COVID-19 Updates
Astrea is here for you. Keeping you connected during COVID-19.
May 15, 2020, 12:30 p.m. CT
Astrea offering Free Wi-Fi connection sites as part of the COVID-19 response.
On the heels of Astrea Connection Assistance Program, that offered 60 days of free high-speed cable internet broadband access for new K-12 & college student income eligible households, Astrea announced continued COVID-19 assistance by deploying free community Wi-Fi hot spot locations in several Wisconsin communities.
“As a company, our mission is to provide connectivity to rural America and with emergence of COVID-19 the need has never been greater," stated Cory Heigl, VP and General Manager of Astrea. We are thankful to be able to come together to support our neighbors that do not have access to an internet connection at home by providing free community Wi-Fi locations in partnership with several of our Astrea communities. These drive up locations offer an opportunity to connect to the internet while maintaining safe social distancing by accessing the points from your vehicle."
The following wisconsin locations are currently available via an Astrea connection point:
Brownsville, WI
Community Center – 871 Main Street, Brownsville, WI (Accessible via the parking lot)
Butternut, WI
Village of Butternut Town Hall – 301 W. Michigan Street, Butternut, WI (Accessible via the parking lot)
Cecil, WI
Cecil Boat Landing / Cecil Village Park (Accessible via the parking lot)
Elcho, WI
N11173 US-45, Elcho, WI (Accessible via the Builders Service parking lot)
Goodman, WI
Near the Football field (Parking alongside the road)
Laona, WI
Laona Town Hall – 5146 Linden Street, Laona, WI (Accessible via the parking lot)
The Wisconsin Public Service commission is also maintaining a master list of all available public Wi-Fi locations. Click the button below to learn more.
April 21st, 2020, 12:00 p.m. CT
Astrea donates $15,000 to local food pantries to support those affected by COVID-19
On the heels of Astrea Connection Assistance Program, that offered 60 days of free high-speed cable internet broadband access for new K-12 & college student income eligible households, Astrea announced continued COVID-19 assistance through a $15,000 donation to local food pantries. Astrea, a division of CCI Systems, announced that the donation would be disbursed to 32 food pantries accross Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
“Our local food pantries are on the front lines of this crisis & have experienced unprecedented demands in recent weeks. As members of our Astrea communities have been faced with financial insecurities due to COVID-19, we know that the access to food and other assistance is critical at this time," stated Cory Heigl, VP and General Manager of Astrea. “We are thankful to be able to come together to support our neighbors in need and we hope that our support can help make an impact on our local pantries and those needing assistance."
April 8th, 2020, 1:00 p.m. CT
UPDATED INSTALLATION & SUPPORT PROCESSES
As Astrea continues to keep our customers connected to essential services while protecting the health and safety of our employees and customers, we are making temporary adjustments to our installation & support procedures to limit the amount of time Astrea technicians spend in our customers’ homes.
Installations and support deemed “essential" will continue. To limit the time in a customer home, Astrea will be delaying the installation & support of certain “non-essential" items until COVID restrictions have been lifted. A listing of essential vs non-essential work is noted below:
Essential Installations & Support
– Internet installations & maintenance to ensure a stable internet connection at the point where the cable physically enters the home/structure
– TV installations & maintenance to the main television in the home
– Phone installations & maintenance to a known working modem
Non-Essential Installations and Support
– Modem relocation
– New TIVO installations
– TIVO support for secondary TV units
– Additional outlets
– Installation & support of multiple HD boxes
– Multi-room TV installations
Any non-essential work will be completed once the COVID restrictions have been lifted and there will be no additional fees incurred by the customer.
While essential installation and support work is being done in the home, Astrea asks that the customer keep the work area clear of unneeded obstructions (ex. toys, plants, etc.) to limit contact with these items. In addition, it is requested that only 1 person be present in the room during the installation.
For installation and/or service order work, Astrea field technicians have been provided comprehensive cleaning and sanitization protocols that they are following before and after leaving a home or business.
In addition, to protect our field employees, we are conduction verbal screening procedures with customers prior to scheduling work to verify exposure risk. We appreciate your cooperation and honesty in this effort if you do need installation or service assistance.
Finally, COD payments will no longer be accepted by a field technician. Customers will have the option of making payments via the customer portal online bill payment, with a sales agent or by mailing in a check.
March 30th, 2020, 11:45 a.m. CT
Update: Application period has ended as of April 1o, 2020.
Astrea Connection Assistance application date extended to April 10th. Program offering 60 days of free high-speed internet for eligible K-12 and college student households.
Due to an overwhelming response, and identified need in Astrea communities, Astrea has announced that they are extending the application date for the Astrea Connectipn Assistance program to Friday, April 10th.
The Astrea Connection Program offers free high-speed cable internet broadband access for new K-12 & college student income elegible households for 60 days. The sign-up period for this program has been extended to April 10th. Eligibility requirements for the program include:
- The household does not currently have an internet connection. Cell phones excluded.
- Your child or children are currently enrolled in K-12 or higher education establishments (college, university, etc.). For K-12 students, you must meet the K-12 free or reduced lunch program requirements. For college aged students, you must be currently receiving Federal Student Aid Pell Grants.
- To receive service, the home must be located within Astrea’s cable service area with the ability to connect to the home without construction related needs.
For a complete explanation of program details, eligibility requirements and to access the application, families are encouraged to visit go.astreaconnect.com or call us at 800-236-8434 for assistance applying.
Apply Online
For those that do not qualify for the assistance programming, Astrea is offering programming that waives upgrade fees and installation fees until May 29th. To take part in this programming, visit astreaconnect.com and submit a new service request or call 800-236-8434 to speak with a Production Solution Advisor.
Astrea helps connect over 60 small communities throughout Wisconsin & the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to family, healthcare, work, education and entertainment while maintaining the lifestyle they love by providing high-speed internet along with TV and Phone services. Astrea has built an extensive infrastructure that offers most communities unprecedented rural internet speed offerings ranging from 50mbps up to 1Gig. Founded in 2007, Astrea is headquartered in Iron Mountain, MI with store locations in Crivitz, WI, Oconto Falls, WI and Sault Ste. Marie, MI. To learn more or find service near you, visit astreaconnect.com
March 23rd, 2020, 5:00 p.m. CT
Customer Update Regarding Operations & High Call Volumes
As COVID-19 continues to impact our lives and businesses, we are committed to doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of our employees and customers. As declared by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, during this state of National Emergency, we are deemed a critical communication facility and we are committed to continuing to support the connection needs of our Astrea communities.
While we continue to maintain business operations, we are experiencing a steady increase in the number of calls to our call center. We expect this call volume to continue to rise as businesses enact work-from-home policies, schools switch to online-only formats, people turn to streaming entertainment in lieu of social activities, and overall bandwidth needs increase.
As call volumes increase, we do anticipate a longer than normal wait time to speak with an Astrea support agent. To manage this, please keep the following contact options in mind when reaching out to us:
– Astrea offers alternatives to phone support including live chat, email and customer portal ticket requests. You can use any of these options here on our website.
– We offer a call back feature when you are placed on hold. Simply select option 6 and you can hold your place in line. A customer advocate will reach back out on the number provided.
– Astrea provides 24/7 support by calling 800-236-8434. Call volumes are typically the highest in the morning and the early afternoon. Please consider calling during non-peak times to lessen your wait times.
We ask for your patience and understanding as we navigate these ever changing and challenging waters. We are committed to assisting you through any disruptions that may arise relating to COVID-19. It is a privilege to serve you.
March 17th, 2020, 3:34 p.m. CT
Update: Application period for COVID-19 Assistance Program has ended as of April 1o, 2020.
NETWORK STABILITY TO KEEP YOU CONNECTED
The Astrea network that provides you with your internet, TV and/or phone connection remains strong. We are closely monitoring the network performance as members of our communities exercise their work from home option or simply have increased the time they are spending in their home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a result, we are continuously monitoring bandwidth usage with tools that reveal network trends, along with performance and capacity reports to help us manage our network and keep our connection strong.
SPEEDS THAT MATCH THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY
We at Astrea take great pride in the extensive network we have built to bring high speed internet access to our rural communities. With this investment, we are prepared to offer you the bandwidth you need today and, in the future, including speed offerings from 50mbps up to 1Gig (1000mbps) in most of our communities.
WAIVING INSTALLATION & UPGRADE FEES
If you find yourself in need of additional speed, we are waiving any upgrade fees until May 29th for our current customers who need a higher tiered speed package.
In addition, any new customer qualifies for free installations services during this same timeframe. Call 800-236-8434 and press option 2 for additional details.
ASTREA COVID-19 CONNECTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Astrea will be offering free high-speed cable internet broadband access for new K-12 & College Student income eligible households for 60 days. IMPORTANT: the sign-up period for this program is limited and begins on March 17th and ends on March 31st. For a complete list of eligibility requirements & program details, please click the button below:
INSTALLATION & SERVICE ORDER PROCEDURES TO KEEP YOU AND OUR EMPLOYEES SAFE
For upcoming installation and/or service order work, Astrea field technicians ave been provided comprehensive cleaning and sanitization protocols that they are following before and after leaving a home or business. In addition, to protect our field employees, we are conducting verbal screening procedures with customers prior to scheduling work to verify exposure risk. We appreciate your cooperation in this effort if you do need installation or service assistance.
STORE FRONT LOCATIONS & ASTREA SUPPORT OPTIONS
At this time, all Astrea store front locations, including the corporate office in Iron Mountain, MI, are currently closed to the public. We will continue to monitor the closing and reopening of each of our locations on a case by case basis. If you need assistance during this time, our Customer Advocate team is available to assist you. You can reach our team here on our website and using our chat feature or by emailing ask@astreaconnect.com. We are also available by phone at 800-236-8434. As a reminder, bill payments can made online under our My Astrea tab, via phone or by mail.
We appreciate your business and are committed to assisting you through any disruptions that may arise relating to COVID-19. We will always put our customers and employees firsts, and that commitment has never been more important. It is a privilege to serve your and your community.