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Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2020 11:17 am
by dane
bayfiber wrote:Got the same update you did. I'm also getting tired of seeing this slip, and I still think I should not have received a physical card in the mail inviting me to pre-order until the Spring when my neighborhood starts getting lit up. Making potential customers like me sit in a pre-order queue since July 2019 is simply unacceptable. I really hope they aren't doing this to other cities in CA. I wouldn't wish this kind of wait on anybody.
Based upon this sort of feedback, we have ceased postal mailing to new planned markets until we are at activation or much closer to it. But we also see feedback from people in those areas who say "why didn't you tell me you were coming, I just got into contract for service X and I hate it and would rather have had Sonic if I knew it was going to be here eventually."

The main challenge I see has been that after we had permitting delays that caused slowdowns in one market, and that resulted in upset customers, we ceased providing our internal date estimates. But I think given that we do achieve our dates in many cases, we should provide that insight. It'd let you see our best current guess, and that'd become part of our email updates, to current Fusion/IPBB connected customers, and to anyone pre-ordered or considering pre-ordering on the website.

Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:13 pm
by bjeung
bayfiber wrote:
ranous wrote:Ok, just got another update from Sonic. Somewhat disappointing, as I was hoping to get it before the year is out. When they say next spring, I'm thinking summer is more realistic seeing how their schedule keeps slipping.
Your area had a slight adjustment in timing and is expected to enter into the construction phase late this year. If timing stays on track, we expect to be lighting up your neighborhood next Spring! We thank you for your patience and continued support of Sonic, the Fastest internet provider in CA!
Got the same update you did. I'm also getting tired of seeing this slip, and I still think I should not have received a physical card in the mail inviting me to pre-order until the Spring when my neighborhood starts getting lit up. Making potential customers like me sit in a pre-order queue since July 2019 is simply unacceptable. I really hope they aren't doing this to other cities in CA. I wouldn't wish this kind of wait on anybody.
I feel ya. I pre-ordered 3/18/2019 after seeing they were accepting pre-orders for San Mateo. I pre-ordered for my office on 6/7/2019. I got my last construction update on 3/6/2020 saying they were scaling back updates. Apparently scaling back meant zero updates in over 8 months. And what's funny is if I go to the website right now and put in my address, it says I can pre-order and will receive monthly construction updates!

So yes, they are doing this in other cities. And having seen your post I'm waiting for that same update that says it's going to take even longer. I wish they would just provide some feedback. Need more customers to sign up? I'll go door to door in my neighborhood. City giving them grief over permits? I'll go down to city hall and make some noise.

Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:27 am
by bayfiber
dane wrote:Based upon this sort of feedback, we have ceased postal mailing to new planned markets until we are at activation or much closer to it. But we also see feedback from people in those areas who say "why didn't you tell me you were coming, I just got into contract for service X and I hate it and would rather have had Sonic if I knew it was going to be here eventually."

The main challenge I see has been that after we had permitting delays that caused slowdowns in one market, and that resulted in upset customers, we ceased providing our internal date estimates. But I think given that we do achieve our dates in many cases, we should provide that insight. It'd let you see our best current guess, and that'd become part of our email updates, to current Fusion/IPBB connected customers, and to anyone pre-ordered or considering pre-ordering on the website.
All you have to do is create a 2-tiered mailing strategy with an emphasis on accurately informing potential customers.

When there's a new planned market, send a card with information to those potential customers informing them that they can potentially receive fiber service but there's a long way to go with their city, construction, etc and in the meantime, they should do things like contact their local officials to demand an end to existing cable monopolies by approving Sonic as a provider, and calling to pre-order if they wish to receive updates directly from Sonic so they can be the first to get service.

For anybody who hasn't signed up with you when their neighborhood is activated, send them a card telling them you're in the neighborhood and they can now order service.

Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2020 9:35 am
by nxrick
I am still on fusion X1 and like many of you, I have been patiently waiting for fiber in San Carlos. The current speed can barely keep up with the zoom meetings for 3 family members at the same time. With the latest email I got in regards to holding back the fiber roll out due to the temporary pole issue, it makes my decision of staying with Sonic even more difficult. I hope Sonic can at least give us a hint with something like "because of the temporary pole issue, it is unlikely that we can switch you over to fiber for in the 12 months". Then I can start looking into other options.

Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2020 10:11 am
by dane
nxrick wrote:I am still on fusion X1 and like many of you, I have been patiently waiting for fiber in San Carlos. The current speed can barely keep up with the zoom meetings for 3 family members at the same time. With the latest email I got in regards to holding back the fiber roll out due to the temporary pole issue, it makes my decision of staying with Sonic even more difficult. I hope Sonic can at least give us a hint with something like "because of the temporary pole issue, it is unlikely that we can switch you over to fiber for in the 12 months". Then I can start looking into other options.
We just got permits two days ago for a number of temporary poles in San Carlos, and are hopeful that we will begin deliveries for additional premises starting in December, with activations of most areas scheduled to complete by Feb. If you do obtain another solution near term, try to avoid any long term commitment!

Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 10:29 am
by nxrick
Hi Dane, thank you so much for the reply and great news! Does having underground wiring affect my chance of upgrading to fiber in San Carlos? My line is fed underground from the pole across the street.

Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 3:31 pm
by dane
nxrick wrote:Hi Dane, thank you so much for the reply and great news! Does having underground wiring affect my chance of upgrading to fiber in San Carlos? My line is fed underground from the pole across the street.
Hopefully not. The building to the left of yours is aerial fed, and we can drop to yours in the same way. Sometimes building owners do object to this, but you have a right under state law to the telecom service of your choice, and if they did not build a spare conduit to the pole across the street, then aerial would be how we'd deliver.

Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 5:07 pm
by nxrick
Hi Dane, my preference of course will be feeding it through the conduit underground. With the proposal of using aerial fees from the building next door, doni need approval from that building? I will probably need an approval from my HOA as the new feed will be crossing the driveway if that's gonna happen.

Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 5:47 pm
by dane
Sorry if I didn’t describe it clearly. It would be an aerial drop directly to your building.

I’m not optimistic that underground service would be possible, because builders only place two conduits and they grant them to the Telephone company the the Cable company.

You as a tenant have a right to choose your telecommunications carrier, and we will be happy to let the landlord review the process — but they can’t disallow service delivery based upon it being aerial. FYI.

-Dane

Re: Rolling out fiber in Redwood City?

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 12:16 pm
by rconti
Thanks for the updates, Dane. I suppose I got lucky in that ATT rolled out fiber to my house around the time of the Sonic announcement for Redwood City, back in March 2019. Of course I'd love to have that authentic Sonic fiber warmth, and be paying less to boot, I can at least console myself with my Sonic-resold fiber, and feel like at least some of my dollars are going to a local business!

With the pandemic, it's nice having more bandwidth than I know what to do with. Going native Sonic would just be icing on the cake.