Comcast Cable Modem Service
(Comcast High Speed Internet - CHSI)

Beginning July 1, 2005, this direct-billed service will be offered by Purchasing through its Strategic Supplier Program rather than by ITCom.

Existing ITCom/Comcast Cable Modem Billing Service customers are being transitioned automatically to the new service. There is nothing an existing subscriber needs to do to make the transition happen.

As the records of each ITCom/Comcast Cable Modem Billing Service subscriber are converted to the new system, the customer receives a message from Comcast to say that the transition is complete.

Purchasing has created a Website to facilitate the transition and to allow new customers to order the service or existing customers to make changes to their service (address changes, disconnects, etc.)

Questions about the new service should be directed Anna Wood at Purchasing (647-6026), or via e-mail to the group sspapproval@umich.edu. Questions about past billings for Comcast Cable Modem service billed to a University department through ITCom (only through June 2005 service dates) should be directed to itcombill@umich.edu.

Below are some points of information about the new Comcast High-Speed Internet service through the Strategic Supplier Program.

• Faster download speeds: Once an existing customer's service is transitioned, he or she may notice an increase in download speed from a previous cap of 3 Mbps to a new cap of 5 Mbps. (In general, connect speeds may vary over the course of a day; 5 Mbps is the maximum download speed under the new service, and is not a guaranteed service level.)
• Cost: The monthly charge for the new service is $56.00. There is no difference in cost for customers who have residential cable TV service in addition to cable modem service. Existing subscribers of the ITCom service are being transitioned at no cost; new subscribers will pay a one-time $99.00 installation/set-up fee for the service.
• Single point of contact: Once the transition is complete, Purchasing will be the single contact point for ordering new service. It will not be necessary to call Comcast directly to add, disconnect, or move service. Upon receipt of an order, Purchasing will request that a Comcast representative call the customer to schedule installations or make required changes. Purchasing will also handle moving cable modem service to a new location, disconnecting the service, billing questions, chartcom changes, etc. ITCom will no longer be "in the loop" at all once the transition is complete.
• Billing period: In terms of billing, the major change in procedures is that departments will be billed for the new service *in advance* of the service period, whereas ITCom has been billing departments *after* the service period. The impact on departments is that for one month, it may appear that departments are being double-billed for Comcast cable modem service for their covered faculty and staff, but this will not actually be the case. Comcast will pro-rate partial months of service.
• Toll-free number: Customers of the new service will have a special toll-free number to call 24x7 for enhanced tech support. The staff you reach via this number will be familiar with the particular service for which the University has contracted with Comcast.
• Coverage area: There will be a larger area of coverage for the new service. ITCom's previous contract with Comcast only allowed faculty and staff in the vicinity of Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and some western suburbs of Detroit to have direct billing to a University chartcom through ITCom. The new service will allow departments to fund Comcast cable modem service for remotely located faculty and staff wherever Comcast is the franchised cable provider—throughout the United States.