Free Activation on Frogfoot.

[portcullis]

Hello fellow forum members.

Starting today, our setup / activation fee on Frogfoot is being zero rated.

Frogfoot Fibre

We provide service in all cities, towns, suburbs and developments that connect back to Cape Town or Johannesburg.

At this point in time we do not provide service in KZN.

As always, the static IPv6 address is included for free, as is the /64 IPv6 block.

 

[portcullis]

Correction: Static IPv4 address is included for free, as is the /64 IPv6 block.

 

[Genisys]

Awesome pricing considering it includes a static IPv4 address

 

[access]

a minimum 3 month initial contract period applies to ensure sufficent time to release your fibre line on both Cape Connect and Frogfoot systems.

what does that mean, to release the fibre line. it sounds like you dont do any work for 3 months or like there is some type of "natural process" that needs to occur.

does the 3 month initial contract period cover the activation cost. so month to month after 3 months, what if you have to cancel after 1 month.

 

[portcullis]

There's a "natural process" that needs to occur.

Let's say you are activated on the 10th of the month. The Frogfoot installers visit your home on that day, run the drop fibre, install the ONU and you sign for the Frogfoot line.

As soon as that ONU is visible online, we receive a certificate of acceptance from Frogfoot. Two days after that, Frogfoot billing starts pro rata for the first month.

If you decide on day two that we are terrible and you want to go elsewhere, we have to cancel the line with Frogfoot. That process requires we give Frogfoot a calendar month's notice, not 30 days. ie One month from the 1st of the next month.

So, you are installed on the 10th and cancel on the 11th.

Frogfoot are still going to bill us for the pro rata for month one and all of month two.

Meanwhile, we have invested human capital into managing the installation. There's constant communication between the ISP that you select to provide your service and the FNO. This is not an automated process. There are humans involved who want to be paid at the end of the month, which is why we insist on a three month minimum term - we would like to at least recover some of the money we've spent getting the service into the client's home.

@access I trust this answers your question.

 

[ld13]

What.
Wait. What?

Free installation? No 12/24 month claw-back? If that is the case, that makes you the cheapest 10/10 offer on my sheet. I think BioniQ is cheaper, but they don't cover us plebs down in Cape Town. Odd change of heart Cape Connect. Nice change of heart.

Now we just need to get your
20/20 prices down by 100,
50/50 prices down by 150,
100/100 prices down by 200 (... you see that +R50 pattern?)

Then I have 3 peeps that will sign up tomorrow.

 

[portcullis]

There's no claw back.

 

[cavedog]

So no service in Richards Bay

 

[Rayvan]

How about fibre in durban Phoenix area for a change

 

[portcullis]

No service in KZN at this point in time.

 

[access]

There's a "natural process" that needs to occur.

Let's say you are activated on the 10th of the month. The Frogfoot installers visit your home on that day, run the drop fibre, install the ONU and you sign for the Frogfoot line.

As soon as that ONU is visible online, we receive a certificate of acceptance from Frogfoot. Two days after that, Frogfoot billing starts pro rata for the first month.

If you decide on day two that we are terrible and you want to go elsewhere, we have to cancel the line with Frogfoot. That process requires we give Frogfoot a calendar month's notice, not 30 days. ie One month from the 1st of the next month.

So, you are installed on the 10th and cancel on the 11th.

Frogfoot are still going to bill us for the pro rata for month one and all of month two.

Meanwhile, we have invested human capital into managing the installation. There's constant communication between the ISP that you select to provide your service and the FNO. This is not an automated process. There are humans involved who want to be paid at the end of the month, which is why we insist on a three month minimum term - we would like to at least recover some of the money we've spent getting the service into the client's home.

@access I trust this answers your question.

ok thanks for the explanation. so its just the 1 additional month you add to cover yourself after you need to go through the administrative processes. sounds fair.

 

[cavedog]

Is it not worth transiting traffic to JHB or CPT and take it from there to offer services in KZN. There isn't much happening in durban exchange anyways and google and Microsoft is in JHB only.

 

[portcullis]

Is it not worth transiting traffic to JHB or CPT and take it from there to offer services in KZN. There isn't much happening in durban exchange anyways and google and Microsoft is in JHB only.

We've run those numbers over and over.

The NLD (national long distance) cost between Isando or Samrand and River Horse means we'll maybe break even at about 1,000 customers. The more customers you add, the faster the routers, the more IP Transit you require. It's a bit of a catch 22.

Unfortunately, the numbers just don't work at this point for that route.

But...

CTN - Durban is the way we want to go. It's unfortunately a nightmare at the moment. There isn't continuous fibre between the two cities, so traffic routes via strange locations that may of may not include long microwave links. We almost signed with a guy who offered us the link with a promised 27ms ping time. Turns out he was good at selling, but not so good at delivering

We can justify that route by using it as a internet breakout in case the fibre to Johannesburg were to go down, but that will only happen when there's fibre all the way between Cape Town and Durban.

 

[cavedog]

We've run those numbers over and over.

The NLD (national long distance) cost between Isando or Samrand and River Horse means we'll maybe break even at about 1,000 customers. The more customers you add, the faster the routers, the more IP Transit you require. It's a bit of a catch 22.

Unfortunately, the numbers just don't work at this point for that route.

But...

CTN - Durban is the way we want to go. It's unfortunately a nightmare at the moment. There isn't continuous fibre between the two cities, so traffic routes via strange locations that may of may not include long microwave links. We almost signed with a guy who offered us the link with a promised 27ms ping time. Turns out he was good at selling, but not so good at delivering

We can justify that route by using it as a internet breakout in case the fibre to Johannesburg were to go down, but that will only happen when there's fibre all the way between Cape Town and Durban.

When I was using Supersonic which use MTN Business went from Durban to JHB via RichardsBay/Empangeni. They have a decent sized exchange or hub not sure what it is actually in Empangeni. I'm guessing that is not an option either. Pity no affordable transit providers and it being Frogfoot 1Gbps can fill that transit links up quickly. Frogfoot is finishing the whole of Richards Bay by end of the year. Where will they hand over traffic to ISP's because Durban is still 178km from Richards Bay

Ohh and those Microwave links. Huge saw some of them on the road between Vryheid (KZN) and JHB. Very impressive actually.

 

[portcullis]

Ohh and those Microwave links. Huge saw some of them on the road between Vryheid (KZN) and JHB. Very impressive actually.

You should try lining those 6m dishes up. 1/4 turn of the spanner and signal's lost.

 

[hazey]

Hello fellow forum members.

Starting today, our setup / activation fee on Frogfoot is being zero rated.

Frogfoot Fibre

We provide service in all cities, towns, suburbs and developments that connect back to Cape Town or Johannesburg.

At this point in time we do not provide service in KZN.

As always, the static IPv6 address is included for free, as is the /64 IPv6 block.

Is this still running? If so, does this mean free installation on a new line or only free "activation" on existing lines? Do you still pay R1885 to someone to run the line from the street?

 

[portcullis]

Yes, it's still running.

"Activation" and installation up to 30m of civil work and fibre are free. After 30m, it's between you and the contractor doing the job. The contractor will have you sign a form stating that Frogfoot only pay for the first 30m of fibre and the rest if for your account.

Some of the contractors use the "swings and roundabouts" theory where the 50m clients are offset against the 10m clients. Sadly, some don't.

 

[hazey]

Yes, it's still running.

"Activation" and installation up to 30m of civil work and fibre are free. After 30m, it's between you and the contractor doing the job. The contractor will have you sign a form stating that Frogfoot only pay for the first 30m of fibre and the rest if for your account.

Some of the contractors use the "swings and roundabouts" theory where the 50m clients are offset against the 10m clients. Sadly, some don't.

So, as I understand, I will not be required to pay any additional fee for a new installation? Only payment for a package which is x-amount per month and a once off payment for a router?

 

[portcullis]

So, as I understand, I will not be required to pay any additional fee for a new installation? Only payment for a package which is x-amount per month and a once off payment for a router?

Correct, assuming you don't have a router. If you have an existing router, use that.

 

[ld13]

Correct, assuming you don't have a router. If you have an existing router, use that.

And you guys prefer to use, or recommend, the hAP/AC Lite/^2/RB3011+Unifi. I assume that you guys set up the routers beforehand or even remotely? Does that include the firewalls?

Stupid question, I understand that there are no PPPOE details involved with frogfoot, but that they use DHCP? Is the ISP account active from the get-go or does it have to be manually activated by you guys once frogfoot completes the install? Once active, does that mean that one simply plugs the LAN cable into the WAN port, and presto?