FAQ - Leyden

Whip City Fiber is the Internet Service Provider for Leyden Broadband. It is owned and operated by Westfield Gas + Electric in Westfield, Massachusetts. Leyden Broadband has chosen to work with Whip City Fiber because, as a municipal utility, they are driven to provide best services at reasonable prices for subscribers, rather than earning high profits for investors. Whip City Fiber has been in operation since 2015 and is successfully serving the customers of Westfield, Otis, and Alford. Their knowledge and experience with engineering high-speed Internet is a substantial benefit for Leyden. Joining their network gives us access to their customer service and tech support teams. By joining the Whip City Fiber network, we benefit Leyden subscribers and keep costs low.

The Leyden Municipal Light Plant (MLP) is a municipal utility company formed by the town to finance and build a broadband fiber-optic network.

Leyden Broadband is a department within the Town of Leyden responsible for managing Leyden’s town-owned broadband network once it has been built.

A fiber-optic network is constructed of optical fibers instead of the traditional copper wire or coaxial cable. Optical fiber is a hair-thin piece of glass that is specially designed to transmit light impulses. One small fiber can carry multiple signals at once and the signal does not degrade over long distances. Unlike coaxial cable, performance is not affected by interference or shared bandwidth. The fiber-optic network provides high-speed access that runs at the speed of light. Each year the use of the Internet for applications and services is increasing. As high-definition video, telemedicine, distance learning, telecommuting, and other applications continue to evolve, only fiber technology provides the bandwidth capacity to carry the heavy data load we expect to see. We’re excited that Leyden can take advantage of this cutting-edge access, which will support our community well into the future.

Whip City Fiber is a community-owned company with a commitment to provide premium services to our customers. Their gigabit service is the fastest available and their customer service team is always on call. The revenues generated by Whip City Fiber in Leyden are reinvested in the Leyden Broadband to cover the cost of operating Leyden’s network, which in turn benefits our entire community.

Leyden Broadband was offering a no charge installation package provided you signed up for service before the initial subscription deadline of August 28, 2020. This free package included a first floor or basement connection to the outside drop, interior wiring, a smart router, and all required set-up. Customers who sign up after the deadline are responsible for the full cost of install plus, a one-time activation fee of $99 at the time your internet service goes live. A multiple-month payment plan is available (max. 12-months).

For more information, you can view Leyden's drop and installation policy here: Leyden Service Drop and Installation Policy

You can sign up for broadband service at any time. Standard installation costs for 99% of existing, occupied structures was covered by Leyden Broadband if you applied for service before August 28, 2020.

Customers who sign up after the deadline are responsible for the full cost of install plus, a one-time activation fee of $99 at the time your internet service goes live. A multiple-month payment plan is available (max. 12-months).

In many cases, you won’t have to do anything and you’ll continue to receive your email. If there is a problem, click the link below for more information on setting up a Forever Email or Whip City Fiber customer service representative can help you over the phone.

Setting up a “Forever Email”

You could save hundreds of dollars a year by transitioning from satellite TV to online streaming video. Highspeed internet service will allow you to stream video content and some broadcast TV content directly to your TV or computer. While it does not provide regular, off-the-air TV content, much of the same programming is available through streaming. For more on this, click on the link below.

Cutting the Cord: How to Stream Video with Whip City Fiber

We are committed to providing the best service for your new high-speed Internet service. If you have any questions you can contact us at Customer Service: leyden@whipcityfiber.com/1-833-WCF-CALL (1-833-923-2255) or Tech Support: techsupport@whipcityfiber.com/1-833-WCF-HELP (1-833-923-4357).

Your cell phone service is totally independent of broadband internet phone service. You can keep your Verizon landline and just sign up for broadband internet and/or telephone service. However, if you want to switch to broadband internet phone service, you can have your current phone number switched over to the new service. This could result in savings as our phone service is only $14.99/month bundled with residential internet and $59.99 for phone service only (plus the federal and state fees you currently pay).

Yes! For one thing, if you sign up for service during the initial subscription period, drops and standard installs will be free to 99% of Leyden residents. If you wait and sign up later, you will have to pay the full cost of a drop and installation which could be up to several thousand dollars. Other benefits include increasing home value, increased saleability of a broadband-connected home, grandchildren and guests enjoying internet access, and seamless high-speed connectivity.

Lifeline is a federal program that offers a monthly benefit of $9.25 towards phone or internet services for eligible subscribers. A customer can qualify for Lifeline benefit if their income is 135% or less than the federal poverty guidelines, or if they participate in SNAP, Medicaid, or other federal programs. Lifeline subscribers can apply their benefit to home or mobile phone service or to high-speed broadband.

Installations may be made only in existing occupied structures such as houses or studios/offices that have electrical service. Once a structure is finished, you can request service.

If you are a current Verizon Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) customer, please DO NOT cancel your service until your Leyden Broadband service is working. You risk losing your existing internet connection if you cancel your account early. Also, if you are planning on “porting” your existing Verizon telephone number to the new telephone service, you will need to keep your Verizon telephone service active until Verizon completes the porting process. This can take as long as 3 to 4 weeks. If you cancel your Verizon service before the process is complete, you run the risk of losing your telephone number.

Contact Whip City Fiber customer support by phone at 833-WCF-CALL (833-923-2255) or via email at customerservice@wgeld.org if you have questions about:

1. Signing up for service
2. Billing
3. Installation
4. Technical issues

It’s easy! Complete an application online or call 1-833-WCF-CALL (1-833-923-2255) and one of our customer service representatives can answer any questions you have and complete your application over the phone. When installation appointments are available, the customer service team will contact you to schedule an appointment.

The person who signs up should be the person who is going to be billed for the monthly service (this is usually the renter unless the landlord is going to include the price of Internet in the rent or the unit is currently empty). On the application you should indicate that you are a renter and include your landlord’s contact information in the appropriate fields. Your landlord will be contacted for the necessary installation permissions. The homeowner (landlord) MUST be present on installation day since both the outside and inside installation involves work on the property and changes to the wiring and drilling through walls or floors. Thus, installation can only be approved by the property owner. If the property owner can’t be present on installation day, s/he can appoint someone who will be on site on installation day and be authorized to make decisions about the installation and pay for any upgrades. We encourage all renters and homeowners to discuss installation details and ongoing service before signing up.

NOTE: Homeowners/Landlords should make sure that their tenants are planning on signing up for service during the initial subscription period in order to take advantage of the free standard installation for 99% of Leyden homes. Otherwise, after the initial subscription period they will be responsible for the whole cost of installation. The landlord may wish to make the initial subscription to ensure that it is done during the initial subscription period and then transfer the account to their tenant.

If your address didn’t come up in the dropdown box, please type in the full address and submit your application. Whip City Fiber customer service will be in touch with Leyden Broadband to help solve the problem. Once it is sorted out, we’ll get back to you. If you have other problems submitting the application online, contact Whip City Fiber customer support by phone at 833-WCF-CALL (833-923-2255) or via email at customerservice@wgeld.org. Working directly with WCF customer service is the fastest way to solve your application problem.

If you signed up more than 7 days ago and still haven’t gotten your follow-up email, please check your junk email folder to make sure it didn’t get filtered out. Still not there? Contact Whip City Fiber at 833-WCF-CALL (833-923-2255) or customerservice@wgeld.org to make sure you signed up and ask them to resend the follow-up email.

Broadband internet service is $85/month and telephone service is $14.99/month bundled with residential internet and $59.99 for phone only (plus the federal and state fees you currently pay). However, there is a $99 activation fee for customers who sign up for service after August 28, 2020.

Leyden Broadband was offering a no charge installation package provided you signed up for service before the initial subscription deadline of August 28, 2020. This free package included a first floor or basement connection to the outside drop, interior wiring, a smart router, and all required set-up. Customers who sign up after the deadline are responsible for the full cost of install plus, a one-time activation fee of $99 at the time your internet service goes live. A multiple-month payment plan is available (max. 12-months).

For more information, you can view Leyden's drop and installation policy here: Leyden Service Drop and Installation Policy

There are no contracts for Leyden Broadband service because we are providing a great service that we believe you’ll want to keep.

You must pay your bill electronically to our internet service provider - Whip City Fiber. Payment can be made either through electronic fund transfer (EFT) from your bank account or you may pay by credit card. We encourage you to use automatic payments from your bank account (EFT). This saves you and the Town money and ensures you don’t miss a payment, which could result in loss of service. Whip City Fiber cannot accept cash or check. If you need assistance, please contact Whip City Fiber at 1-833-WCF-CALL (1-833-923-2255).

Whip City Fiber will issue electronic invoices to the email address you provide. You must provide an email address to sign up for service. There is no option for paper bills. This is to ensure costs of operating our network are as low as possible (plus it saves trees!). Bills are due upon receipt. There is a 10-day grace period, after which time your account will be deemed in default, service will be terminated, and a reconnection fee may be charged.

When your installation is scheduled, Whip City Fiber will let you know if there will be costs outside those covered by the Town of Leyden. This will happen 2 to 3 weeks before your installation. All payments will be made online. You will receive an email with login information to the Whip City Fiber billing portal. This is where you can make changes to your preferred billing method at any time. We encourage you to use automatic payments from your bank account (EFT). This saves you and the town money and ensures you don’t miss a payment, which could result in service disconnection.

If you are having problems with your Whip City Fiber service, please call the Whip City Tech Team at 1-833-WCF-HELP (1-833-923-4357). They will provide free phone support. More complex issues which require a visit may result in additional charges. We always support Whip City Fiber equipment at no charge.

Customers receive the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) [like a DSL modem] and Wi-Fi router at no charge with each account. Authorized account users who are living in the same residence and their guests will be able to connect multiple devices to the service.

We certainly hope you’ll encourage your neighbors to sign up for their own service because sharing Wi-Fi outside of your household is a violation of the acceptable terms of use.

Lifeline is a federal program that lowers the monthly cost of phone and internet for eligible low-income subscribers. Qualified customers will receive up to $9.25 applied directly towards their bill. You can use Lifeline for either phone or internet, but not both. FCC rules prohibit more than one Lifeline service per household.

You can sign up here.

To use this portal, you will need to be an active WCF customer. Otherwise, you can submit an application and choose to have the credit applied to your WCF service once you have been approved.

You can apply here if you are not a WCF customer yet.

Commercial customers, including nonprofit organizations, will be eligible for both the Drop and Installation programs. Their monthly subscriber rates will be the same as residential subscribers with the understanding that should their bandwidth usage exceed double that of the average residential user, a new subscriber rate will be set for their ongoing participation.

STEP 1 - SIGN UP

• Click the sign-up link on the Leyden Broadband home page or go to https://www.whipcityfiber.com/leyden/fiberapp.

• Enter the first part of your home address. Choose your home address from the dropdown list, and press Enter or click the magnifying glass to the right of your address.

• You’ll be asked for your contact information and a few questions such as which service/s you want. To streamline this process we’re primarily offering online sign ups. If you don’t know how to use a computer or get online, we’re here to help! See Sign Up Help section below.

STEP 2 - INSTALLATION

• Installations will be scheduled once the fiber-optic network is completed in your section of the town.

• The installer will contact you for next steps and schedule an installation appointment at your convenience.

• Installations typically take 2-3 hours. An adult who can make decisions about the installation must be present for the installation. (A missed appointment costs the town $200-250, which you will be responsible for paying).

• The fiber-optic cable will be brought from the curb to your home and will enter your home through a small box mounted on your home near where your existing utilities are located. The technician will then set up the interior electronics. • As soon as the technician is finished, you will have broadband in your home!

SPECIAL CASES

• If your home needs an underground connection, you’ll have two home visits. The installer will first contact you to make an appointment for an installation consultation. They will visit your home and determine whether you have an existing conduit that can be easily used or whether to install a new conduit. If you need a new conduit, they will stake out the proposed dig route. You will need to sign off on the plan. After a DigSafe permit is done, the installers will make a second appointment with you and return to put the conduit in the ground and install the service inside your home. An adult who can make decisions about the installation must be present for both of these appointments. Any missed appointment cost the town $200-250, which you will be responsible for paying.

• If you order Premier telephone service, the basic installation includes connecting one telephone to the Telo device. If you want to connect all of your home’s phone wiring and jacks to the service, you’ll have to pay for an additional home visit or do the work yourself. The cost for this additional wiring will likely be $150-200.

But WHEN will I actually have broadband in my home? You’ll have broadband as soon as installation at your home is complete. We expect home installations to be scheduled in the Fall of 2020 and completed by the end of December 2020. Which homes and which areas of town get installed first will be based on the overall construction schedule, weather, pace, and numbers of customers that have signed up. We are coordinating carefully with Whip City Fiber and their “drop” contractors to maximize efficiency and control costs.

Outside your home, near to where your current utilities enter the home, a small gray plastic clamshell box will be attached. This is called the NID (Network Interface Device) and it is where the fiber-optic cable will enter your home. It is about the same size as the box on your home now for your phone service. One cable will run from the NID to the inside of your home (a hole may need to be drilled for this by the installer).

Inside your home, you will have an ONT (Optical Network Device) placed (usually) in the basement and a wireless router placed in a central spot so the wireless signals can reach throughout your home. The ONT is about the size of deck of cards (just over 3”x4”) and the router is about the size of a small cereal box. The router is the piece of electronics that will broadcast the broadband signal throughout your home so you can wirelessly connect all your devices (computers, laptops, iPads, phones, TVs, etc) to the Internet. You can plug devices into the router directly if you choose not to use use WiFi.

If you order Premier telephone service, you will also have a Telo device placed near the router. This is a small box that plugs into the router and provides a jack for telephone service. The basic installation includes installing the Telo device and connecting one telephone directly into it. If you want to connect all of your home’s phone wiring, and jacks, to the service, you’ll have to pay for an additional home visit or do the work yourself. Your home needs to be disconnected from another provider’s connection. If you use a base phone with expandable handsets (handsets plug into an electrical outlet only, not a phone jack) there is no need for any rewiring.

You are welcome to do certain parts of your in-home installation, such as providing more complex interior wiring, yourself or find and pay your own technicians/electrician to do so. The Whip City Fiber technician will still have to install and provision the fiber-optic network portion of the installation up to the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and router.

If you qualify for the free standard installation, there will be no cost to you to bring the fiber-optic cable from the street to the outside of your home using the path designed by Leyden Broadband, which usually follows your existing utilities. If you want a specialized connection, the town will pay for the cost of the designed option, and you will pay the difference between the cost of the option you choose and the cost of the designed option. An example of this is if your existing utilities use an aerial connection to your home, but you instead want the fiber to go underground. Another example is if you need an underground conduit put in and you want the conduit to go around your garden or another landscaping feature instead of following the path of your existing utilities. You can discuss these options and get estimates during your initial consultation.

We are offering 1 gigabit service, which is up to 1,000 Mbps upload and download speed. Actual speeds may vary due to a number of factors including the age and speed of your equipment and which software and websites you are using. You will always get the best speeds when your computer or other device is using a hardwired connection.

Many customers take advantage of resources that require higher speeds and bandwidth, including streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Sling, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video), video calls, and ultra-high-definition (UHD) television. Whip City Fiber provides the speed for customers to use these services and other Internet resources without glitches or buffering.

A Wi-Fi router is included with your service to provide wireless access to tablets, phones, gaming systems, and other devices in your home. You should expect speeds over a wireless connection to be approximately half that of the wired speed.

We are building a system that supports gigabit bandwidth. We expect you will receive up to 1,000 Mbps for both upload and download. A wired speed test should be around 960 Mbps and a wireless test approximately 440 Mbps. Your actual speed will be affected by the age and speed of your devices, the software you are using, the server of the site you are visiting, and the overall volume of internet traffic at any given moment. As usage increases, we can add more capacity without having to run new cables.

When you are connected to the Leyden network you will be able to check your speed with the speed test located in the very top menu on the homepage. The Whip City Tech Team is available at 1-833-WCF-HELP (1-833-923-4357) if you have any concerns about the speeds you are getting.

The Whip City Tech Team at 1-833-WCF-HELP (1-833-923-4357) is our front line when you need a little extra help. They are available for free phone support 24 hours a day. If we cannot fix a problem remotely, we will dispatch a technician, although some visits may incur an additional charge. We always support Whip City Fiber equipment at no charge. The Whip City Tech Team can provide phone support on issues including setting up devices, transferring email, and streaming video.

The installers are trained to work with you to find the best placement for the inside home electronics. Things like whether you have a basement, the size of your home, wall thickness, electrical outlet locations, and aesthetics for the location can be considered when you are working with your installer to decide where to locate the electronics.

Generally, we install fiber, the Optical Network Terminal (ONT), in a basement or first floor location. For best performance, the router is placed in a central location on the first floor. Custom installation may be available for an additional charge.

You will get an Alcatel-Lucent G-010G-A Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and a SMART/RG 802.11ac Gigabit WiFi Router. If you subscribe to the Premier telephone service, you will also have an Ooma Telo. The ONT, Router, and Telo remain the property of Leyden Broadband or Whip City Fiber.

Although you can install your own router, we strongly recommend that you consider the router provided by Whip City Fiber. Using your own router will not reduce the installation cost and will make it harder for Whip City Fiber to remotely troubleshoot any problems you may have. If they need to send out a technician to solve a problem that turns out to be due to your router, you will be charged for the service call.

Yes. The ONT (optical Network Terminal) (modem) will be hardwired to the fiber-optic cable coming into your home and to the router. The router is the piece of electronics that can transmit a wireless signal. You can plug your devices directly into the router and turn off WiFi with a button on the side of the router. You can also put in a completely hardwired system if you wish following installation.

Most customers plan to use Whip City Fiber to set up streaming video on their television. Many devices (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon FireStick) will allow you to watch TV and movies over the Internet. We encourage you to do some research and complete the initial set up before your installation. Our installers can help when they are at your appointment if you get stuck. You can also call the Whip City Tech Team at 1-833-WCF-HELP (1-833-923-4357) for additional support with setting up your devices.

Leyden’s new Internet and phone network rely on fiber-optic, not copper, wires to transmit data. If you have a traditional home alarm system and plan to switch your telephone service to Ooma, or any other Internet phone service (known as VOIP), you need to change your alarm system BEFORE you change your telephone service. VOIP telephone systems are designed for voice and not for alarms or medical devices.

Call your alarm system monitoring company now and tell them you need to switch to cellular and/or Internet alarm monitoring. (To maximize your alarm system’s reliability, you may choose to have both types of connections.) If they don’t offer those services, see the list of providers below that have confirmed they can handle this technology.

If you have a reliable cellular phone signal at your home, that may be your least expensive option—and you may even be able to switch your alarm system over to a cellular connection before your new Internet connection is installed. If you intend to port your primary telephone number to Ooma, be sure to discuss it with your alarm company so they can complete your alarm upgrade before your copper phone lines are disconnected.

If your home does not have good cellular reception, you may need to use Internet monitoring over the fiber-optic network. The town’s new central fiber-optic network equipment has battery backup and a standby generator, and it will stay up even during lengthy power outages. To ensure an uninterrupted connection for your Internet alarm monitoring, however, you will need to do several things at your home: • Provide backup power for the equipment in your home by installing an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for both the “ONT” (about 10 watts) and the “router” (about 30 watts). Your alarm company may be able to help you choose appropriate UPS models.

• Upgrade your alarm panel to include an Internet-digital fire alarm communicator with an Ethernet port that connects to the router.

• Contract with an alarm monitoring service that supports Internet alarm monitoring. If you have more questions about your alarm system, call your alarm company. If you have question about your Internet connection, call Whip City Fiber. As Leyden’s chosen Internet service provider, they are paid to deliver Internet and phone services; provide customer service and support before, during, and after the sign-up process; and to provide technical support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For customer service call (413) 485-1251 (M-F 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or email customerservice@wgeld.org; for tech support call (413) 485-1204 or email techsupport@whipcityfiber.com.

Connecting your special data jack wiring to the router will be an additional installation charge or you can do this work yourself. Any additional work requested will be billed at the rate charged to us by the contractor, currently about $50/hour plus materials if done at the time of the basic installation.

Leyden Broadband only offers static IP addresses to commercial customers. A static IP address is available for an additional $15.00/month.

This fiber optic network is designed with reliability in mind. By design, the path that provides your service contains only a limited number of components that might break. That said, as with any outdoor facility, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Fiber optic cabling is similar to any wire that is run on a utility pole and therefore subject to some risk. If there is a problem, Whip City Fiber has dedicated teams to work on repairs. Our goal is 99.99% uptime.

Step 1. Connecting from the distribution network to the exterior of a residence.

Leyden Broadband will pay to connect to the exterior of 99% of occupied premises if:

The installation is as designed, the customer is taking active service, and the customer signs up during the Initial Subscription Period.

Leyden Broadband urges all homeowners to take advantage of this no-cost option and sign up for active service during the Initial Subscription Period. Homeowners are responsible for incremental costs incurred if they request a path other than that designed by Leyden Broadband.

Step 2. Installation of interior wiring and equipment

Leyden Broadband will also pay for basic interior installations in 99% of occupied residential premise for customers who sign up for Internet or phone service during the Initial Subscription Period. This installation includes an optical network terminal (ONT) in the basement, up to 50’ jumper from the exterior network interface device (NID) to the ONT, up to 50’ interior wiring from the ONT to a wall jack on the first floor, and a WiFi router plugged into the wall jack. The customer must ensure that there are AC outlets near the ONT and the router. Customers pay for additional costs for more complicated interior installation work (e.g., running cable for a router on the second floor). “

Broadband internet uses a router that is powered by your electrical system. If you lose power and have no back-up generator, you will lose phone service. However, you can purchase a battery back-up system for the router that will kick in if there is a power outage. Companies make battery back-up units for around $50.

If your electric service is already overhead your fiber will be too. If your service is underground, a DigSafe will be scheduled. When that has cleared, we will use a minimally invasive process to bring the wire from the street to the house. Our crews are professionals and will restore your lawn as is necessary. We want happy customers and we stand behind our restoration work.

Yes, we will need to have access to the inside of your home to install fiber. We will offer various times for appointments to accommodate the time that works best for you.

Most likely. These holes are typically ½” or less. We will work with you to minimize the need for drilling and coordinate an agreed-upon route prior to beginning our work.

Whip City Fiber provides all the equipment you will need for service. You will receive an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) device, which is a fiber optic modem, and a router that will provide connection and WiFi for your home and devices. Both the ONT and router are provided at no charge and are supported, managed, and remain the property of Whip City Fiber.

Yes, but please be aware that there are benefits to having the Whip City Fiber router, which can be diagnosed and supported remotely. Using your own router will not decrease your monthly bill.

You can contact Whip City Fiber at 833-WCF-CALL (833-923-2255) any time after you have signed up to change the services you would like.

If you decide to add Premier telephone service and you are planning on “porting” your existing Verizon telephone number to the new service, it is critical to keep your Verizon telephone service active until Verizon completes the porting process. This can take as long as 3 to 5 days. If you cancel your Verizon service before the process is complete, you will lose your telephone number for good.

Whip City Fiber provides internet service. We do not provide television programing, but we offer amazing access to all streaming service providers. Many customers will subscribe to one or more streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Sling, etc.) for watching TV, movies, and sports over the internet.

Visit the Streaming page for additional information.

Many local channels are available through a streaming service provider. Refer to each service’s website to review availability.

You may also be able to get local channels over the air with an HD digital antenna for free. Signal strength will vary depending on your home location. You can check your potential signal strength and channels at www.antennaweb.org by inputting your address information. Antennas range in price from $10 to $150, depending upon what channels you hope to get and how far away the stations are. You can purchase them at department stores or online.

Leyden Broadband offers Premier Phone Service for $14.99/month with Internet service and for $59.99 for phone only service (plus State and Federal fees). This service provides phone calls over the internet and is not the same as a traditional landline. It may not be appropriate for use with medical devices or alarm systems. You should discuss this with your alarm or medical system provider. Premier Phone Service includes free long-distance calling in the US, Canada, and Mexico, 911 service, call blocking, voicemail, and more.

In many cases, you won’t have to do anything. If you have Gmail or another email service not linked to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) you’ll continue to receive your email. If your email is through your previous Internet service provider (ISP) you may be able to keep that too.

VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. This means that your phone signal and service are provided over the fiber network and internet rather than over the copper wires many of us grew up with. If you have ever used Zoom or Skype you have used this type of voice service.

In many parts of Western Mass, the landline provider has chosen not to continue support for the copper based service. With fiber optic internet, you have the option to add VOIP phone service to your account.

The VOIP service travels across the fiber optic network to the internet rather than over copper lines. This provides reliable and low-cost service with many bells and whistles including:

• You can keep your previous phone number or get a new one.

• Unlimited local and long distance including service to Mexico and Canada.

• Block pesky telemarketing calls and you can block other unwanted calls as well.

• Call forwarding

• Voicemail-to-email

• Caller ID

• Much, much more!

Premier phone service works best with cordless phones that have a main base station and additional units to place around the home. You will have the best performance if the phones are a newer model (less than 5 years old). In our experience, older phones may experience distortion, echos, and feedback which are alleviated by using a newer model.

Our technicians will not tie the Telo into any previous wiring in your home. For best performance, we recommend using phones with a main base handset with additional units (less than 5 years old).

Our technicians will work with you to transfer or "port" your phone number to our service. During this time, a temporary number will show up as your caller ID when you make outgoing calls. Your phone will remain connected to the original landline while your number is being ported.

• Please DO NOT cancel your previous phone service until you are certain that your number has successfully ported or you will lose your phone number.

• During this period it is VERY IMPORTANT that you watch your email for confirmation that the porting is complete or communications about any possible issues which need to be resolved.

• If you have a second stand-alone phone, you may want to plug it into the Telo device right away. When porting is complete, your calls will ring on that phone and you won't miss any incoming calls.

• When you receive an email confirming that your number has ported, your phone base will need to be plugged into your newly installed Telo device for you to receive calls.

• You can always reach out to the Whip City Tech Team for assistance at 413-485-1204.

Our VOIP system is not designed to work with medical devices. We encourage you to discuss other options with your provider.

You should discuss your alarm system with your alarm system company. Our VOIP system is not designed to work with these systems and Whip City Fiber is not able to support any alarm system issues.

There are two important things to know about 911 service with your VOIP service.

• You will register the 911 address when the device is installed. If you ever move the device to another address it is CRITICAL that you update the address for emergency response.

• If the power or internet is out, you will lose all phone function INCLUDING 911. Please review the information under Outages to make sure you are prepared.

Your internet service needs the fiber network and electricity to work. Your town's network has invested in a back up generator to keep the internet working even if power is out in town but you will still need a source of power at your home to use your internet and phone service including 911.

There are three devices which will all need power to keep things working during an outage:

• The ONT (generally in the basement)

• The router (often on the first floor)

• The Telo device and your phones

You should plan for these devices to be on a circuit which is served by your generator or power them each with a battery back up or uninterrupted power source (UPS) available online or at local big box stores.

In the event that the internet is down (either the drop to your home or a larger scale outage), you will not have phone or 911 service until it is restored.

Ideally, once power is restored, your internet service will come back up on its own. If not, there are a few things you can check.

• First, it may be that the fiber network has been damaged, either in your town or at your home. If we are aware of the outage, we do our best to post a banner at www.whipcityfiber.com on the homepage for your town.

• If there is damage at your home, please contact us at 413-485-1204 to report the issue.

• Please check that any power strips or GFCI outlets for your devices have been reset after your power outage.

• To get your service up and running, you may need to refresh the devices in your home. We recommend you begin by unplugging power from all devices and then powering them up in this order:

  • Starting with the ONT (white device, generally in the basement), leave unplugged for 60 seconds, then plug it back in.

  • Next, plug in your router (black device, generally on the first floor).

  • Finally, if you have VOIP phone service, plug in the Telo device (with the flower light). You may need to do the same with your phones as well.

You may want to check out our Help Center for additional information.

As always, we welcome your call to the Whip City Tech Team at 413-485-1204, 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@whipcityfiber.com which is monitored until 8 PM each day.

The reliability of VOIP services is dependent on a number of factors. No system is 100% reliable, due to planned provider service outages, weather, traffic accidents, etc. Power and internet access are both necessary for the phone to work. If power is out and you do not have a generator or other sufficient back up power, internet and phone service will not operate until the power is restored.

These days so many parts of our lives are linked to the digital world that it’s especially important to connect to the internet safely. We suggest you install an antivirus software on your computers, laptops, and tablets. One reputable option available for free download is available at www.avast.com

Whip City Fiber generally supports the goals of Net Neutrality. We intend to provide Gigabit Internet service to Town residents without bias regarding content or “speed lanes.” The exact details of how the Internet Service Provider (ISP) contract will read are still being developed. None of the ISPs being considered are content providers, so “net neutrality” is not expected to be an issue. One should note, however, that any rules or legislation addressing “net neutrality” are ultimately Federal issues, which must be complied with.

Our goal is excellent and reliable service but sometimes Mother Nature has other ideas. Any time your service is not working, for quickest response, we ask that you contact the Whip City Tech Team at 413-485-1204, 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@whipcityfiber.com which is monitored until 8 PM each day. Outages and other technical issues will be addressed most quickly when sent to the Tech Team and not Customer Service which does not have 24 hour coverage.

If there is a simultaneous power outage in your area, our technicians have to wait until that is resolved before we can address any internet outage. Rest assured that our teams are keeping tabs on the activity in the area and will respond as soon as it is safe. If it is only an internet issue, then our teams will address this in the office and in the field. We will do our best to provide updates to customers as we learn more information. When service has been restored, we know that some customer's service won't come back up on it's own. If you believe that an outage has been resolved but you are still having problems, we ask that you contact the Whip City Tech Team at 413-485-1204, 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@whipcityfiber.com which is monitored until 8 PM each day.

Ideally, once power is restored, your internet service will come back up on its own. If not, there are a few things you can check.

• First, it may be that the fiber network has been damaged, either in your town or at your home. If we are aware of the outage, we do our best to post a banner at www.whipcityfiber.com on the homepage for your town.

• If there is damage at your home, please contact us at 413-485-1204 to report the issue.

• Please check that any power strips or GFCI outlets for your devices have been reset after your power outage.

• To get your service up and running, you may need to refresh the devices in your home. We recommend you begin by unplugging power from all devices and then powering them up in this order:

  • Starting with the ONT (white device, generally in the basement), leave unplugged for 60 seconds, then plug it back in.

  • Next, plug in your router (black device, generally on the first floor).

  • Finally, if you have VOIP phone service, plug in the Telo device (with the flower light). You may need to do the same with your phones as well.

You may want to check out our Help Center for additional information.

As always, we welcome your call to the Whip City Tech Team at 413-485-1204, 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@whipcityfiber.com which is monitored until 8 PM each day.

First, we always want you to assume that a downed "wire" is dangerous. What you think is a fiber drop could be a hazardous electrical line so please stay away. For quickest response, please report your downed drop to the Whip City Tech Team at 413-485-1204, 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@whipcityfiber.com which is monitored until 8 PM each day.

Your phone from Whip City Fiber runs over the internet. If internet access is interrupted, your Voice-Over-IP-Phone (Ooma) will not work. If only the power is out and you can provide generator power or an uninterrupted power source (UPS) to the ONT, router, and Telo device then your phone will continue to work. We know that there is limited cell service in many hilltowns so we encourage you to plan for this limitation of your VOIP phone service.

Ideally, when there is an interruption of service it is brief. We are not able to offer a credit or refund for when your service is out because your network belongs to you and the taxpayers in your town. Offering a credit to customers would impair the town's ability to fund the debt on the project.

If you plan ahead, an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) can be a temporary solution to keep your service working during a power outage. Customers can purchase a UPS battery online or at retail stores where other computer/office supplies are sold. When looking for the right UPS for you, it's important to note that both the ONT and router will need to be powered by a UPS to continue service. In addition, if you are a VOIP phone customer, your Telo device and your phone base(s) will also need to be connected to power to maintain service during a power outage.

You can learn more about UPS batteries here.

With no paper bills, the customer portal is an easy and convenient way to manage your account online. With your first bill, you will receive an email to access your account portal. Here you can view and download bills, make a one-time-payment, or setup autopay, all in the comfort of your home. Watch our video to get you started!

No. Leyden Broadband must pay to maintain and operate our network all year round, and it is not cost-effective for us to offer seasonal service.

You can cancel your service (but we hope you won't!) with a simple phone call to 833-WCF-CALL (833-923-2255). For most customers, we recommend keeping the equipment at your home. If you choose to return the equipment, you can mail it back to us. Please fill out the Equipment Return form and include it in your shipment.