Sunday, October 16, 2016

Internet at Home Safaricom FTTH

I am finally on a fiber to the home (FTTH) internet connection. Thanks to Safaricom. This post is the process it took to get the connection and my experience thus far ...

A Safaricom tech crew installed the fiber optic connection to the house in July 2016. The team were very flexible and took the time to install the connection through an alternative route via a window vent after we discovered the conduit to the apartment was blocked.

Safaricom did not complete the installation of fiber cable network in the area for another month or so. Once the service was active a Safaricom salesman contacted us and we scheduled a meeting at home on the first day of October.

We met at midday and completed the application form. I signed up for the silver package; 10 Mbps for KES 3,499 per month paid via MPesa. The link is shared with a 1:4 contention ratio.

The other options are the gold and platinum packages; 20 Mbps for KES 4,999 per month and 40 Mbps for KES 9,999 respectively.

Safaricom are subsidizing the internet connection by providing the Huawei EchoLife gigabit-capable passive optical network (GPON) terminal for free. The terminal however belongs to Safaricom and should be surrendered upon termination of the service agreement.  The installation is also free and it was done by a second tech crew approximately 5 hours after I had signed the agreement and paid.

About 2 hours later I received a call from a Safaricom customer care agent and they let me know the service was now active and shared the username and default password. They gave me the opportunity to change the password which I did.

The internet started working immediately and the results of the first speed test download speeds 9.72 Mbps and upload 10.01 Mbps. Two other tests done two and three weeks later yielded similar results.

The service works great and the only time I noticed a significant reduction in speed was late Friday night three weeks later; perhaps my three other neighbors were all on and watching series via Netflix or ShowMax!

It is great to have an unlimited fast fibre to the home internet connection as I do not need to fight with my daughters on their insane consumption of the data on my Safaricom bundles!

14 comments:

  1. Great Comment on not a so price friendly network, I am getting frustrated with Zuku, need to find out if Safaricom is in Parklands

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  2. Hi, we are not in parklands yet. We'll soon communicate when it gets there

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  3. I am not sure if the service is in Kahawa Sukari, check with Safaricom.

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  4. is the service in pipeline estate or fedha estate areas?

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  5. Not sure, please check with Safaricom.

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  6. is this safaricom fibre in lower kabete?

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  7. They started connecting in kahawa sukari this week from wendani all the way to engen

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  8. How do I check with Saf on where the services are? Do they have their own portal for such issues?

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  9. Try asking Safaricom using their Twitter or Facebook accounts

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  10. Also is it available in Zimmerman?

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  11. Hi,ank...has the safaricom service reached ruiru and juja?

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  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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