Metrofibre

[Nomadman]

I'm currently with MetroFibre directly (not via an ISP) the benefits of been a direct client is that there is no contention. My line runs 25/25 all day all night no shaping no throttling irrespective of time of day.
If you chose to go with an ISP then you need to realize that an ISP needs to buy capacity from a layer 2 (MetroFibre = layer 2) the more users that flock onto that ISP the more capacity that ISP would need to buy.
The negative outcome here is that there comes a point in time when more capacity doesn't happen fast enough and your ISP will start shaping and throttling.
Another benefit of been a direct client is that there is no FUP my household consumes the data we don't stress or care about how much data is consumed while MetroFibre cares for ensuring our link is up and that there is no one bugging them to say hey the Internet is down they want no noise in the NOC so when **** is down Jono gets on top of it.

 

[PBCool]

Can't you just apply directly with CISP, and have them coordinate the install? That would mitigate the 3 month contract.

Maybe find out from @PBCool

Nah Metrofibre claim they need to run the network for 3 months for testing, meanwhile they are just forcing customers to signup with them to get more of the market. It's up to the residents association to negotiate the terms.

 

[PBCool]

I'm currently with MetroFibre directly (not via an ISP) the benefits of been a direct client is that there is no contention. My line runs 25/25 all day all night no shaping no throttling irrespective of time of day.
If you chose to go with an ISP then you need to realize that an ISP needs to buy capacity from a layer 2 (MetroFibre = layer 2) the more users that flock onto that ISP the more capacity that ISP would need to buy.
The negative outcome here is that there comes a point in time when more capacity doesn't happen fast enough and your ISP will start shaping and throttling.
Another benefit of been a direct client is that there is no FUP my household consumes the data we don't stress or care about how much data is consumed while MetroFibre cares for ensuring our link is up and that there is no one bugging them to say hey the Internet is down they want no noise in the NOC so when **** is down Jono gets on top of it.

Any ISP should be monitoring their access bandwidth and increasing it when needed, the only delay in upgrading is by MFN themselves. It's the same as saying it's better using Telkom on Telkoms network, which isn't the case in most aspects.

 

[Nomadman]

Any ISP should be monitoring their access bandwidth and increasing it when needed, the only delay in upgrading is by MFN themselves. It's the same as saying it's better using Telkom on Telkoms network, which isn't the case in most aspects.

Yes I said ISP - I didn't say which ISP but if you feeling sensitive then thats all you.
And beside the delay resides with ISP as well with placing the capacity order not just fulfillment.

 

[Nomadman]

Nah Metrofibre claim they need to run the network for 3 months for testing, meanwhile they are just forcing customers to signup with them to get more of the market. It's up to the residents association to negotiate the terms.

I was one of those that didn't like the 3 month rule.
But now I appreciate this rule because MetroFibre have shown me what my experience should be on fibre and now I cannot accept or tolerate anything less.

 

[Ho3n3r]

Nah Metrofibre claim they need to run the network for 3 months for testing, meanwhile they are just forcing customers to signup with them to get more of the market. It's up to the residents association to negotiate the terms.

I don't see it that way, it seems like a reasonable request, especially since they do the trenching from scratch, who knows what could go wrong initially - so it's good that we don't have to deal with a 3rd party initially, that only complicates the process should something be wrong at that stage.

Also, they only ask 30 days notice, and their prices are higher than their ISP's in order to not start a price war with you guys, which automatically helps you because if people can't afford Metrofibre, you can be over on another ISP. That, and the fact that it's only the first 3 months after the project goes live, so if you only join for the first time 3 months after that, it's already open access.

So I'm not sure I can agree with your statement - if anything, they're doing more to help their ISP's, unless you know of something else.

 

[PBCool]

I don't see it that way, it seems like a reasonable request, especially since they do the trenching from scratch, who knows what could go wrong initially - so it's good that we don't have to deal with a 3rd party initially, that only complicates the process should something be wrong at that stage.

Also, they only ask 30 days notice, and their prices are higher than their ISP's in order to not start a price war with you guys, which automatically helps you because if people can't afford Metrofibre, you can be over on another ISP. That, and the fact that it's only the first 3 months after the project goes live, so if you only join for the first time 3 months after that, it's already open access.

So I'm not sure I can agree with your statement - if anything, they're doing more to help their ISP's, unless you know of something else.

Well how do all the other operators manage without the 3 month lock in period? Their strategy is to force customers to signup with them from the start. You will be surprised as to how many people aren't aware there are alternative options on MFN.

 

[Saber_rider45]

Well how do all the other operators manage without the 3 month lock in period? Their strategy is to force customers to signup with them from the start. You will be surprised as to how many people aren't aware there are alternative options on MFN.

They are very upfront about who is active on their network they do not hide that fact or keep it from the residents. This is my own experience.

 

[PBCool]

They are very upfront about who is active on their network they do not hide that fact or keep it from the residents. This is my own experience.

It's not a case of them hiding anything but it's up to the residents to investigate options. There is no reason to force people to use them other than trying to get signups.

 

[Quattro!]

I don't see it that way, it seems like a reasonable request, especially since they do the trenching from scratch, who knows what could go wrong initially - so it's good that we don't have to deal with a 3rd party initially, that only complicates the process should something be wrong at that stage.

Also, they only ask 30 days notice, and their prices are higher than their ISP's in order to not start a price war with you guys, which automatically helps you because if people can't afford Metrofibre, you can be over on another ISP. That, and the fact that it's only the first 3 months after the project goes live, so if you only join for the first time 3 months after that, it's already open access.

So I'm not sure I can agree with your statement - if anything, they're doing more to help their ISP's, unless you know of something else.

Well I don't like the 3 months lock in period. Some claim is the testing period just to make sure things work according to plan before opening the network to other ISPs.

I just see it as a way to recoup fraction of the cost of building the network. Testing and stabilising the network for 3 months by one ISP especially at high price, though been the owner doesn't make sense to me since the network is supposed to be open access.

If indeed the 3 months lock in period is put in place to ensure the network is stable, then the testing during this phase should be done in a true open access manner...invite all the ISPs on the network to offer test accounts. Then the network provider will know from the onset which of the ISPs will be problematic on their network.

 

[Easter Bunny]

i've been on metrofibre for a couple months now. we had major downtime which lasted a week and in that time i couldn't get any info from them about it. after the fourth day, i finally got someone who then told me that they were busy provisioning lines for our complex and it'll be done soon. many hours later it was still down and couldn't get anyone again because it was after 5pm, so i went to their business support who told me it's only gonna be sorted out the next week.

when it works it's great. we're on 25mbps and it's maxed out when i do a speed test and almost maxed out when doing speedtest to florida on vpn.

but when it goes down, you're pretty much on your own. they don't respond to fault reports on email. we're down today since i woke up at 4:30(probably even before then), so i don't know when we'll be back up again. i expect downtime at least once a month now.

 

[marine1]

I'm also down. Went down yesterday too. Been off since early this morning

 

[Saber_rider45]

11 months on MFN and I have had zero down days.

 

[Drone 42]

Also up and down since yesterday. Most of this morning also, but seems to be back now.

Must be a metrofibre fibre issue and not isp as I use home-connect as my isp and not motrofibre directly.

First downtime I have had in months

 

[Dolby]

Ok ... so I was being too hard on my ISP. I was active from Tuesday and had downtime yesterday and today. Thought it was my new ISP but seems Metro.

By the way, went off to about 1ish I think - so 7hr downtime?

 

[marine1]

I'm back up . .....again

 

[Nomadman]

They are very upfront about who is active on their network they do not hide that fact or keep it from the residents. This is my own experience.

Agreed from initial engagement with MFN they provided us with a list of ISP that make use of MFN this was not hidden at all and all got a copy of the list. We did our research we engaged with Vuma but they did not have plans for our suburb at the time. We engaged with MTN they were not open access. We engaged with MetroFibre and this was more fitting and was open access.

 

[Nomadman]

It's not a case of them hiding anything but it's up to the residents to investigate options. There is no reason to force people to use them other than trying to get signups.

Sounds like you should be taking up your personal issue with them in a boardroom not on this channel.
No resident was forced into anything in fact many already had existing contracts LTE, telkom etc so they didn't even move onto fibre until their contracts expired. For my complex we did an information session and all residents who were interested in fibre pitched and asked their questions and all well aware of the 3 month period in fact this was not even a concern for the majority because the majority had existing contracts and they knew the 3 month will be up long after their contracts expires.
Their existing contracts were 100% of the concern. To solve this issue MFN just terminated fibre into their units and said when you are ready to move onto fibre call for activation or speak to your preferred ISP for activation and the ISP will get in touch with MFN to resolve.
Then there were those residents who were on cr@ppy telkom connection these were happy to just move to fibre and off the cr@ppy telkom these residents had zero problems with the 3 months and in fact some have moved to other ISP and came back to MFN because the 3 months they experienced without FUP policies and contention etc. just proved to them more what their experience should be on fibre.

So sitting in the office and complaining is one thing we are speaking from our experience in dealing with MFN on the field and getting them to come into our complex to trench and lay cabling.

 

[Ho3n3r]

So, MOU signed, ball is rolling with Metrofibre. Hope it's worth it.

 

[Nomadman]

So, MOU signed, ball is rolling with Metrofibre. Hope it's worth it.

So this project will only be green next year.