Recently, our local USPS PO ordered a dish to be installed a few months ago to run their postal business. The tech that came out to install the dish was told a few times not too install it just above ground because it would be covered up by snow each time a snow storm blew in. The tech said it would be fine on the ground. Well, after a few storms and a lot of shoveling the connection at the USPS office has died and their requests to the HughesNet dealer to come out to fix and move the dish has been getting nothing but excuses to not come out. It will be 1 month next week without an internet connection to run their business which BTW handles about 95% of shipments coming in and out of here. Locals can't buy stamps, money orders, pay for CODs etc. until they get a reliable connection. 

Here are some FB posts from the local postal worker.

2/24/22

Sorry, the post office does not have internet access/connection. Therefore, I cannot sell anything that includes taking out going packages and stamps. I have been calling everyday for an update. Hugh's net says they are waiting for a tech "willing" to come out here. Their words. I understand your frustration because I very much am already. If anything, I will update on here if they've found one that willingly wants to come out here.

2/28/22
Update on the Post Office internet. Since Hugh's net doesn't want to come out here, we've requested for them to send replacements for the dish even if we'll have no idea how to install anything lol. This is pretty unbelievable but hope we can get it done if they do choose to send the supplies. They will get on with that and get back with us if they choose to do so.

2/28/22

Post office coming up with 3 weeks with no internet. Frustrating, we are trying to talk with the company. Now our scanners went to Nome to update everything that we scanned in the past 3 weeks, so now we have to wait for those to come back to work on packages.

We feel so overwhelmed with this issue. I feel your frustration. Thank you to those of you who are kind and understanding. I appreciate those of you who don't blame this situation on us. Hopefully they can get us help soon!!

3/4/22

Update on the Post office internet issue.

We call daily and now Hugh's Net says they are waiting for approval from USPS Washington DC to send technician's out here. We get different answers everyday but hopefully this get resolved soon! This is the most frustrating issue we've ever dealt with. Thank you for being patient with us.

Hopefully, this will get addressed soon but, with government red tape, it may be a while.

[maratsade]

Are there any branches of the post office people can use while this is being resolved?

[sli-er_15]

The closest one is about 35 miles as the crow flies, the next, about 200 miles. No roads in between here and there.

[maratsade]

Yikes. I hope the situation gets resolved soon. 

[sli-er_15]

Yes but, it doesn't look like it'll be resolved by HughesNet. All this wouldn't have happened if only the installer had listened to the postmaster in the first place.

"3/8 I'm just going to tell it how it is, no more keeping quiet. This is week 4 with no internet connection. Hugh's net has nothing but false hope for us with their broken promises of saying they're coming out here. People who have them as their provider have also told me they have done nothing to help them. I am in the process of talking to my supervisor to switch to a different company. This is so unreal and so wrong on every level. And this is all happening in 2022. Lol."

I wonder if HughesNet will slap them with an early cancellation fee if they go with another company.

[maratsade]

Are there any other options for them in AK?

[sli-er_15]

Currently, there's just one other option, UUI internet. Later, there'll be a few more (spacex, telesat and one web) with better bandwidth than either of the current options that I will switch to whenever they go online here. We'll just have to see whether they'll have better support than what HughesNet is currently providing to it's rural AK customers. 

[Liz]

Good morning folks,

Thank you for bringing this up, I'm also disheartened to read about this situation. It's not typically an account type that we can assist with, but we've escalated this up a few levels and now have a VP from the appropriate department looking into this. 

-Liz

[GabeU]

How awful.  The (sub)contractor should foot the bill of sending out another tech to properly install the dish where it should have been in the first place.  But at this point priority number one should be getting someone out there to fix the problem regardless.  🙁

[sli-er_15]

Thank you, Liz.

An update from the postal worker.

"**UPDATE***

Hugh's net has finally planned to come on Monday 3/21/22 for the Post Office! Finger's crossed

Right now, all I can sell is stamped envelopes and must be exact change. Hopefully we'll be back up next week!!"

Hopefully this time they'll keep their word on coming out here.

[Liz]

Glad to hear this. I'd love to hear how it goes next week.

-Liz

[sli-er_15]

An update from the postal worker.
"3/22/22 post office's satellite dish is back on but can still go completely out since it's still on the ground.

Although it is yet another temporary fix until they can move the satellite dish in late June, early July. I hope it will last until then but he says any day it can completely go out again then we'll have to wait until around those dates to have it completely moved to a proper place and fixed 100%"

I don't know what to say about this.

[Liz]

Good morning sli-er_15,

Thank you for this update! I'm glad to see that we restored the internet at your post office and that there is a plan to move the dish at another date. The right folks here at corporate are involved in resolving this for the post office long term. 

-Liz

[sli-er_15]

Hi Liz,

You're welcome. Please keep monitoring it. We still have some storms that will be coming through before the snows starts melting in May.

[sli-er_15]

Well, whoever was supposed to come out to move the dish hasn't yet and the Post Office has had no internet again for the past month.

"

8/22/22  post office

If you are expecting a COD, make sure it's here first then call the company from where you ordered from and if they accept to pay over the phone, you may do so. Have to show proof of purchase either have them call the post office for confirmation or show paperwork of proof.

1 month with no internet connection once again. Doing everything we can on our end."