Hi,

 

Been using CAT internet provided by my local cable TV company for some time (understand it was the only way to get it) and can say I am very happy with the performance. I did try higher speed AIS fibre for a while but there was no comparison, CAT 30mbps way outperformed AIS 50mbps. Engineers usually around within the day on the very seldom occasion I had a problem.  However there is a price to this, CAT 30mbps costs 1390 THB.

 

I now see on CAT site there is such a thing as CAT C internet, offering 100/50mbps at 790 THB a month, so my question is whats the difference between this and that I am getting from my local cable TV, apart from the price of course? Is it the same, who services it, CAT or local company?

I wouldn't hesitate if it is available. That C Internet service is a fiber optic connection, so you'll have to have your own fiber optic line into your apartment. That could cost a bit if they are not in your area. I've been using CAT fiber (C-Internet) for 4 years, but I use the more expensive business package. All the other companies lease from CAT, which is the main government Internet backbone... and their service is lightning fast. Why go with resellers with much worse customer service if you don't have to.

 

I have the 100/50 business package in the list below. What I'd really be interested in knowing is how it compares to the very cheap sister home package that you're looking at. As far as I know, it's only the contention ratio which is different, which is how many you share with. I always get 100% of advertised speed plus about 8%, day and night. They recommend the business packages for International connectivity, but I really don't understand why it would make a difference. There are many factors influencing connectivity to international servers.

 

1 hour ago, tropo said:

 As far as I know, it's only the contention ratio which is different, which is how many you share with. I always get 100% of advertised speed plus about 8%, day and night. They recommend the business packages for International connectivity, but I really don't understand why it would make a difference. There are many factors influencing connectivity to international servers.

Contention ratio can definitely be part of it.  But also the amount of traffic shaping/priority they give your connection at their "international gateway server" that reaches out to international servers can be a big player.     

Thanks, my 30mbps looks suspiciously like the business one in your list above, plus a few baht added on.

 

Who services it if you have a problem, and how long to respond, is customer service good?

 

Mine is provided by Banglamung Cable in Pattaya and their service has been really good.

12 hours ago, sungod said:

Thanks, my 30mbps looks suspiciously like the business one in your list above, plus a few baht added on.

 

Who services it if you have a problem, and how long to respond, is customer service good?

 

Mine is provided by Banglamung Cable in Pattaya and their service has been really good.

My service, as indicated on the list, is provided directly by CAT. It's a CAT fibre line into my apartment. Yours would be CAT provided by Banglamung Cable and through a cable line. Your servicing would be done by Banglamung Cable.

 

My servicing is done by CAT. They respond by the next morning to any problems overnight - even on Sunday they have come around at 10 am. 

1 minute ago, tropo said:

My service, as indicated on the list, is provided directly by CAT. It's a CAT fibre line into my apartment. Yours would be CAT provided by Banglamung Cable and through a cable line. Your servicing would be done by Banglamung Cable.

 

My servicing is done by CAT. They respond by the next morning to any problems overnight - even on Sunday they have come around at 10 am. 

Thanks, BTV run fiber up here so its preety good. I guess the main question is as you say, how does business v home measure up.

16 minutes ago, sungod said:

Thanks, BTV run fiber up here so its preety good. I guess the main question is as you say, how does business v home measure up.

If you have a 100/50 home CAT service, we can compare notes... but as yours is run by a 3rd party provider, it probably won't be exactly the same.

 

Do you have an optical line into your apartment?

Yes I do, 

CAT has a huge variety of offers in the FTTx area, including streamed media.

 

Very generally speaking I'd say that FTTx would be an improvement over DOCSIS (broadband over coax/cable tv), but if you're happy now maybe stick with it until it doesn't perform up to your expectations? We don't have any customers on CAT FTTx, and their reputation is spotty according to Thais, but maybe they are getting better?

 

Professional/Business packages often offer QoS guarantees, fixed IP address(es), better customer service, better international bandwidth.

6 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

CAT has a huge variety of offers in the FTTx area, including streamed media.

 

Very generally speaking I'd say that FTTx would be an improvement over DOCSIS (broadband over coax/cable tv), but if you're happy now maybe stick with it until it doesn't perform up to your expectations? We don't have any customers on CAT FTTx, and their reputation is spotty according to Thais, but maybe they are getting better?

 

Professional/Business packages often offer QoS guarantees, fixed IP address(es), better customer service, better international bandwidth

 

 

 

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These C- Internet packages you posted are old. I don't know about the others as I'm just discussing their C-Internet packages for FTTx. Please refer to the one I posted in post #2. That's the current package. They have simplified their offerings quite a bit.

 

I disagree that their reputation is "spotty" as you said. I've been using CAT services since 2006 and wouldn't go anywhere else. I have personal phone and email contact with an account manager that knows me by name - not like the impersonal contact with other services. Any problem (of which there are few) and they'll be service technicians at my door within hours. I had 3BB for a long while too, and TOT and Sophon Cable, so I've tried a few. I always ran them concurrently as a backup, until FTTx came to town.

 

The only reputation that CAT has, is that they are more expensive than 3BB, True, TOT etc, although, if you look at their current offerings, they are closing the gap. When you compare their packages to the other companies, be sure you're comparing like packages. The other companies always had premium packages buried deeper down on their promo lists, which are far more expensive than the basic home packages.

 

Here's the current FTTx (fiber optic) price again: