Openserve Line Migration Maddness

Geoff.D said:
So reading all of this just confirms my views on allowing the ISP to handle line infrastructure from a 3rd party on your behalf.

DONT do this ever! Contract directly with the infrastructure provider for the fibre connection. ALWAYS, and don't ever transfer that away from that provider.

THEN you are free to chop and change ISP's whenever you like with the least amount of effort.
Frankly, all of you have only yourselves to blame for your problems. Just as was the case with ADSL.


IF the fibre provider is Openserve, THEN deal with Telkom and DO NOT change until you cancel. If you move to a new address AND that address is also served by the same fibre provider, attempt the transfer. Otherwise, simply cancel and be done with it and install anew.

Understand what the "B Number" means. The "B Number" is location specific and CANNOT be transferred.
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I get this, but I have not been able to find a Fibre line only option - always bundled with some ISP?
OpenServe Website directs you to the ISP:
http://openserve.co.za/open/fibre/

On the telkom Webiste - always some bundles options?
 
MainMeat said:
So I wonder if it would have have been worth the while to simply schedule a new installation? New ONT = new B-number, right?
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New installation means you get a new ONT and new B number. With Openserve new installations usually take like 3 to 4 working days and it will be a few minutes because the line is already there. They might need to change line at the poll/DP though but otherwise it should be fast.

Webafrica messed you around here.
 
MainMeat said:
I get this, but I have not been able to find a Fibre line only option - always bundled with some ISP?
OpenServe Website directs you to the ISP:
http://openserve.co.za/open/fibre/

On the Telkom Webiste - always some bundles options?
Click to expand...

There is some ISPs like Isat and ISPAfrika that does lines only although isat had some bad reviews but those are about your options. Your issue will comes with accounts. Yes you can use any ADSL account but anything higher than 40Mbps the account only will be expensive. The only real value for money will be capped accounts like Vox Fatpipe or Axxess capped accounts.
 
My point is a stable relationship with a supplier is worth far more than the so-called gains from switching to another ISP.
Get a bundled deal from whomever the infrastructure provider is. Ride that deal out until the initial contract expires. THEN consider changing ISP at that time.

The above will apply for as long as suppliers want to deal as they do at the moment. Especially with Telkom/Openserve. The whole "Pool" process is and will always be a management mess.
 
Now imagine this nightmare in the GSM industry. Sure, we can port your number to our network but please be advised it will take a month, and during that month the number will not be available.

If the GSM industry can switch providers in a few days, OpenServe and Fibre Infrastructure providers need to do some homework.

Seems to me money is to being made here by the infrastructure providers. For goodness sake, they are loosing money and halting industry growth (for their very own partners).

In this case, I am changing ISPs on the same OpenServe network. It is a simple task - the Fibre invoice goes to the new ISP, instead of the old one.
 
Geoff.D said:
My point is a stable relationship with a supplier is worth far more than the so-called gains from switching to another ISP.
Get a bundled deal from whomever the infrastructure provider is. Ride that deal out until the initial contract expires. THEN consider changing ISP at that time.

The above will apply for as long as suppliers want to deal as they do at the moment. Especially with Telkom/Openserve. The whole "Pool" process is and will always be a management mess.
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not if your provider is charging what they are charging, and there is a new kid on the block charging 50% of the usual rates, with a much better FUP. They you as the customer have to move. I had a stable relationship (9 years!) with my old ISP, but milking me every month does not provide a stable foundation to start talking business?
 
Yes, you are 100% Correct. The Business model is to blame. The failure started with not setting up ASP services. And then building/creating a management process to handle transfers properly.

Openserve/Telkom has absolutely no excuses as to why either. NO lessons appear to have been learnt from fixed line telephone services! It was and will always be a mistake to tightly couple infrastructure provision with service provision.
 
MainMeat said:
Well, I have just joined this thread then - WebAfrica to Cool Ideas attempt,turning out to be an absolute disaster in the making. OpenServe seems to be the issue here, my timeline:

- 30 April - Inform WebAfrica to cancel my account with them and I give them one month notice. Their FUP and pricing is irritating when comparing them to the likes of CISP. I have other accounts with CISP and these are great, so why stick with WA anyway?
- Somewhere in May I receive may latest invoice from WebAfrica - all, good the service cancelled does not reflect, so it has been cancelled
- 31 May - I confirm with WebAfrica that the Fibre line is in the holding pool - they claim it is
- 1 June - Phone CISP again - ready to sign up! surprize, the Fibre line is not in the holding pool
- 1 to 6 June - Spend hours on the phone with WebAfrica and OpenServe.
Eventually OpenServe respond via Twitter.
WebAfrica only placed the request for the line to go into the holding pool on 31 May, not 30 April as they should have.
Phone WebAfrica and tell them to schedule a immediate release. After a argument they claim they did this.
Phone OpenServe again - sorry sir, it takes 30 days and there is nothing they can do to escalate this and make it happen faster. I emailed OpenServe the WebAfrica reference number anyway - who knows, perhaps I get lucky.

My lessons learned so far?
- Switch Fibre ISPs is impossible
- WebAfrica should schedule the Fibre line upon customer cancellation into the holding pool. This takes 30 days to happen with OpenServe
- OpenServe will stick to their protocol and rather not provide a service.
- There is nothing I can do now - moving to a new ISP has resulted in 1 month of no service...will see at the end of the month if I can even get a service.
- I went from having fibre to forking out $$$ for mobile data now....
- This entire line switch process is f-uped....and needs to be reviewed and addressed by ISPs and Fibre providers to come to a solution....essentially customers are being held ransom by protocol and the freedom to move between ISPs seems to not exist. Month to Month contracts now makes sense, because once signed up, you cannot leave anyway.

I am actually calmly VERY frustrated and p--sed off with this whole process.
Click to expand...
Uhm,

It should take no more than 24 hrs* for the line to reach the holding pool. Perhaps that person mixed up notice for cancelling a telephone and ADSL line service.



I could always help you sign up with Bitco Home Fibre :D





*I just double checked with the Bitco Home Fibre sales manager, just incase I was wrong. But yes, 24hrs after release the line is available.

And the new ISP should be handling all that.
 
Geoff.D said:
So reading all of this just confirms my views on allowing the ISP to handle line infrastructure from a 3rd party on your behalf.

DONT do this ever! Contract directly with the infrastructure provider for the fibre connection. ALWAYS, and don't ever transfer that away from that provider.

THEN you are free to chop and change ISP's whenever you like with the least amount of effort.
Frankly, all of you have only yourselves to blame for your problems. Just as was the case with ADSL.


IF the fibre provider is Openserve, THEN deal with Telkom and DO NOT change until you cancel. If you move to a new address AND that address is also served by the same fibre provider, attempt the transfer. Otherwise, simply cancel and be done with it and install anew.

Understand what the "B Number" means. The "B Number" is location specific and CANNOT be transferred.
Click to expand...
Other fibre cable providers run things differently to openserve.

On openserve you can swop between 2 providers.

Example Vumatel locks the line to ISP XXXXX until ISP XXXXX releases your line. Then after that it can take anything from a few mins or hours until 2 days, depending the cable setup.
Vumatel run a combination of their original lines(really quick to transfer) and the original fibrehoods systems, which take a little longer. But still definately it should not take 30days.
 
And remember!!!

If you already have fibre install and you wish to move to Bitco then Bitco only charges R499 activation fee.

All Bitco package terms are month to month. A notice month, even if you cancel a month after joining.
uncapped, unshaped and unthrottled fibre.
limited only by the line speed you select.
Bitco provide a router at no additional charge to you.


And if you do sign up with Bitco, please ask me for the link or use mybb as the promo/agent code.
 
Venomous said:
Uhm,

It should take no more than 24 hrs* for the line to reach the holding pool. Perhaps that person mixed up notice for cancelling a telephone and ADSL line service.



I could always help you sign up with Bitco Home Fibre :D





*I just double checked with the Bitco Home Fibre sales manager, just incase I was wrong. But yes, 24hrs after release the line is available.

And the new ISP should be handling all that.
Click to expand...

Yes, it may take 24 hrs, but OpenServe required a 1 month notice before the line is placed into the holding pool...that is where the issue sits for me anyway.
 
Venomous said:
View attachment 668585
The 1GB/100mb Vumatel area only package is not listed there as the above was sent to me just before the 1GB R1499 special was announce.
Click to expand...

Your 10/5 @ R695 on openserve is still high though? Other cool ISPs (won't mention their name) in the RSA industry is only charging R499?
 
After all my complaining and moaning my line is moved.
I am now with CISP..

ISP: Cool Ideas Service Provider (Pty) Ltd
Ping: 4ms
Download: 94.15Mbps
Upload: 49.27Mbps
Test your speed: http://speedtest.co.za

Network seems fine I am just worried about their customer support...
Guess we will see how it goes for now.
I still have this sour taste in my mouth from this whole experience.
 
MDKza said:
After all my complaining and moaning my line is moved.
I am now with CISP..

ISP: Cool Ideas Service Provider (Pty) Ltd
Ping: 4ms
Download: 94.15Mbps
Upload: 49.27Mbps
Test your speed: http://speedtest.co.za

Network seems fine I am just worried about their customer support...
Guess we will see how it goes for now.
I still have this sour taste in my mouth from this whole experience.
Click to expand...

Dam about time. Must be so relieved.
 
MainMeat said:
Yes, it may take 24 hrs, but OpenServe required a 1 month notice before the line is placed into the holding pool...that is where the issue sits for me anyway.
Click to expand...
And the new month arrives....and still I have no service with the line apparently not available to migrate. Now into month 2...
 
MainMeat said:
And the new month arrives....and still I have no service with the line apparently not available to migrate. Now into month 2...
Click to expand...
I have a PPOE account with CISP....hopefully now I can connect.

Must admit once they take the line things happend a little faster.
 
MainMeat said:
I have a PPOE account with CISP....hopefully now I can connect.

Must admit once they take the line things happend a little faster.
Click to expand...

I have just waited out my month of openserve webafrica line in the holding pool, how long did it take once CISP took over the line to activate the service?
 
Took them 3-4 minutes to set the account up and provide the PPOE account...my advise with CISP, if you want fast(er) responses, phone them after logging a ticket
 
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