Moved to new Condo but it has no internet yet, any advice?

[SS1]

Hey guys, 

 

I just moved to a new lowrise condo on Sukhumvit 64 that my girlfriend bought. The condo is brand new and they are just finishing up the last bits. We are actually the first ones to move in. Before we did the transfer of ownership, we checked with AIS who told us that we can have AIS Fiber there. After moving in, AIS called that they cannot do it! Now after my gf has been talking with the building manager, he is saying that they will make a deal with TRUE for the building. What a nightmare - I believe TRUE is the worst of all of them. When we came to see the condo before moving in, the staff told us that there would be True and TOT internet which I'm OK with.. but it doesn't seem to be the case at least yet. 

 

I work mostly from home and have to use VPS's based in the US, so having a fast internet is a must. I also play online games on my free time.. I have only heard bad things about True internet on Thaivisa, Facebook and my colleagues who all work in IT/dev jobs. 

 

How does it typically work - does a condo building decide which provider they take, and then the provider comes to install the cables? Is there anything we can do, perhaps try to ask the building manager to consider choosing a more reliable provider? 

 

Or do the providers themselves decide which areas they will and will not cover? 

[trogers]

That's the main difference between new and established...

 

With new, you have questions that no one can give definite answers.

[Delight]

 Most existing condos would try to upgrade to fibre.

 

We have made several attempts at my condo -with no success.

 

It appears that the only way for a condo to have fibre system -is for that system to be installed when the condo is being built. TOT did admit as such-Just verbally

 

The suppliers of fibre systems  seem to have no interest in condos

 

Commercially that makes no sense

 

So clearly I am short of a large piece of information.

 

 

[KittenKong]

3 hours ago, Delight said:

It appears that the only way for a condo to have fibre system -is for that system to be installed when the condo is being built. TOT did admit as such-Just verbally

 

The suppliers of fibre systems  seem to have no interest in condos

 

I had fibre installed last year. My building is old. As far as I know all buildings are designed with utility risers and suchlike to allow for this. Two cable TV companies are prepared to do it where I am but the main drawbacks for other companies like True or 3BB etc seems to be dealing with building management and being sure that the uptake in the building will be enough to cover the basic cost of bring fibre to the building.

[funandsuninbangkok]

Read a book?

[Ijustcashier]

True have very cheap hi speed. In the meantime you can use 4g which has decent speed. Ais has around 10gig for 500baht

[Delight]

19 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I had fibre installed last year. My building is old. As far as I know all buildings are designed with utility risers and suchlike to allow for this. Two cable TV companies are prepared to do it where I am but the main drawbacks for other companies like True or 3BB etc seems to be dealing with building management and being sure that the uptake in the building will be enough to cover the basic cost of bring fibre to the building.

 Interesting

 

So were the cable TV companies working just for you and not for  the  building as a whole.

 

Can you supply more info . ie cost of installation and name of the companies ?

[KittenKong]

3 hours ago, Delight said:

 

So were the cable TV companies working just for you and not for  the  building as a whole.

 

You will not get any interest from any supplier unless they already operate in the building or want to do so. This is simply because the initial cost of providing the fibre connection and equipment to the building is high and logically has to be recouped by selling many subscriptions.  Also they have to arrange with the  building to install switches in common areas. So both of the ones that offer fibre in mine are already present there. No big mystery about who they are as they are the two big cable players in Jomtien: Sophon and TMN.

 

Cost varies according to package: 700B > 2500B seems to cover the range. Installation may be free or paid, apparently depending on which way the wind is blowing. I got it for free but as far as I know my building has now imposed its own four-figure extra installation charge (on top of any ISP installation charge), none of which probably ends up in the accounts.

 

For buildings where take-up is likely to be low, or where the management do not want to get involved, the ISPs tend to offer fibre to some nearby outside point and VDSL in from there via the existing phone lines.

 

I also know of some buildings where they have a list for interested co-owners to sign up to, hoping to get enough people to interest the suppliers.

[Delight]

56 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

You will not get any interest from any supplier unless they already operate in the building or want to do so. This is simply because the initial cost of providing the fibre connection and equipment to the building is high and logically has to be recouped by selling many subscriptions.  Also they have to arrange with the  building to install switches in common areas. So both of the ones that offer fibre in mine are already present there. No big mystery about who they are as they are the two big cable players in Jomtien: Sophon and TMN.

 

Cost varies according to package: 700B > 2500B seems to cover the range. Installation may be free or paid, apparently depending on which way the wind is blowing. I got it for free but as far as I know my building has now imposed its own four-figure extra installation charge (on top of any ISP installation charge), none of which probably ends up in the accounts.

 

For buildings where take-up is likely to be low, or where the management do not want to get involved, the ISPs tend to offer fibre to some nearby outside point and VDSL in from there via the existing phone lines.

 

I also know of some buildings where they have a list for interested co-owners to sign up to, hoping to get enough people to interest the suppliers.

 I shall make contact  with TMN

I had the  cable TV service installed in my apartment (I was the only one ) and they charged me 1500 Baht for the installation

 

Clearly it sounds technically more complex than just running a cable

However I will call to see them . Cannot use phone as their English is poor

 

Thanks for your reply

Edited April 11, 2017 by Delight
Added detail

[wpcoe]

On 4/11/2017 at 9:34 AM, Delight said:

 I shall make contact  with TMN

I had the  cable TV service installed in my apartment (I was the only one ) and they charged me 1500 Baht for the installation

 

Clearly it sounds technically more complex than just running a cable

However I will call to see them . Cannot use phone as their English is poor

 

Thanks for your reply

 

I live in a building where TMN can and do install their FTTH service, and since they offer month-to-month service I gave them a test run.

 

When I bought my condo unit, I took over the previous owner's 3BB ADSL 18/1.8 Mbps B599/mo plan and then installed the TMN FTTH to compare.  For the first month I had TMN's cheaper B599 20/7 Mbps plan and the overseas transfer rates were abysmal. Thinking that TMN might be intentionally restricting throughput on their budget offering, for April I paid for TMN's 30/10 Mbps (B1200?) plan and it's still not as good as even 3BB's 18/1.8 Mbps B599 ADSL service for overseas sites.  However, I want to do more testing.  I had a renovation project, and was only able to move back into my condo unit on the 8th before escaping overseas on the 10th to avoid Songkran.  I had also sat in the empty room one night and tested, here's the results of those first two tests:

 

 

If my further testing on random days/times still gives such sluggish overseas throughput, I will stop paying TMN.

 

I've done all my transactions with TMN in person at their office at the Pattaya Klang/Sukhumvit intersection.  The gal there speaks good English and is knowledgeable about the FTTH service.

 

 

[mikecha]

buy a mifi and data  card works just fine    have net where u want

[louse1953]

I would say who pays the condo manager the biggest backhander.Talk to him,and maybe you can swing him around to TOT,one way or the other.

[SS1]

On 2017-4-17 at 5:35 PM, mikecha said:

buy a mifi and data  card works just fine    have net where u want

But they don't have unlimited 4G plans yet in Thailand as far as I know, so something like that is not very practical for full time use. I'm currently using my phone as a hotspot and getting under 10 mb/s download speed with AIS 4G. It's alright to get work done whilst waiting for proper internet.