Building a high-speed fiber broadband network brings many benefits to a community: business and agriculture growth, educational opportunities, and increased home values. In fact, a 2018 Purdue University study found that broadband internet investment provides 400% financial return to our community's local economy.
To build these new fiber internet lines, we need to access portions of privately owned property. To grant this access, utilities such as Tipmont and Wintek forge agreements, known as easements, with the property owner. An easement grants utility companies permission to access privately owned property to build, access, and maintain transmission lines. Those lines can include electric, telecommunications, gas, water, and sewer.
As a property owner, it’s important to know your rights as it pertains to easements. The easement notice below provides some basic guidance.
Building a high-speed fiber broadband network brings many benefits to a community: business and agriculture growth, educational opportunities, and increased home values. In fact, a 2018 Purdue University study found that broadband internet investment provides 400% financial return to our community's local economy.
To build these new fiber internet lines, we need to access portions of privately owned property. To grant this access, utilities such as Tipmont and Wintek forge agreements, known as easements, with the property owner. An easement grants utility companies permission to access privately owned property to build, access, and maintain transmission lines. Those lines can include electric, telecommunications, gas, water, and sewer.
As a property owner, it’s important to know your rights as it pertains to easements. The easement notice below provides some basic guidance.
Pursuant to Indiana Code Title 32, Article 30, Chapter 16, Tipmont/Wintek intends to install new communications infrastructure (as defined in IC 32-30-16-2) on existing electric poles within existing electric easements held by Tipmont REMC. Tipmont/Wintek intends for the majority of communications infrastructure to be composed of fiber optic cable and ancillary materials and equipment needed to make the fiber optic network operate properly. Wintek will provide the broadband Internet service made available through this new communications infrastructure. We are investing more than seventy million dollars to extend Wintek's services to you and to our community.
Pursuant to IC 32-30-16, you have certain rights when we install new communications infrastructure on existing electric poles within an existing recorded or unrecorded electric easement on your property. Those rights include:
Notwithstanding the foregoing, you are precluded from exercising the rights provided to you under IC 32-30-16-11 and 12 (including rights to get an appraisal and bring a legal action) if you sign an agreement, a master agreement, or an affidavit described in IC 32-30-16-9 whereby you agree to take communications service from Tipmont/Wintek or otherwise consent to the expansion of the electric easement to include communications infrastructure.
This notice is NOT an exhaustive list of the rights you and Tipmont/Wintek have under IC 32-30-16 related to the installation, maintenance, servicing, and use of new communications infrastructure within the existing electric easement held by Tipmont REMC. We strongly encourage you to review that entire chapter of the Indiana Code, particularly to better understand the requirements for obtaining an appraisal or bringing a cause of action as summarized above.
© Wintek. All Rights Reserved.
© Wintek. All Rights Reserved.