Orbitel goes all digital, adds 50 HD channels

Orbitel Communications, the Maricopa-based cable, phone and Internet provider, is making several significant improvements to its services.

“We’re in the middle of a project to change all of the analog signals to digital,” said John Schurz, Orbitel’s president and general manager. “On TVs from 2006 or newer, the digital converter is inside the TV, so people can just do a digital scan on the TV and get all the channels.”

For television sets made before 2006, Orbitel offers a Digital to Analog, or DTA, box that will convert Orbitel’s new digital signals back to analog. Schurz said Orbitel is offering DTA boxes free for the first year and for about $1 per month after that.

Orbitel is also the only provider Schurz knows of that doesn’t already require customers to have a DTA box.

The digital conversion will allow Orbitel to provide approximately 50 new high definition channels to televisions in Maricopa.

Among other upgrades, Orbitel has added a separate sports tier to its services, so customers can pay for just the sports channel, such as the NFL’s Red Zone Channel or the NHL Network, without purchasing a premium package. Its new Orbitel2Go package allows customers to watch their favorite shows and games on their phones, laptops and tablets.

Schurz said Orbitel has done its best to keep up with the expansion of the city, both technologically and geographically, since his company acquired Orbitel two years.

“We added Wi-Fi, which was something the old company didn’t do before, and now we’re doing tests to raise our maximum offered speed from 50 (Mbps) to 75 (Mbps) or even 100 (Mbps),” Schurz said. “We get a lot of complaints about antiquated equipment in households, so we’re working on updating all of that and keeping pace with all of the new building, which is great to see.”

Orbitel recently added a “video on-demand” feature, so customers can watch some of their favorite shows whenever they want without taking up space on their DVR machines, Schurz said. Orbitel’s other popular selling point, according to Schurz, is a seasonal program with no contracts, so snowbirds and other part-time residents don’t have to pay year-round.

“We believe that Maricopa deserves a top-notch cable, internet and phone provider,” Schurz said. “We enjoy working with the community and the city of Maricopa.”