FTTH FAQ’s
What is Fibre to the Home (FTTH)?
A FTTH service is where a property is connected directly with a fibre cable i.e. a fibre cable is brought into your house either via a duct or overhead via poles. The fibre infrastructure is owned and operated by multiple wholesale operators including open eir, SIRO and NBI.
How does Westnet fit in?
The wholesale operators don’t deal directly with the public, so you contract directly with Westnet for your chosen FTTH package. We will take your order, help you through the installation process, provide you with a high speed wireless router, invoice you and provide any support that is needed for as long as you are our customer. Note that the wholesale operators are solely responsible for maintenance and fixes on their infrastructure.
What speed can I expect with FTTH?
We are offering two FTTH packages
- 500 Mb/s with 500 Mb/s download and 50 Mb/s upload
- 1000 Mb/s with 1000 Mb/s download and 100 Mb/s upload
What are the data caps on FTTH?
Many internet access providers claim to provide unlimited downloads but when you read the small print you discover that they apply a limit after all. Westnet guarantees that we offer truly limitless data downloads as a core component of our FTTH packages.
How much is the FTTH installation fee?
Westnet does not charge you an installation fee for FTTH.
Can Westnet provide a phone service with FTTH?
Yes – Westnet can offer you a Voice over IP (VoIP) service which is a phone service that works just like your old landline, just better quality and cheaper. You can even keep your phone number if your current phone line is active. All you have to do is to send us a copy of your most recent phone bill (max 3 months old) – it must display the provider’s name, your name and address and your UAN (account number) all of which should be printed on the front page of the bill.
When you “port” your existing phone number to us you can continue to use your old phone as before by simply plugging it into the router, we provide you with as part of the FTTH installation, instead of the phone socket on the wall. Please click here for more information regarding our VoIP service http//www.westnet.ie /VoIP
How long is the term of the contract?
When signing up for FTTH with Westnet you sign a 12 month contract. If you are moving house during this period you will have to pay us for the unused part of the contract. Note that if you live in rented accommodation you need to get permission from your landlord prior to placing an order for FTTH.
Once your initial 12 months are honoured your contract runs until you give us 30 days prior written notice of termination.
What is the “cooling off period”?
The cooling off period is a period within which you are allowed to change your mind and cancel your order without reason or any penalties. The cooling off period starts on the day the contract is concluded i.e. the day you receive your contract from us and runs for 14 days. You must inform us of your decision to cancel by post, email or by using the form on our website. Note however that if the FTTH has been installed and switched on with your prior explicit approval during the cooling off period you waive your right to cancellation without cause during the remainder of the cooling off period.
Will Westnet increase the price of FTTH?
Unlike many other operators who offer preferential pricing to entice new customers only to increase them after six or twelve months, we believe in charging a fair price to all our customers equally. As such, there is no price increase built-in to the contract. We can’t promise that we will never increase the price, but to date we’ve never had to do so.
What is the ordering process?
Once you have decided on Westnet as your new FTTH provider you simply contact us and place your order. You can contact us on 094-906-7444 or send us an email at sales@westnet.ie. A member of our experienced sales team will then get back to you and walk you through the process from order to installation.
We place the order with the relevant wholesale provider who in turn accepts it and gives us available appointment dates closest to the day of the order. Unless you have specified otherwise we select the closest date and contact you with the appointment date and the name of the company that will do the survey/ installation or just the installation. If that date is not convenient simply contact us and we will reschedule up to 48 hours before the date of the original appointment. Please note that we can not book a specific time slot for you as all appointments are all-day appointments. This means you have to make yourself, or a representative of yours, contactable and available at your premises all day in order to let the technicians into your house.
At this initial appointment the technician may either survey your premises first followed by installation or move directly on to installation where a survey has already been completed. Ideally the technicians will successfully complete the installation during the initial appointment but in some cases the installation is not deemed to be straightforward for a variety of reasons and the installation effort is aborted. The technicians will explain the issue to you prior to leaving your premises. Where the onus is on you to fix the problem they will ask you to contact us when you have sorted the issue out so we can set up a new installation appointment on your behalf. Where the onus is on the wholesale provider they will agree on the best course of action & estimated time frame at which point they will allow us to reschedule your appointment.
Who installs FTTH at my home?
The wholesale operators who own and operate the fibre infrastructure have outsourced the installation of FTTH at customer premises to 3rd parties. Various subcontractors such as KNIS, Actavo and TLI are currently used by the wholesale providers. Once we confirm your appointment date we will inform you of who and what to expect i.e survey / installation.
What is the installation process?
A customer installation will consist of a survey taking place outside of your property to determine how fibre will reach your house and the actual installation during which the technicians will require access to your house. Some wholesale operators will do both on the same day whereas others will do them separately. Where done separately the survey will be completed prior to your premise reaching Ready to Sell status so without your involvement.
The outside survey will identify the drop point or distribution point i.e. the place from which the fibre reaches your property boundary. This then determines whether an underground duct or overhead pole is required. If a duct is required, is one available and is it clear? If the fibre cable needs to come in overhead, are poles available, where are they located and are they accessible?
The technicians will need to bring the fibre cable inside your house and install an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and a modem in a location agreed with you – a double socket is needed for this. Ideally the chosen location is at the centre of the house but that is often not feasible as the optimal entry point is through an External Terminating Unit (ETU) which is where a landline is/used to enter the house and they are usually located at one end of the house. The technicians will under no circumstances run cables or install the ONT in an attic and note that they may need to do some minor drilling to run the fibre cable. It is important that you agree the location of the ONT and modem with the technicians as moving the equipment at a later stage may incur additional charges.
The final step in the process is for you to connect the wireless router provided by us to the ONT and you should be ready to enjoy high speed internet access.
What is the lead (waiting) time for FTTH installation?
The lead time for installation varies depending on wholesale provider and current activity levels. Generally speaking you can expect an appointment within one working week of placing your order with Westnet. This estimate does not apply around Christmas where the lead time is longer due to high demand.
How long does it take to get connected?
The vast majority of customers get connected on their initial appointment date. Where an issue is discovered, installation will take longer. How much longer will again depend on the type of issue that needs to be resolved. Where the wholesale provider needs to apply for a road opening licence or install new poles on land owned by a 3rd party resolution will take substantially longer than a circumstance where some trees need to be trimmed in your garden. We will always endeavour to keep you informed as we receive updates from the wholesale provider. Where the onus is on you to do something at your premises you are in control of the delay. Once you inform us you have fixed what needs fixing we will reschedule your appointment.
What can delay an FTTH installation?
In some cases the installation of FTTH at your premises is halted when an issue is identified.
A variety of issues such as no duct on premises, duct is blocked, additional poles are required for an overhead drop, trees are obstructing access to the pole, the poles are located on private land requiring permission for access by owner etc. If an installation is aborted due to an issue the wholesale provider will inform Westnet and we will contact you to discuss how to move forward from here.
Note that an installation will also be aborted on the day if you, or a representative of yours, are not contactable and available at your premises to provide access to the technicians. If you have agreed to the date of visit in advance and are not contactable/available on the day after all, we reserve the right to pass the associated missed delivery fee on to you. You can always reschedule an appointment by giving us a minimum of 48 hours prior notice.
How do I connect to FTTH in my home?
Prior to your appointment date Westnet will send you a high speed wireless router via DPD. The router will arrive pre-configured and with clear instructions on how to connect it to the ONT once that will have been installed at your house.
Will the FTTH service provide WiFi coverage throughout my home?
We can not guarantee that a FTTH package will provide coverage to every area of your home. The range of the router will depend on the size and type of construction of your property. WiFi coverage will be negatively impacted by factors beyond our control such as thick concrete walls and foil insulation. To help address this issue we offer a WiFi Mesh product to extend your WiFI around your home to eliminate any WiFi ‘not’ spots. FRITZ! Clip – Extend your WiFi with Mesh Please contact us for further information.
How do I pay for FTTH?
Westnet is offering multiple payment options to make it easy for you to pay. We strongly encourage you to sign a Direct Debit mandate to allow us to collect the amount owed from you every month. This way you never miss a payment as long as you have sufficient funds in your account to cover your outstanding balance.
When is my invoice due?
We issue invoices on the 1st of each month and it becomes payable by the 15th of the same month. If you pay via direct debit the money will be collected on the 15th or the first business day thereafter if the 15th falls on a weekend or public holiday.
Who do I contact if the FTTH service isn’t working?
We have a friendly support team based in Castlebar that will be happy to help you with issues related to your FTTH service. You can either send a text on 087-644-7897, call us on 094-906-7444 or drop us an email at support@westnet.ie
Our support team will do some initial troubleshooting and if they determine that there is a fault on the line they will report the fault to the appropriate wholesale provider. We will notify you when we have reported the fault and estimated resolution time.
How quickly does Westnet respond to my queries?
When you get in touch we will endeavour to get back to you within one working day. If you call us we will attempt to return your call and we may respond via email/ SMS to your written queries where it makes sense to do so.
How quickly will a FTTH fault get fixed?
Fault resolution times vary depending on which wholesale provider is responsible for the infrastructure behind your FTTH service. Once Westnet reports a fault on an installation we can do nothing further but to monitor progress as we have no control over the wholesale providers fault resolution process. We will let you know that we have reported a fault on your behalf and provide you with an estimate of expected resolution time based on what we are experiencing for that particular wholesale provider at that point in time.
If we receive no fault resolution updates from the wholesale provider we can try to escalate the issue but again, the wholesale provider has full control over the fault resolution process.
Why do I not get the max speed when running a speed test?
The only way to get an accurate speed test reading is by plugging a laptop directly into the router. And then this assumes you have a laptop that has a 1Gb port. Older laptops tend to have 100 Mb/s ports which can’t cope with the speeds available via FTTH.
Running the speed test over WiFi is also likely to result in lower test results. When a WiFi router detects other devices broadcasting a WiFi signal it will back off its data rate performance to ensure internet packets are delivered and not dropped. When you perform a speed test it is common for the router to drop back on its data rates and you will see a lower result. This is not always a fault with your connection, it is a mechanism to ensure your internet packets are delivered reliably. This is especially the case when using the 2.4 Ghz radio channel as most wireless devices such as microwaves, baby monitors, video senders etc. use this frequency.
Can I take FTTH with me if I move house?
No – as the fibre cable is brought into your house on installation it can not be moved to a different location. Remember that if you move house during your initial 12 month contract term you need to settle the outstanding amount related to the unused portion of the term.
I already have FTTH with another provider but want to move to Westnet.
We will be happy to help facilitate a switch of your service to us provided you give us your UAN (8 digit number) at the time of order. Your UAN should be displayed on your monthly invoice – alternatively you can contact your provider and ask for it – legally they must provide it to you. Once we have your UAN we will cancel the service for you once FTTH has been installed at your premises.
You can still switch to us without a UAN but this means that you yourself will have to cancel the service with your old provider once your new FTTH connection is up and running with Westnet.
I have an active landline I want to keep – can I still get FTTH?
Yes – if you have an active landline that you use and want to keep with your current phone provider you can do so. We do not charge you for line rental as you pay that already to a different provider so we apply a €15 per month discount to your chosen FTTH package. In order for us to be able to apply this discount you must provide us with your UAN number when you place your order with us. Your UAN number is an eight digit account number that should appear on your most recent phone bill.
Do you have any specials or deals on at the moment?
At Westnet we do not believe in differentiating between our customers. As a result we do not run special campaigns or offer discounts. All our customers, old or new, will avail of the best service at the most competitive price we can offer.