Fiber - a quick question

[WhizBang]

A quick question for those in the know.

Today I am doing an 'upgrade' from True DSL to True Fiber 30/3 Mbps. They are installing it now, but are running coaxial copper cable.

Is that normal? I was expecting actual fiber cable.

[lopburi3]

No that is not normal - it should be fiber to your home modem - only coax for TV connection. But if there was no fiber line within several hundred meters they may be using the old system with coax to home from a fiber connection some distance away rather than run new fiber line - I had to pay about 1,000 baht extra for line to install as they wanted to do the same thing. Normal cost is 25 baht per meter above there allowed distance.

My modem is ZTE and feed is fiber optic. This is FTTH. Suspect they may be using the old TV fiber system to supply your connection as that would be coax to home. That system is called DOCSIS

Edited June 9, 2016 by lopburi3

[muratremix]

It is pretty much normal.

They don't do fiber to the home. They do it on some locations but majority is distributed via docsis 3.0 which is pretty damn fast (faster than VDSL2)

[lopburi3]

They most assuredly do FTTH and that is what there trucks are marked - they do not even mention DOCSIS anymore on there website. They made the offer to use that system to me clearly making the distinction and expecting to be turned down as they had sent me a letter asking to change from ADSL to FTTH. But clearly there are many areas where FTTH is not yet available - but in an area where it is available it can be used - which is much of Thailand.

[sniffdog]

I got 3bb 100mb fiber today and there is a fiber optic cable into my house/router. The guy said to be particular careful with it because of its fragility. It think they call it fttx.

[lopburi3]

Yes - the cable is quite strong when attached to the wire side but the short section to router does not have that protection so best to get it into a permanent position and leave that way.

[elfpattaya]

FTTX is fibre to a certain point and probably co-axial cable after that. The X being the unknown point.

FTTH is Fibre To The Home, as the acronym suggests.

[muratremix]

for 30/3 connection, end point being fiber optic or docsis or VDSL does not matter.

VDSL adds 8/16/32 ms pingtimes if it is far from connection node (1.5 - 3km distance).

People should consider AIS 50/10 for 888 baht or 3BB 50/10 mbit for 700 baht

I'll cancel my True 30/3 after I get 3BB (or AIS) to my Muban.

[KhunBENQ]

I got 3bb 100mb fiber today and there is a fiber optic cable into my house/router. The guy said to be particular careful with it because of its fragility. It think they call it fttx.

Not especially fragile, but if is bent to a radius smaller than allowed it will fail.

Best to lay it straight or with a "big" radius.

Exact number depends on type of cable.

That's what you see all over the country on the poles.

Those strange "cable rings".

I have FTTH but not from True.

Edited June 9, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[WhizBang]

Ok guys, thank you. That is what I thought. Unfortunately for me, AIS fiber is not available in my area yet (I checked). AIS say they will also supply a static IP, which True won't do without rattling their cage a lot.

What I got was what True advertized as True Super Speed FIBER. What I got was a 'package. 30/3 Mbps internet, plus some kind of tv package, plus a True SIM card. Monthly cost 799 baht.

I didn't want the TV package and really didn't want the sim card, but internet alone at 30/3 was 1299. And yes, it would appear to be a DOCSIS cable modem.

I guess just wait and see how it works. Could not possibly be worst than their DSL (I hope) At least it should be 2.3 times faster than my 13/1 DSL.

[lopburi3]

Should work fine - but expect you will be billed 3 times - that seems to be what they do. One for internet at a lower price and one for SIM at 100 baht and another for TrueVisions (I have not received that bill and as each bill seems to have different customer numbers not sure how I can obtain - can not get there online payment system to work as not clear what number they want) - not looking forward to trying resolve by phone.

[muratremix]

True IPs depleted, they also put me behind CGNAT shared IP.

AIS basic packages also use shared IP but atleast they let you do port forwarding and Dynamic DNS so you can access your NAS / Camera at home!

[WhizBang]

Should work fine - but expect you will be billed 3 times - that seems to be what they do. One for internet at a lower price and one for SIM at 100 baht and another for TrueVisions (I have not received that bill and as each bill seems to have different customer numbers not sure how I can obtain - can not get there online payment system to work as not clear what number they want) - not looking forward to trying resolve by phone.

I never even thought about that aspect of it. I sure hope it is not three separate billings. That would be a major pain in the ass.

The sim I outright do not want, but had to take one as it is included in the package. I don't even know what the number is.

Anyway, I am having problems now as I cannot download. A download will start, go a couple hundred KB or so, then reset to zero and restart. It just keeps repeating that cycle. I have already called them about it but I have my doubts that they understand.

I have to get ready to go out now, so I will see what is happening in the morning. If they cannot resolve this ASAP, I will just cancel and look for an alternate provider.

[lopburi3]

The SIM card should be in a package with the number on it - it does work OK and use for data myself - as said bill for that service is 107 baht with tax - normal price would be 199 plus tax.

Believe my internet bill is 599 plus tax (combined bill currently) and continues to be paid by previous bank system.

As said have not received the truevisions bill (up graded service to Smart package) yet.

[noise]

Search all Thai sites and I think you will find that there is not a single modem in country that can literally accept a fiber cable connection. Fiber to a point outside the house and copper cable to a cable modem is all I have ever seen. And it is even hard to find cable modems on the market, the demand is just not that great yet.

If anyone know otherwise, I would appreciate a link to a web site selling fiber modems in country.

[KhunBENQ]

Fiber to a point outside the house and copper cable to a cable modem is all I have ever seen.

I have an individual fibre connection to the house.

The fibre cable goes to an optical/electrical converter which directly outputs a digital signal (media converter).

That goes via a short ethernet cable to a WiFi router (router only, no cable modem etc.).

1: fibre cable from the pole into the house

2: grey box contains the "junction"(splicing) of the outside fibre cable to a fibre cable with optical plug

3: optical/electrical converter

4: WiFi router

BUT: I have read in the forum that there are ISPs that supply routers with fibre connection (integrating what my "black box" is).

Technician with splicer (blue colored device) in our house:

(the carton to his left is from the the "MEDIA CONVERTER")

Edited June 10, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[dddave]

I live on the 9th floor in a large, old apartment building in Bangkok. Last week I saw workers in 3BB labled jumpsuits stringing line on my subsoi off Suk. 71. I asked them "Fiber mai?" and they said yes.

I called 3BB but was told that no installations above the 5th floor were possible. Best they could offer me was 18mbs VDSL.

Has anybody else been told this?

[bouph12]

This is the underside of the router model supplied when I upgraded to ftth with 3BB.

Fibre connection to a junction box on the wall then this optical lead straight into the underside of the box.

[muratremix]

I live on the 9th floor in a large, old apartment building in Bangkok. Last week I saw workers in 3BB labled jumpsuits stringing line on my subsoi off Suk. 71. I asked them "Fiber mai?" and they said yes.

I called 3BB but was told that no installations above the 5th floor were possible. Best they could offer me was 18mbs VDSL.

Has anybody else been told this?

VDSL comes in 20 and 50mbit flavors at 3bb. 18/1.8 is adsl. If you force them, perhaps they could give you VDSL.

[lopburi3]

My True router is like this and fiber directly connects on bottom.

http://enterprise.zte.com.cn/en/products/network_lnfrastructure/broadband_access/xpon_olt/201401/t20140109_416588.html

[Satcommlee]

Search all Thai sites and I think you will find that there is not a single modem in country that can literally accept a fiber cable connection. Fiber to a point outside the house and copper cable to a cable modem is all I have ever seen. And it is even hard to find cable modems on the market, the demand is just not that great yet.

If anyone know otherwise, I would appreciate a link to a web site selling fiber modems in country.

Sinet provide a router with GPON fiber connector

Zyxel pmg5318-b20a

http://f.ptcdn.info/154/038/000/nz3ltj982ZGINtDLk4-o.jpg

also used by AIS fiber too it seems.

[noise]

My True router is like this and fiber directly connects on bottom.

http://enterprise.zte.com.cn/en/products/network_lnfrastructure/broadband_access/xpon_olt/201401/t20140109_416588.html

But all I see on the back of this router is a coax cable connector, not an optical fiber connector.

[noise]

Search all Thai sites and I think you will find that there is not a single modem in country that can literally accept a fiber cable connection. Fiber to a point outside the house and copper cable to a cable modem is all I have ever seen. And it is even hard to find cable modems on the market, the demand is just not that great yet.

If anyone know otherwise, I would appreciate a link to a web site selling fiber modems in country.

Sinet provide a router with GPON fiber connector

Zyxel pmg5318-b20a

http://f.ptcdn.info/154/038/000/nz3ltj982ZGINtDLk4-o.jpg

also used by AIS fiber too it seems.

Interesting, thanks

[Crossy]

My True router is like this and fiber directly connects on bottom.

http://enterprise.zte.com.cn/en/products/network_lnfrastructure/broadband_access/xpon_olt/201401/t20140109_416588.html

But all I see on the back of this router is a coax cable connector, not an optical fiber connector.

Fibre connector is on the left hand side marked "PON".

[lopburi3]

My True router is like this and fiber directly connects on bottom.

http://enterprise.zte.com.cn/en/products/network_lnfrastructure/broadband_access/xpon_olt/201401/t20140109_416588.html

But all I see on the back of this router is a coax cable connector, not an optical fiber connector.

Fibre connector is on the left hand side marked "PON".

As said - the coax is the CATV output. The True model does not have the USB connector and has round display lights. The two phone connections are for landline phone service (True normally has one number for use).

[Pib]

True switched from calling their DOCSIS/cable internet to Fiber Cable Internet (FCI) several years ago. It was basically a name change for marketing purposes. When people see the world "fiber" in an internet package name most folks will automatically think they are getting the "fastest" internet plan..."fiber" is just recognized by most people as being fast....faster than anything else such as xDSL, DOCSIS/cable, etc.

FCI is run over coaxial cable trunk lines within a local area/village. The black colored trunk coaxial cable is about the diameter of an 1/2 inch/20mm PVC water pipe....I have a couple of scrap pieces from the installation in my moobaan in 2011. The trunk line amplifier/splitter/relay boxes, residence connection taps, and other electronic devices along the trunk line. When connecting to your residence they run a small diameter coaxial cable from a tap on the trunk like to your cable modem placed in your residence.

Now since the DOCSIS/cable trunk line does connect into the True backbone upstream which is fiber optics, technically True is not telling a lie in renaming the DOCSIS/cable plans to Fiber Cable Internet (FCI). They are just being creative (somewhat deceptive) in the marketing name of FCI because of what it implies to most folks. I called True customer service a couple of weeks ago asking if they offered fiber optics in my moobaan...the rep checked my address for about 30 seconds and they came back and said only FCI (cable) was offerred but FCI offerred very high speed plans also...and then i said, Yes, I know, but at a high cost like Bt4,999 plus 7% VAT for a 100/10Mb plan." Where you can get the same speed fiber optics plan for Bt1,200 from 3BB and a 50Mb/10Mb fiber plan from AIS for Bt799. Big difference in prices between service providers...some of that is driven by a "captive audience" situation by some service providers having the bulk of internet customers in a certain area and new service providers not being allowed in...or it just not economical for them to come to a certain area.

True also has Fiber To The Home (FTTH) which is fiber all the way and connects to a fiber optics modem placed in your residence.

So, when reviewing True's various internet packages which are advertised under various technology/marketing names such as (ADSL, VDSL, FCI, FTTH/Fiber, etc) look very, very close at what technology is really being offered/available in your area. True has so many currently advertised plans and previously advertised plans which are still available in some cases, in both internet only and combo internet/TV/3G/land line plans, it can make it really hard to understand what they are really offering especially since their webpages have less English than they did a few years ago. Some of their plans are very good deals; some are not in comparison to some of the fiber internet plans now being offerred by 3BB and AIS.

But as been said in many posts, what technologies and service providers are in available in your local area will determine what plans you can get. It's not like a person will have a half dozen choices of service providers...no uncommon to only have one choice. For me in my western Bangkok moobaan I only have a choice of two service provides which are: 1) TOT ADSL up to 20Mb and 2) True FCI up to 200Mb. And up till mid 2011 TOT was the only choice until True installed DOCSIS/cable in 2011. We do not have 3BB or AIS...and I'm not holding my breath that any other service providers are coming to my moobaan anytime soon.

A contractor strung some fiber optics in my moobaan for AIS about 6 to 12 months ago but AIS does not offer internet service to our moobaan...I called AIS last week about any current or near term service to my moobaan...they checked my moobaan/address...said no service now and the rep didn't see any near term service being offered but the rep said just to watch for signs/sign-up booths appearing in my moobaan as that's how they announce new service to an area. the Nice way of them saying even their customer service wouldn't find out about service to a new area until it went operational.

Below is a partial quote from a TrueOnline Terms and Agreement document taking about the current upper speeds of their different high speed internet technologies.

• True Super Speed ​​Fiber in VDSL service at download speeds up to 50 Mbps. / Local Fiber Cable Internet (FCI) offers a maximum download speed of 200 Mbps. / And in the FTTH service at download speeds up to 1000. Mbps. Please check the service area

[Pib]

Should work fine - but expect you will be billed 3 times - that seems to be what they do. One for internet at a lower price and one for SIM at 100 baht and another for TrueVisions (I have not received that bill and as each bill seems to have different customer numbers not sure how I can obtain - can not get there online payment system to work as not clear what number they want) - not looking forward to trying resolve by phone.

Once you find out, give us an update. I have separate TrueVisons (cable TV) and TrueOnline (cable internet) accounts. Get two separate bills in the mail and pay them online with Bangkok Bank ibanking. But I'm been thinking about upgrading my internet speed under one of their combo plans now offered.

My current TrueOnline cable internet plan is "for internet only"...got it years ago. But as you know some of their new plans now come in combo plans....like this 4 Combo Plan that comes with Internet, TV, 3G/4G, and Landline Service....and there is all kinds of "toppings" you can add on. Kinda sounds like if I took this combo plan I would end up getting 3 or 4 separate bills...maybe 4 if they bill the landline if I added a landline topping for extra minutes. Have they never heard of a Consolidated Bill? Oh well.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Pib

[lopburi3]

I had True ADSL directly paid by bank account and took the 3 option to obtain 30/3 service (and upgraded TV making it the 1099 price). Internet seems to be charged at 599 plus tax and still directly paid by bank. But received bill for TrueMove H of 100 baht and had to pay that using BBL on-line. Still awaiting the TrueVisions bill (but at one point was able to see a bill of a bit over 700 baht (believe for full and partial months). Will try to advise if ever get a bill - or they shut it down.

As for DOCSIS the survey teams (2 of the 3) clearly stated that name for the cable TV internet option (as it was located only a house away) - but I had letter asking me to convert to "True super speed fiber" which was just installed in my area so had no wish to use the older system. Ended up paying only about 1k for extra cable (they were talking between 2-5k) depending on the team doing survey.

[Pib]

In my earlier post I mentioned AIS had installed some fiber optics in my moobaan 6-12 months ago, but still isn't offering any service to my moobaan. I just remembered True also installed fiber in my moobaan about 12 months ago. In both cases the AIS and True Fiber was being strung just on what I call the main sois in the moobaan and not up and down the side sois feeding into the main sois....all the homes are on the side sois.

When I found out True was installing fiber optics optics I figure they would be also offering FTTH soon, but to the best of my knowledge and my call to True customer service they do not offer FTTH in my moobaan; only DOCSIS/cable internet. I can only assume they installed fiber optics just to increase the capacity of the DOCSIS system in the moobaan which does run down the main and side sois. The DOCSIS system in my moobaan does offer plan speeds up to 200Mb but 50Mb thru 200Mb plans are way too pricey.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Pib

[muratremix]

In my earlier post I mentioned AIS had installed some fiber optics in my moobaan 6-12 months ago, but still isn't offering any service to my moobaan. I just remembered True also installed fiber in my moobaan about 12 months ago. In both cases the AIS and True Fiber was being strung just on what I call the main sois in the moobaan and not up and down the side sois feeding into the main sois....all the homes are on the side sois.

When I found out True was installing fiber optics optics I figure they would be also offering FTTH soon, but to the best of my knowledge and my call to True customer service they do not offer FTTH in my moobaan; only DOCSIS/cable internet. I can only assume they installed fiber optics just to increase the capacity of the DOCSIS system in the moobaan which does run down the main and side sois. The DOCSIS system in my moobaan does offer plan speeds up to 200Mb but 50Mb thru 200Mb plans are way too pricey.

Nag ais until they start servicing your mooban. 50/10 mbit is 888 baht at ais. True pricing is not competitive anymore.