Fibre line migrations often leave customers offline for days. The ISPA has issued new best-practice guidelines to improve fibre line transfers.
The Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) in South Africa has issued new best-practice guidelines to improve fibre line transfers, addressing issues such as delayed line switching and wrongful disconnections.
Across Western Cape neighbourhoods, an estimated 80% of customers are left without viable alternatives to their current fibre provider — a predicament worsened in private estates that negotiate exclusive contracts on behalf of residents.
This monopoly position should come with a commitment to quality and reliability, yet, in many cases, an incentive for high standards is absent.
Fibre line migrations
The fibre line transfer process is plagued by human error. ISPs frequently initiate mistaken transfers, with fibre network operators often failing to verify requests with end-users. Consequently, customers may be switched involuntarily, losing service when administrative mix-ups go unchecked.
Migrations involve four parties: the end user, the fibre operator, the old ISP, and the new ISP. The process requires careful coordination and transparent communication, yet end-users bear the brunt of an industry all too willing to wield its monopoly power without accountability.
Most fibre operators lock customers into “losing-provider led switching” schemes, binding them to one ISP for the duration of the contract. Fibre line migrations usually take a full calendar month. A small number of operators support “gaining-provider led switching,” enabling ISPs to initiate and process a line transfer within 24 hours — a standard in the UK market, and well overdue in South Africa.
Fibre companies can charge excessive fees for seemingly minor changes. Frogfoot imposes a R1,725 fee simply to update customer details when a new tenant moves into a property, even if the ISP service remains unchanged. Frogfoot also charges the full installation fee when an existing line gets transferred to a new ISP. These fees, inevitably get passed on to consumers.
In contrast, Octotel’s fee for a line transfer is R862, and there is no fee to update the customer details of a line. Octotel isn’t without fault, as its process to confirm a migration with the end user is occasionally bypassed, leaving customers without service until the error is identified and the line transfer is reverted.
Openserve’s migration process is generally forgiving as they allow more than one ISP service to be active on the same fibre box (ONT), enabling quick resolution during line migration problems, unlike single-connection operators, whose customers often endure prolonged service interruptions.
Vumatel’s software, reliant on a patchwork of systems, some managed by an overseas third party, is notorious for breaking down, with failed line transfers leaving customers offline for days. A large percentage of line transfers currently fail until a software developer can get involved. It’s not uncommon for customers to be offline for two days or more.
The ISPA recently published the results of a survey comparing fibre operators. The ‘Software Systems’ category in this survey is a good indication of ISP experiences when processing line migrations with the various fibre operators:
ISPA’s recommendations
The ISPA encourages FNOs to use web-based portals to manage fibre line information, improving access to accurate data. To prevent errors, FNOs and ISPs are advised to double-check addresses and line numbers during migrations and and to verify the transfer request with the customer.
Key recommendations include:
To handle disputes, ISPA advises FNOs to inform ISPs promptly of any issues and resolve them well in advance of migration dates. Both FNOs and ISPs are urged to cooperate closely to prevent unnecessary disruptions for consumers.
While the fibre line transfer process has its challenges, there’s hope for positive change. Companies like Octotel, which charge lower fees and avoid unnecessary costs, are setting an example for the industry. Similarly, Openserve's flexibility in their migration processes hints at the improvements possible when customer experience is prioritised.
As more customers demand streamlined processes and reliable service, ISPs and fibre operators will be pushed to simplify migrations, aligning more with user-friendly models like the UK’s 'One Touch' transfer standard, ensuring customers can easily change their ISP, without hassle or unnecessary fees.
