General Questions and Answers
Btel is excited to let you know that FTTH Service is coming to our area. To keep you informed, we’ve provided a list of Questions and Answers to help you stay connected to what you can expect.
Q) What is FTTH?
A) FTTH or Fiber to the Home is a next generation cabling technology that replaces old copper cables.
Q) What’s the difference between copper cables and Fiber cables?
A) Fiber cable infrastructure is unmatched in terms of reliability relative to ANY other Internet, Voice or Video delivery method. Fiber is the MOST reliable technology available that also provides unprecedented connection speeds.
Q) How will Btel install the Fiber cable to my home?
A) First, we have a team going door to door requesting that you provide us details about your property to help us with unique situations at your residence. This information is CRITICAL to help us provide you with the most efficient installation and experience. The construction crew will bury a small orange conduit approximately 8-16” inches deep, pull the cable through and then a small box (Clamshell) on the side of the house.
Q) How much does the Fiber and Clamshell placement cost?
A) NOTHING during the first phase of construction, yes nothing! If we are not authorized to place this now and service is requested in the future, charges will apply for the installation of the conduit and fiber cable after Btel’s initial construction phase is completed. The cost will range from approximately $300-$600.
Q) How will the service be installed?
A) From the Clamshell, a new wire will be brought into the house which will terminate at a brand new Optical Network Terminal (ONT) – GigaCenter.
Q) What is an ONT or GigaCenter?
A) An ONT or GigaCenter is the delivery point for all things communications; Internet, Video & Voice. These devices are the epicenter of the subscriber experience and include the highest powered wireless (Wi-Fi) experience for customers.
Q) Why do I care about FTTH?
A) FTTH is the future of home and business entertainment and communications. Older communication networks do not have the ability to provide the necessary bandwidth for new and future Internet technologies. Additionally, consumers are requiring more and more bandwidth in order to use their wireless devices, smartphones, smart TV’s, Home Security Systems, Wi-Fi enabled appliances and Smart Homes. Fiber can provide Internet speeds well above 1 Gigabit per second or 1 Gbps to operate all of this without a hitch.
Q) What is Bandwidth or Internet speed; a Megabit, Gigabit and why does it matter to me?
A) Think of Bandwidth or Internet speed as traffic on a highway. In your home, each device can be considered a car on the road. Each device or car causes increased congestion. The more bandwidth or the more lanes, the more freely traffic can flow. The goal for a great customer experience is to have more available bandwidth than required by the customer. For instance, one Megabit per second only allows a VERY small amount of traffic to flow, whereas 1 Gigabit allows 1000 times more traffic to flow than a Megabit.
Q) Is btel’s Megabit and Gigabit packages the same as my cell phone?
A) No, Cell Phone Carriers aggregate usage by giving you an allotment per month. For instance, if you’re on a 1 Gigabit plan, the Cell Phone Company takes all your usage or traffic for the month (data back and forth), adds that up and determines your monthly usage. Internet speed is how much data can be passed back and forth at one point in time.
Q) When can I expect my installation?
A) We expect to reach approximately 2900 homes in 2018. Once we receive your Fiber Drop Installation form we will begin coordinating installations in the most operationally and cost-effective manner.
Q) Who do I contact if I have questions about the drop form or to set up a visit?
A) Please contact us @979-798-FTTH (3884) and we will be happy to get you set up.
Q) Do I need to be home for the outside portion of the Fiber Drop Installation?
A) No. Our professional contractor team can take care of the outside portion as long as there’s no threat of injury, damage or dogs.
What you need to know about your FTTH Installation
Terms and Definitions
Pedestal: The Pedestal is the green cylinder you see at property corners. The pedestal contains all the cabling that services you and your neighbors.
Fiber Optic Cable: Fiber Optic Cables are bundles of glass strands independent of one another that carry signals from the transmitter to the receiver, i.e. btel to customer and customer to btel.
Fiber Conduit: The Fiber Conduit is a small orange conduit used to protect the Fiber Drop from rodents and shovels. The Fiber Conduit is not indestructible but does serve its purpose to help protect your cable.
Fiber Drop (“Drop”): The Fiber Drop is a small black cable made up of one strand of glass from the pedestal to the Outdoor Unit (ODU) or commonly referred to as a Clamshell.
Clamshell: The Clamshell is a protective housing placed on a home or building to connect the Drop to the Inside Fiber Cable. Within this housing btel will make a splice to separate the two different cabling systems. This housing is also in place to allow btel to troubleshoot cable without accessing your residence should a problem arise.
Optical Network Terminal (ONT) or GigaCenter: The ONT is the device in your home that terminates and receives the signal from your connected devices; Telephones and Internet capable devices. The ONT’s btel is using are best-in-class with extremely powerful wireless signaling capabilities.
Questions & Answers
Q) How will the Fiber Drop be installed?
A) A btel contractor who specializes in Drop placement will be installing the Drops to all homes and businesses.
Q) How long will the installation take?
A) Depending on the length of the Drop and the number of obstacles, it should take no more than 1-3 hours.
Q) Do I need to be home for the Drop installation?
A) No, you do not need to be home; however, if the environment is unsafe for any reason btel will not be able to place the Drop.
Q) How deep will the Drop be?
A) The goal is to achieve 8-16” of depth to help prevent any damage.
Q) How much will this cost?
A) If btel is able to place the drop at the requested time, there is NO cost to you. If we are asked not to be on your property or you refuse to provide us access and service is requested at a later date, the cost could range from $300 to $600 or more.
Q) How is the Clamshell placed on my home or business?
A) Our goal is to place the Clamshell near the existing Network Interface Device (NID) to allow us access to existing wiring. If btel is unable to access that location, btel will place in the most effective, least intrusive area for access into the home or business.
Q) How does the cable get to the ONT or GigaCenter?
A) btel will work with you to schedule an installation. btel’s professional installers will place a fiber cable from the Clamshell into the home in the most efficient manner while also doing everything possible to get the cable in the attic and/or behind a wall.
Q) Where will the ONT or GigaCenter be placed?
A) The ONT or GigaCenter is most effective when placed in a central location of your home or business. The objective is to prevent wireless signals from being interfered with to provide you with the best customer experience.
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