AIS Fiber Rant

[dddave]

Last week, I went into AIS/Siam Paragon to replace a lost SIM card.  While waiting, I was approached by a salesperson and asked if I was a Bangkok resident and If I would like an AIS fiber line.  I expressed doubt that my soi even had AIS fiber but he looked my address up and assured me that it was available for my building.  I had been away for a few months so I figured maybe it had been installed during my absence. 3BB had wired my soi several months previously but declared that installations could not be done above the 5th floor of my building; I'm on the 9th floor.

I was happy with the opportunity to have fiber as I have long been stuck with very poor True ADSL.  The sign up process took about an hour.  The next day I was notified I had to return with my actual passport as I had only a copy on my first visit.  Another two hours spent there as they kept insisting my address was a free standing house rather than a condo.  I kept asking re-assurance that they did indeed have fiber into my address; the response always positive.

Installation set for Friday, 0900.  Got a number of confirmation emails and SMS's.  

Friday arrives...no installers, no call:...9am,...10am. 11am.  I try to call 1185 Call Center but "All reps busy, please leave your number and we will call you back"...They never called back.  Finally, after noontime, I was able to get a CS rep. on the phone.  Told him the story...he disappeared for a few minutes, then reappeared and stated:

"Sorry sir.  Your area does not have fiber service at this time.  Is there anything else I can help you with?"

ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[Pib]

Also, keep in mind when they do get fibre to your building (whether AIS, 3BB or whoever), it will not be fibre all the way to your condo.   It will most likely be "Fiber to the Building" (usually on the ground floor to a central cabinet) and then VDSL from the ground floor to your condo on floor XYZ.  Max speed plan available will probably be the 50/10 VDSL plan.

 

[tominbkk]

That's too bad.  I had a complete opposite experience....all application online done efficiently.  Came exactly when they said and installation done in less than an hour.  Blazing speed with no interruptions now at all for 2 months.

[JoePai]

19 hours ago, tominbkk said:

That's too bad.  I had a complete opposite experience....all application online done efficiently.  Came exactly when they said and installation done in less than an hour.  Blazing speed with no interruptions now at all for 2 months.

ditto, had ours for a year 

[dddave]

On 11/29/2016 at 6:46 PM, Pib said:

 Max speed plan available will probably be the 50/10 VDSL plan.

 

50/10??   I'd take that in a heartbeat.

[wpcoe]

I just inherited an apparently 18Mbps ADSL 3BB contract from the previous owner of a condo I just bought and it is about B600/month.

 

I've read repeatedly that 3BB's VDSL is a downgrade in speed for access to overseas sites vs their ADSL.  However, 3BB has a 30/5 Mbps VDSL plan for the same price (B590) and I wonder:  can their speed throttling of a 30Mbps VDSL plan really be lower than a 18Mbps ADSL plan?

[Pib]

I doubt there is any difference between a 3BB ADSL, VDSL, or Fiber plan in terms of where "international throttling" occurs, which would most likely occur at the 3BB "international gateway server."  

 

Considering the ADSL, VDSL, or local Fiber connection is just the "last mile" (or less) so to speak of the connection to your residence, they all connect into the 3BB network backbone which is high bandwidth fiber which in turn connects to the 3BB domestic gateway and international gateway servers.   Even though I said "3BB"....it's ditto for any ISP.

 

I expect if you had a 3BB 20Mb ADSL plan, 20Mb VDSL plan, and 20Mb fiber plan, they would all give you the same international speed.  

But since ADSL plans are now lower tier/speed plans, VDSL plans mid tier/speed plans, and cable/fiber upper/speed plans we probably won't be able to find three such 20Mb plans to run some real live tests.

[wpcoe]

@Pib:  But, several posters (including me) have been told by 3BB directly that their VDSL lines provide slower international speed than their ADSL lines.   But *how much* slower is my question?  Hence:

 

However, 3BB has a 30/5 Mbps VDSL plan for the same price (B590) and I wonder:  can their speed throttling of a 30Mbps VDSL plan really be lower than a 18Mbps ADSL plan?

 

I don't think it's a matter of where any throttling may occur, it's how it occurs:  does 3BB put some restriction specifically on VDSL packages to limit international speeds?

 

[Pib]

Can you remember exactly what they said?   I don't mean to be augmentative but the Thai-English barrier can sure lead to misunderstandings sometimes....I know I've sure experienced plenty over the years in calls to customer service reps or just talking to my Thai wife over the decades.   

 

I've sure read enough TV posts over the years from customers who complained to their ISP about slow international speed and the ISP rep has supposedly claimed all types of reasons....some undersea cable somewhere have an issue, an international gateway server issue, or there is no problem on their end so it must be a problem with your computer/router/building wire....all kinds of reasons.   And then the reps sometimes try to get you to upgrade to their pro/business/premier plan which has the same domestic speed as a regular plan but supposedly the pro/business/premier plan give better international bandwidth.   I know some very recent testing between me on my AIS Fibre 50/10 PowerHome plan (a regular plan) who showing my plan was almost as fast for international speed (and is some test faster) than a person on the AIS Fibre 50/10 HomePro  plan which costs cost twice as much as my plan.  

 

But when it comes to international speed the ISP's "international" gateway server  is the key piece of network hardware reaching out beyond Thailand.  And like I mentioned before, while I can't say for sure, I would expect ADSL, VDSL, Cable/DOCSIS, and Fiber local connections all connect up with the ISP's main fiber backbone which leads to the their domestic and international gateway servers.   Why duplicate domestic and international servers for different type  local networks if current central servers have enough capacity.

 

From my own speed testing experience I've also found a higher speed plan does not necessarily mean any significantly higher international speed.  For example, when I was on True Cable/DOCSIS 20Mb plan my international speed was no better than when I was on their Cable/DOCSIS 15Mb plan...not one ounce better.  And in doing some international speed comparisons with a couple of TV members on the Cable/DOCSIS 30Mb plan, their international speed was no better that the 15Mb or 20Mb plan.    It was like True just had a throttle set for international speed at least for plans up to 30Mb.  I figure that throttle was set up-stream in their network versus locally.  

 

And maybe since VDSL plans are generally higher speed than ADSL plans, maybe ISP are throttling VDSL plans more than slows speed ADSL plans....when the dust settles the person on the 20Mb ADSL plan may end up getting the same speed as someone on a 50Mb VDSL plan.

 

I'm sure ISPs have numerous ways to throttle bandwidth, both locally and up-stream at their gateways....different how's and where's.    But I haven't seen nothing in various posts supporting the idea that international speed on different types of local networks (i.e., ADSL, VDSL, Fiber, etc) is any better if it was possible to compare different types of networks speed if you could test plans from the same ISP of the same speed....that is, say test a 20Mb ADSL against a 20Mb VDSL against a 20Mb DOCSIS against a 20Mb Fiber plan.   And then toss in the factor of how international bandwidth can vary greatly during the 24 hour period....from hour to hour or even minute to minute and it makes trying to compare speed among various ISPs and types of networks so hard.   All a person can do is soak up as much info/data as he can and make a decision (take a chance) on switching to a different ISP/kind of system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2016 by Pib

[wpcoe]

On 12/6/2016 at 7:32 PM, Pib said:

Can you remember exactly what they said?   I don't mean to be augmentative but the Thai-English barrier can sure lead to misunderstandings sometimes....I know I've sure experienced plenty over the years in calls to customer service reps or just talking to my Thai wife over the decades.   

 

Can't do an exact quote, but knowing that I had a 18Mbps/1.8Mbps ADSL plan, in the 3BB shop she told me to keep that plan because it would have better international/overseas speed than if I upgraded to the 30Mbps VDSL plan for the same price.

 

And maybe since VDSL plans are generally higher speed than ADSL plans, maybe ISP are throttling VDSL plans more than slows speed ADSL plans....when the dust settles the person on the 20Mb ADSL plan may end up getting the same speed as someone on a 50Mb VDSL plan.

 

That's what I'm wondering.    But, how to know before taking the plunge and go from a month-to-month ADSL plan to committing to a one-year VDSL contract, which 3BB says I must?

 

But I haven't seen nothing in various posts supporting the idea that international speed on different types of local networks (i.e., ADSL, VDSL, Fiber, etc) is any better

 

I found this post by @KittenKong :

 

Be aware that the international bandwidth of that 30/5 VDSL connection may be worse than the international bandwidth of your current ADSL connection. The speed is quoted for within Thailand only. Several 3BB staff advised me strongly not to change my existing 18Mb 3BB ADSL to their cheaper and supposedly faster VDSL service for this very reason. YMMV.

 

in 

And, the plot thickens:

 

A tech from 3BB showed up today to check my connection is working ok.

For the first time ever since my problem with slower international speeds, a 3BB staff member told me the truth about what happened.

He confirmed the new packages have slower international speeds.

New packages run on 3BB network, while my older package ran on 3BBNEX network, which has much higher international bandwidth.

VDSL runs on 3BB network, while 3BB fiber runs on 3BBNEX network, which explains the much better international bandwidth reported by TV members using 3BB fiber.

which network your connection uses is determined by your username. 3BB network usernames end with "@3bb" while the others end with "@3bbnex".

sadly, there are no VDSL plans using 3bbnex.

 

Posted by @manarak in:  http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/906623-anyone-can-comment-3bb-vdsl-internet/?page=9

 

HOWEVER, members were posting that their ADSL username ends with "@3bbnex."  My ADSL username ends in @indy, so am I on the 3BBNEX, 3BB or some other network.  (IIRC, the "Indy" packages were the first ADSL packages offered by the precursor to 3BB -- TTT? -- back in the day.)

 

And, a $64m question is:  how much slower is the 3BBNEX network than the 3BB?

 

[Pib]

ISP selection can be like a crap shoot.