Afrihost Fibre Feedback

[AfriFella]

Hello everybody!

Welcome to the new Afrihost Fibre Feedback Thread in the awesome new Afrihost Support Forum. Feel free to post any queries or complaints right here and we'll tackle it together! Compliments and high fives are also welcome.

Don't have Fibre yet? What are you waiting for? Check out if you are covered HERE!

 

[Igor III]

Not sure if I am blind .........

Finally someone is installing fibre in our area (OpenServe), as an existing Afrihost ADSL client, I was hoping to switch from copper to fibre and stay with the same ISP, but the only fibre options available to home users at Afrihost seems to be the uncapped type

Similar to my DSL, I prefer the capped option as I hate being shaped and/or throttled - will Afrihost proved capped fibre deals in the future?

 

[AfriGenie]

Not sure if I am blind .........

Finally someone is installing fibre in our area (OpenServe), as an existing Afrihost ADSL client, I was hoping to switch from copper to fibre and stay with the same ISP, but the only fibre options available to home users at Afrihost seems to be the uncapped type

Similar to my DSL, I prefer the capped option as I hate being shaped and/or throttled - will Afrihost proved capped fibre deals in the future?

At the moment we just have Uncapped products for our FTTH offerings. We may launch Capped accounts on FTTH in the future, but I don't have a timeline for that yet.

What sort of speed are you considering?

 

[Igor III]

At the moment my needs will be satisfied with a 10Mbps line (I don't stream, mainly gaming and torrents).

The OpenServe folk are currently running around my neighbourhood, installing cables everywhere - judging by their progress thus far, I would think that fibre will be available in the next month or two (they are now piggy backing the fibre cables onto the old copper between the houses - underground cabling seems to be completed).

This implies that I am looking at an OpenServe line with my chosen ISP - AH currently offers uncapped on a 10Mbps OpenServe line @ R799.00 (which can be shaped at times and WILL be throttled at 120GB per month). If I look at a capped account offered by the competition, I can get much more bang at a lower monthly rate (if one considers the "FREE" GB's out of peak times, which is perfect for torrents, e.g. WA's 150GB on a 10Mbps line, which includes a 1000GB's after hours deal for a quite few bucks less).

Having been with AH for a very long time (with a short break here and there, when the relationship got bad ), I was hoping to stay with the devil I know, but based on the offerings out there it seems for now that it is not an option

 

[AfriFella]

At the moment my needs will be satisfied with a 10Mbps line (I don't stream, mainly gaming and torrents).

The OpenServe folk are currently running around my neighbourhood, installing cables everywhere - judging by their progress thus far, I would think that fibre will be available in the next month or two (they are now piggy backing the fibre cables onto the old copper between the houses - underground cabling seems to be completed).

This implies that I am looking at an OpenServe line with my chosen ISP - AH currently offers uncapped on a 10Mbps OpenServe line @ R799.00 (which can be shaped at times and WILL be throttled at 120GB per month). If I look at a capped account offered by the competition, I can get much more bang at a lower monthly rate (if one considers the "FREE" GB's out of peak times, which is perfect for torrents, e.g. WA's 150GB on a 10Mbps line, which includes a 1000GB's after hours deal for a quite few bucks less).

Having been with AH for a very long time (with a short break here and there, when the relationship got bad ), I was hoping to stay with the devil I know, but based on the offerings out there it seems for now that it is not an option

Really sorry to hear that you're considering jumping ship here, Igor III. You might be lucky in the sense that you can still use any Afrihost account on your Openserve Line as Openserve doesn't connect using DHCP. This means that you can stick to a Capped account on Openserve if you wish.

 

[Igor III]

No need for panic yet - maybe by the time fibre is up and running here, AH will have capped accounts available (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), or in the very least, I will be disappointed in the oppositions service levels that I will return one day when AH do offer capped bundles.

When the fibre train pulls into my station I shall sharpen my pencil and calculate all options - who knows what result will be revealed.

I honestly would love to stay with AH, but we will see when the time comes even though I rant and raved and threw tantrums at times, overall AH was/is pretty good to me and that would be a dififcult one to say goodbye to.

 

[AfriFella]

No need for panic yet - maybe by the time fibre is up and running here, AH will have capped accounts available (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), or in the very least, I will be disappointed in the oppositions service levels that I will return one day when AH do offer capped bundles.

When the fibre train pulls into my station I shall sharpen my pencil and calculate all options - who knows what result will be revealed.

I honestly would love to stay with AH, but we will see when the time comes even though I rant and raved and threw tantrums at times, overall AH was/is pretty good to me and that would be a dififcult one to say goodbye to.

Thanks for the sentiment. Just to reiterate, even now you'll be able to use a Capped connection on Openserve Fibre.

 

[Ianf1]

Hi Afriguys,
I just ordered fibre for my shop on your website. How long does it take to install fibre?
Do the charges only start once the fibre is live and running?
Only openserve was available is this any better or worse than others?

 

[AfriMan]

Hi Afriguys,
I just ordered fibre for my shop on your website. How long does it take to install fibre?
Do the charges only start once the fibre is live and running?
Only openserve was available is this any better or worse than others?

All great questions

There is no guaranteed turnaround for installation, but our team should give you feedback as the order progresses. There are some upfront charges, but we'll make sure that you only pay for the service you received. Openserve is the biggest fibre provider at the moment, though Vumatel is also pretty massive now. I think you're safe with them

 

[TheVeteran]

Hi AfriMan. Do you perhaps know when Afrihost Fibre will be available in Polokwane for residential use? Fibre is laid down but no last-mile providers. Thanks

 

[AfriMan]

Hi AfriMan. Do you perhaps know when Afrihost Fibre will be available in Polokwane for residential use? Fibre is laid down but no last-mile providers. Thanks

I don't know off hand, but it would be reflected on our coverage map. Openserve is probably the most likely provider.

 

[StrontiumDog]

Hi AfriMan, Century City Connect is supposed to be installing fibre in our complex in the coming couple of months barring objections.

On your pricing page https://www.afrihost.com/landing/fibre/
you list Home, Premium and Priority (R549, R649, R749 respectively for 10/5mbps). What is the difference between these, and why is there a difference, surely uncapped unshaped fibre is uncapped unshaped fibre?

Typically what costs are involved to the end-user to get up and running over and above the infrastructure that Century City Connect will install? Speaking under correction, I believe that they will install an FTU into each apartment.

edit: What sort of VOIP service do you offer on these packages and is that at an additional cost? What sort of number range is assigned?

 

[AfriGenie]

Hi AfriMan, Century City Connect is supposed to be installing fibre in our complex in the coming couple of months barring objections.

On your pricing page https://www.afrihost.com/landing/fibre/
you list Home, Premium and Priority (R549, R649, R749 respectively for 10/5mbps). What is the difference between these, and why is there a difference, surely uncapped unshaped fibre is uncapped unshaped fibre?

Typically what costs are involved to the end-user to get up and running over and above the infrastructure that Century City Connect will install? Speaking under correction, I believe that they will install an FTU into each apartment.

The Home Uncapped account is a throttled package, once you've hit your usage threshold - measure over a rolling 30-day window - your connection as a whole will be throttled. You can find the Usage Thresholds HERE. If you are on a Home Uncapped account, you won't be throttled at all until you go over the threshold.

The Premium Uncapped accounts are only shaped products, and then only your P2P and HTTP downloads will be shaped during period of high demand. Real-time services are completely untouched on Premium Uncapped accounts.

The Priority Uncapped accounts are similar to the Premium Uncapped accounts, but they receive the highest priority for bandwidth amongst the Uncapped accounts. That means your P2P and HTTP downloads will remain unshaped as much as possible.

Depending the specific provider, there may be installation and activation costs for a new Fibre connection, or a migration cost for an existing Fibre connection.

At the moment we're running a promotion during which we cover any installation and activation or migration costs up to R4,000.

 

[StrontiumDog]

Thanks ^^ How long is the R4000 promo for if you are at liberty to say?

Does traffic from midnight to 7am count towards the monthly threshold?

What sort of VOIP service do you offer on these packages and is that at an additional cost? What sort of number range is assigned?

 

[AfriGenie]

Thanks ^^ How long is the R4000 promo for if you are at liberty to say?

Does traffic from midnight to 7am count towards the monthly threshold?

What sort of VOIP service do you offer on these packages and is that at an additional cost? What sort of number range is assigned?

We don't have an end-date for the promotion yet, so it will probably still be available for awhile.

At the moment any data you move will count towards the usage on a Home Uncapped account.

Our Fibre products don't include any VOIP products, but they are compatible with existing VOIP solutions.

 

[StrontiumDog]

...
Our Fibre products don't include any VOIP products, but they are compatible with existing VOIP solutions.

Are you referring to options like 'Get a Skype Number' from Skype and using that on an appropriate device? Any other suggestions?

 

[AfriGenie]

Are you referring to options like 'Get a Skype Number' from Skype and using that on an appropriate device? Any other suggestions?

Yup!

You will also be able to buy a VOIP handset and plug that in to your Router.

Personally, I don't use any VOIP services, for me WhatsApp works perfectly, and is super-convenient.

 

[Ianf1]

Hi Afriguys,
I just ordered fibre for my shop on your website. How long does it take to install fibre?
Do the charges only start once the fibre is live and running?
Only openserve was available is this any better or worse than others?

I am still waiting is this normal?

 

[AfriFella]

I am still waiting is this normal?

Heya Ianf. It can be pretty hard to give an exact ETA with regards to the installation of your fibre. It really depends on the availability and the work order created by the provider installing the lines. Have Openserve been in touch with you at all?

 

[Ianf1]

Heya Ianf. It can be pretty hard to give an exact ETA with regards to the installation of your fibre. It really depends on the availability and the work order created by the provider installing the lines. Have Openserve been in touch with you at all?

No contact from Openserve yet. There were guys installing Fibre in the building and when I asked if they are from Openserve they said yes.
Another business in the same building say they have ordered from Webafrica and are also waiting.