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Minong orders Starlink for town hall and weighs phone options as Brightspeed issue persists
Summary
Clerk Susan Conaway reported Starlink hardware has been ordered for the Town Hall and staff discussed interim phone-service options after Brightspeed showed no credit; the board asked staff to try to retain the current phone number through January.
The Minong Town Board decided Dec. 8 to proceed with Starlink internet service for Town Hall hardware that has already begun arriving, while staff continue to evaluate phone-service options after Brightspeed showed no credit on the account.
Clerk/Treasurer Susan Conaway said one part of the Starlink system arrived the week of the meeting and that staff have been pursuing resolution with Brightspeed after a credit that had been expected did not appear on the account. Conaway told the board Brightspeed no longer offers single standalone phone lines as a product option and staff researched alternatives including AT&T, T‑Mobile and Consumer Cellular; AT&T quoted about $90 for a single phone line, T‑Mobile showed limited coverage on site, and Consumer Cellular appeared to be a lower-cost option (staff estimated roughly $60 for two lines).
Why it matters: the town office phone number appears on tax bills, so the board asked staff to try to retain the existing number at least through January to avoid customer confusion during tax season.
Supporting details: a village office that uses FirstNet reported satisfaction with that service, and the board discussed short-term options such as piggybacking on another business plan or using Consumer Cellular for the office and the shop. The board also agreed to pursue Starlink for internet connectivity.
What’s next: staff will continue to negotiate with providers, attempt to keep the current phone number through January, and begin implementation of Starlink equipment already ordered.
