Orland Park temporarily stopped all broadband installation after residents reported unsafe work that included a recent power outage.
The Village Board determined it needed more regulatations on installation by contractors including Astound, a corporation that says it installs high-speed internet around the country.
The Illinois 2019 broadband investment program made $400 million in matching grants available to internet service providers for fiber optic construction throughout the state. Providers are under state regulation but receive permits from individual municipalities to complete the work.
Mayor Jim Dodge said Astound is working to build a fiber optic grid across Orland Park, dividing the village into zones. As part of the installation process, the company drills horizontally to lay pipe underground, disrupting residential areas.
“What they’re trying to do is hard,” Dodge said. “And everybody appreciates that this could be great for the residents when everything is done and constructed.”
But Dodge said the village has faced complaints from residents about installation leading to property damage, potholes, work outside of permitted hours and most recently, utility hits that created a power outage for about 300 homes lasting up to 10 hours.
Village Manager George Koczwara said Astound asked the village to allow it to finish fiber optic installation in the Cataline subdivision this winter, which has been permitted as the past several winters have been mild. But more snow this year created difficult conditions as workers were unable to see markers telling them where to drill, Koczwara said.
Orland Park Village Clerk Mary Ryan Norwell takes the oath of office May 5, 2025. (Troy Stolt for the Daily Southtown)
Village Clerk Mary Norwell said the power outage hit her home on a 20-degree day with snow on the ground, which was especially difficult on her husband, who is disabled.
“It was terrible in our house,” Norwell said. “It was warm for about the first hour and then it proceeded to get worse throughout the day.”
Norwell said Astound failed to reach out to her or her neighbors to notify them of the power outage and explain what happened.
Joe Bell, Astound vice president and general manager for Illinois and Indiana, said Friday the company reached out to Comed immediately after discovering its workers hit a power line. It had no way of knowing how many residents were affected by the power outage or how long the outage would last, he said.
Bell said the company is one of several installing fiber optic in Orland Park and prides itself on following strict standards.
“It was very surprising” to see the village’s news release Dec. 12 that listed other issues that needed to be addressed before resuming construction, he said.
“Of course, things can happen, but based on our strict standards and our local folks that are on the ground every day managing the build, that would not be us in terms of contractors being our there after work hours, out of uniform, not ID’d and badged,” Bell said.
Orland Park plans to allow for construction to resume after the board updates ordinances to give the village “more teeth” in its dealings with fiber optic companies like Astound, Koczwara said.
“At the end of the day, this is going to be very good for residents when they have additional high-speed internet access, but we’re limited in how much we can regulate,” Koczwara said.
“A lot of these companies are very aggressive — they want to get these things done as fast as possible,” he said. “So sometimes they overextend themselves when they’re moving at such a quick pace.”
Koczwara said the village plans to restrict the number of simultaneous active construction zones and require companies to directly inform residents of work that affects them.
Bell said Astound welcomes the village implementing stricter standards and encourages people who are concerned about their practices reach out to the company.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/19/orland-park-halts-broadband-installation/
