RACE Communications: Atwater fiber build nearly complete; residents press for clearer notices and final restoration

Jim Miller, vice president of RACE Communications, told the Atwater City Council on Dec. 8 that the company is "feet away" from getting continuity to its point of presence and hopes to begin testing and light the network in late January. "We were gonna light up the network before Christmas, but we are that close," Miller said, adding that crews will conduct a week of testing once continuity is achieved before turning service over to RACE's sales team.

Councilmembers and residents pressed RACE on construction communications and final repairs. Councilmember Kale said the "biggest complaint" is that residents are not being told when crews will work in their yards and that temporary restorations can leave driveways or turf in a nonpermanent condition. Miller said the company will reword advance letters and door tags to make clear that temporary cold‑patch asphalt may remain for 30 to 60 days while final restoration is scheduled. "We definitely are gonna reword our literature when it goes out to people in the future," Miller said.

Miller described the construction schedule as moving into a restoration phase after heavy underground work; he told the council heavy lifting should be about 98% complete by late February into March, with resident hookups and sales taking place over the next six months to a year, depending on take rates. For damage or service issues residents were given a support line: "(877) 722-3833" and the company's site, race.com; Miller said calling the support option creates a trouble ticket and initiates repair tracking.

Omar Isebuda, RACE's senior outside sales manager, described the door‑to‑door sales process and the customer benefits of fiber, saying residents will see symmetrical upload and download speeds for services such as video doorbells and remote work. Several residents who spoke during public comment praised the work in their neighborhoods: one resident said RACE "replaced all my grass" and that the company performed "to a pretty high standard."

The company acknowledged some complaints—particularly about the timing of final restoration and temporary patches—attributed the problems to construction sequencing and weather, and said it would send a project manager to address individual issues. Councilmembers asked staff and RACE to keep communication channels open and to provide clearer expectations for residents about the multi‑step restoration process.

Next steps: RACE will continue heavy construction into early 2024, begin continuity testing when the link to its point of presence is complete, and move to resident installations once testing meets specifications. Residents were advised to use the provided support line to report damage or outstanding restoration issues.