Residents who are moving into homes in one of Southern California’s newest communities have one less thing to worry about: When their Internet service will be online.
From the moment they walk into the door in Hesperia’s Silverwood community, residents are able to immediately sign up for Spectrum broadband Internet service thanks to an arrangement with the neighborhood’s developer and Charter Communications that involved the pre-installation of more than 3,000 broadband gateways in new residential builds.
The initiative, called Spectrum Ready, allows residents to activate Spectrum Internet service by scanning a quick reference (QR) code beneath a gateway that is already on one wall of their home. The service is up and running in less than 10 minutes, according to marketing materials from Charter; more than 200 residents have already taken advantage of the perk, part of Charter’s Spectrum Community Solutions division.
“Through our agreement with DMB Development, every home has Spectrum Ready pre-installed Internet and WiFi so when the homeowner moves in, all they need to do is activate their services and they’re immediately connected,” Adam Moore, the Senior Vice President of Spectrum Community Solutions, said in a statement.
Silverwood is not the first community to receive Spectrum Ready: The service launched two years ago, targeting multi-family properties and residential communities that were willing to sign bulk service agreements.
But the Hesperia community is special because it is one of the biggest deployments of Spectrum Ready in new homes, and gives Spectrum immediate visibility the moment they move in — no appointments or visits from cable installers necessary.
“Our homeowners need fast, reliable Internet and this partnership with Spectrum Ready allows this from day one with tremendous ease in deliverability,” Ohanian said.
It doesn’t stop at broadband: Residents have the option to add Spectrum TV as well — they can stream live broadcast and cable channels using most existing smart TVs and streaming set-top boxes like Roku, Apple TV and Amazon’s Fire TV if they want, or they can opt to lease equipment from Spectrum, which can be shipped to their homes or picked up at a Spectrum retail location.
Most newer Spectrum TV plans also include access to network-owned ad-supported streaming platforms like HBO Max, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, AMC Plus and Hulu at no extra cost. Charter said the inclusion of network-owned apps in Spectrum TV plans can save customers more than $130 per month, based on the individual retail cost of each app.
Customers can also add Spectrum home phone and Spectrum Mobile services at separate costs. Spectrum Mobile runs on Verizon’s 4G LTE and 5G networks.
Silverwood is among the larger planned residential developments in California’s High Desert region, encompassing approximately 9,366 acres and approved for more than 15,000 homes.
The project includes plans for 700,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, five elementary schools, a middle school and a high school.
Developers have also designated approximately 4,900 acres for open space, along with 385 acres of parks and 160 miles of trails.
The Silverwood development team includes DMB Development, Schlegel Capital and Beaumont Partners. The project is expected to involve more than $1.6 billion in regional infrastructure and service improvements over approximately 25 years.
Charter did not disclose the financial terms of its agreement with DMB Development or specify whether Spectrum Ready will be deployed across subsequent phases of Silverwood.
