Fusion price increase and fiber expansion

[dane]

Dane is clearly referring to the DSL technology in his post saying that the DSL technology advanced and people were offered a better / higher speeds in most cases so they switched from DSL to new technologies where applicable ....

Sorry if I created any confusion here. This reference was to to what we call "Legacy DSL", this is the slower older incumbent DSL which uses their DSLAMs and ADSL1 technology to deliver 1.5Mbps, 3Mbps or 6Mbps service. We ceased offering this product a few years ago, and it in decline for a variety of reasons - Fusion migration, performance limitations, etc.

Fusion as a product family includes DSL technologies too, from ADSL2+ (up to 20Mbps), VDSL2 (up to 50Mbps) and FTTN (generally VDSL2 from neighborhood cabinets at 12Mbps to 50Mbps.) And of course, fiber at 1000Mbps.

[angu]

The problem I personally have with this price increase is that I am already paying a lot for slow speeds. I'm already paying a premium to try and support a local ISP instead of Comcast. I currently get 15mbps. The only way to go faster is either fusionx2 for maybe 30mbps or switch to Comcast. Not even AT&T deploys u-verse/FTTN in my neighborhood, so the odds of Sonic's fiber rollout ever hitting my neighborhood is realistically zero. If it wasn't profitable for AT&T to do FTTN here, I can't see any reason why sonic would even consider FTTH considering sonic's more limited funding. We already struggle streaming video online with more than one or two people. As much as I want to continue supporting Sonic, the low speeds plus the price increase make that justification really difficult. Currently, my connection doesn't even qualify as broadband according to the FCC. As much as I hate comcast, this price increase with no potential for increased speeds in the future may just force me to switch.

[Guest]

hm... I didn't see anything about them losing customers ???

Did you see where Sonic customers in this thread have said that they're not interested in being charged an additional $10/month for legacy DLS that's only providing them 2 or 4 or 6 mbps, and that they'll take this price hike as the indication that it's time to switch to Comcast?

[msandrof]

The problem I personally have with this price increase is that I am already paying a lot for slow speeds. I'm already paying a premium to try and support a local ISP instead of Comcast. I currently get 15mbps. The only way to go faster is either fusionx2 for maybe 30mbps or switch to Comcast.

Are you already on VDSL2? I am one of the fortunate ones that lives relatively close to a CO. I went from about 15/2 to about 35/9 after the move to VDSL2. If you're already there, I hear your pain.

[pockyken007]

hm... I didn't see anything about them losing customers ???

Did you see where Sonic customers in this thread have said that they're not interested in being charged an additional $10/month for legacy DLS that's only providing them 2 or 4 or 6 mbps, and that they'll take this price hike as the indication that it's time to switch to Comcast?

I did and Oddhack was not referring to that , he was specifically referring to something Dane said ( which Dane actually did not say ). As for the people who threaten to leave that is their choice and opinion and like said previously in many posts I see both sides of the spectrum here .

[Guest]

It shouldn't be a big surprise, but the number one request by Sonic members today is for faster service. We see this every day, in our annual customer satisfaction surveys, and in exit surveys for those who depart.

...that's all well and good, but I hope it's also no surprise that for many of us the number one priority is Sonic reliability (in every respect). I'm almost 9,000 ft from the CO, so I know and accept what my speed can & can't be. But my average DL speed suddenly deteriorated one day - not the modem, not the "inside wiring" mantra - and I've already continued paying the same amount for that. Now I'll have to pay substantially more, for that. No one figured out the problem Out There. Meantime, I got "but... your present speed is still within acceptable range for your distance." Not to me... I'd had one speed, and solid connection, for years, then suddenly and inexplicably another, lower and not so solid. If I (could afford to) leave, it would be as much for that. This price increase, against the lesser performance, is just a further letdown.

I do hope that you will take an interest in our mission, and I hope that you will help us achieve it by being a Member of Sonic.

I get that. I've seen and heard you - you're fine, you're no Kalanick. But, gee, here I was, thinking Sonic was there to support my mission (and everyone else's) by selling the more reliable, more affordable service. A lot of us have already stuck it out for king and country, if you're going to appeal to our "Memberness" - that's how you got here over these past 20+ years. But it's an age-old story. Several dozens will vent here, for awhile longer. Won't change anything.

[Guest]

On the one hand, I'm already paying Sonic $50/mo after taxes for ADSL2. All I have to show for it is 3Mbps service. Been that way for almost ten years now. On the other hand, I'm in the Parkside and the availability tool indicates fiber should be live by the end of February.

A ten dollar increase isn't going to break the bank, and I'm certainly not going to jump ship with fiber being this close. But this price increase absolutely decimates the value proposition. IMO some sort of split-pricing model would be a big win at least from a PR perspective.

[steelgaze]

I'm going to be conflicted in the price increase. While I am 'on target' for gigabit fiber, it is going to be at least seven months from now which is probably the tail end of all the publically announced rollout plans.

The way I see it, Dane has already said about one in ten Sonic customers are on fiber, which are probably not going to leave over 10 dollar increase. There is however that other nine out of ten non-Fiber customers. Sonic can stand to lose one out of those nine and still come out with a higher revenue stream to raise the debt limit. Two out of ten... and they are almost back where they started. It doesn't however factor in potential new customers to be gained as new current builds get activated.

So, now this question is more directed at Dane or anyone else that has actual information on rollout projections.

Fiber has already been strung on the pole in front of my home since early December. I saw the truck go by and everything. I know the current estimates on the service tool is conservative. Will my install date for Gigabit fiber move up? At this point, waiting for something like seven months for another install truck to roll by twice is borderline unacceptable to me. I'm at the point where I can cancel service entirely and go wireless for half a year and wait if it's going to be more than six months wait.

[dane]

So, now this question is more directed at Dane or anyone else that has actual information on rollout projections.

Fiber has already been strung on the pole in front of my home since early December. I saw the truck go by and everything. I know the current estimates on the service tool is conservative. Will my install date for Gigabit fiber move up? At this point, waiting for something like seven months for another install truck to roll by twice is borderline unacceptable to me. I'm at the point where I can cancel service entirely and go wireless for half a year and wait if it's going to be more than six months wait.

Yes, it's possible the date will move up, we do build contingency time into our estimates. But, in some locations we've failed to meet our dates, due to ...sometimes very odd things. A crane causes all utilities to be re-routed for months. A wood utility pole is overloaded. Etc. So bear in mind that the cable that's passing your home must achieve a full contiguous path back to the network hub, so there could be segments we have contingencies in or which are not yet complete.

But, it's going faster and faster as we scale up and gain experience and team proficiency, so you'll all see more neighborhoods, and more cities, more quickly. Exciting times!

[steelgaze]

Yes, it's possible the date will move up, we do build contingency time into our estimates. But, in some locations we've failed to meet our dates, due to ...sometimes very odd things. A crane causes all utilities to be re-routed for months. A wood utility pole is overloaded. Etc. So bear in mind that the cable that's passing your home must achieve a full contiguous path back to the network hub, so there could be segments we have contingencies in or which are not yet complete.

But, it's going faster and faster as we scale up and gain experience and team proficiency, so you'll all see more neighborhoods, and more cities, more quickly. Exciting times!

I guess that is somewhat good news?

AFAIK, there is no physical obstruction as there is nothing out of the ordinary on the cable travel from what I recall. I have no idea on the weight and that technical jazz, but I do see three horseshoe loops which I assume are drops to my neighbors and I which already have Sonic and are waiting for service. I haven't personally followed the cable track to the hub, which I assume is Kirkham at this point. I have gone down to Lincoln, which it just feeds into the ground like all cable termination points at/around the base of the pole.