The cost for the physical connection from the road to the house, called a “drop,” will depend on many factors. Windsor is offering a credit of $2000 off the installation costs for those who sign up by September 15, 2020 with Underground drops or by December 15, 2020 with Overhead drops. This will cover the entire cost of connecting approximately 85% of the homes in Windsor. Only homeowners with long driveways or extended direct bury service without conduit would exceed that amount. If you have concerns about the estimated cost for connecting your home contact Windsor’s MLP manager, Douglas McNally at dmcnally@windsormass.com and he will be able to tell you approximately how much it will cost to connect your home.
For these drop connections, your installer will work with you to identify the most cost-effective solution, and you will receive a reasonably accurate estimate in advance of any installation work.
After the deadline, new customers will be responsible for the installation cost, which may be somewhat higher, due to additional mobilization costs.
Beyond physical installation, WiredWest will charge a one-time $99 activation fee to start a new service account.
Construction is starting in January 2020. You can sign up for service during the initial sign-up period our website. Once you complete an application, you will be added to a queue and contacted for installation when it becomes available in your neighborhood. Our hope is to start lighting up the first homes by late March 2020. Installations will then continue through the Spring, summer and possibly into fall.
Customers who sign up by September 15, 2020 with Underground drops or by December 15, 2020 with Overhead drops, will receive a discount of $2000 on their service installation costs. After the initial sign-up period, you can still subscribe for service at any future date, but you will be expected to pay the full installation cost. Future installation costs may also be substantially higher after the initial startup period, due to added mobilization costs.
In many cases, you won’t have to do anything. If you have Gmail or another “forever” email you’ll continue to receive your email. If your email is through your previous ISP you may be able to keep that too. Comcast, for example, has a policy in place that allows you to keep your email accounts even if you do not purchase their service.
You could save hundreds of dollars a year by transitioning from satellite TV to streaming video. Download this flier to get started.
Getting started with Streaming
Or, visit www.suppose.tv to find a package that contains the channels you want.
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: windsor@wiredwestfiber.net/1-833-WW1-WEST (1-833-991-9378) or Tech Support: techsupport@wiredwestfiber.net/1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378).
WiredWest is a Coop of Town Municipal Light Plants. It is governed by the member towns and returns any excess revenue back to the towns. Participating towns have chosen to manage our networks regionally via the WiredWest Coop to reduce the burden, cost, and risk over managing as an individual town, and to share research and ideas about how to better provide service to our residents.
Whip City Fiber was chosen by WiredWest to provide internet and Network Operator services for member towns. It is owned and operated by Westfield Gas + Electric in Westfield, Massachusetts. WiredWest has chosen to work with Whip City Fiber because, as a municipal utility, they are customer oriented and not driven by creating high profit. Whip City Fiber has a successful track record and a high level of customer satisfaction.
WiredWest Fiber runs on a data network which 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 to carry the heavy data load we expect to see. We’re excited that our town can take advantage of this cutting-edge access which will support our community into the future.
WiredWest is a cooperative of town municipal light plants with a commitment to provide premium services to our customers. Our gigabit service is the fastest in town and our customer service is always on call. The revenues generated by WiredWest in member towns are reinvested locally to benefit the entire community. Since Windsor owns the network, we control future rates which means more stable costs to subscribers over time.
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: Windsor@wiredwestfiber.net/1-833-WW1-WEST (1-833-991-9378) or Tech Support: techsupport@wiredwestfiber.net/1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378).
You can complete an application online at www.wiredwestfiber.com/Windsor or call 1-833-WW1-WEST (1-833-991-9378) and one of our customer service representatives can answer any questions you have and complete your application over the phone.
During sign-up you’ll be asked for your contact information and a few questions such as which service/s you want. You’ll also be asked to sign a right-of-entry form giving permission for our installation company to visit your property. Signing up takes about 10 minutes.
If you don’t have good Internet or want some help, email dmcnally@windsormass.com and we will get back to you.
When installation appointments are available in your neighborhood, the customer service team will contact you to schedule an appointment
You can complete an application online at www.wiredwestfiber.com/Windsor or call 1-833-WW1-WEST (1-833-991-9378) and one of our customer service representatives can answer any questions you have and complete your application over the phone.
During sign-up you’ll be asked for your contact information and a few questions such as which service/s you want. You’ll also be asked to sign a right-of-entry form giving permission for our installation company to visit your property. Signing up takes about 10 minutes.
If you don’t have good Internet or want some help, email dmcnally@windsormass.com and we will get back to you.
When installation appointments are available in your neighborhood, the customer service team will contact you to schedule an appointment
If your address didn’t come up in the dropdown box, please type in the full address and submit your application. WiredWest customer service will sort it out and get back to you.
If you have other problems submitting the application online, you can contact us at Customer Service: windsor@wiredwestfiber.net/1-833-WW1-WEST (1-833-991-9378).
Yes, you will need to officially sign up for the Windsor Fiber service through the sign-up link we provide. The $49 deposit you made will appear as a credit on your first bill.
The person who signs up should be the one 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.
There is a one-time $99 activation fee. This will appear on your first bill.
We are offering 1 gigabit service which is up to 1,000 Megabits per second 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 are taking advantage of resources which require higher speeds and bandwidth, including streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Sling, Playstation Vue), video calls, and Ultra High-definition television (UHD). WiredWest provides the speed for customers to use these services and other internet resources without glitches or buffering.
A Wi-Fi router is included with residential 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 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.
When you are connected to the WiredWest network you will be able to check your speed with the speed test located in the very top menu on the homepage at www.wiredwestfiber.net/Windsor. The Whip City Tech Team is available at 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378) if you have any concerns about the speeds you are getting.
WiredWest internet is available at $75/month for residential 1 gigabit service for our standard service or $59/month for our economy residential 25 megabit service (40x slower). Both include free connection equipment and Wi-Fi. Installation costs will vary by customer circumstances, however, Windsor is providing a $2,000 allowance towards standard installation for customers who sign up by September 15, 2020 with Underground drops or by December 15, 2020 with Overhead drops. All customers will be charged a $99 activation fee.
The cost for the physical connection from the road to the house, called a “drop,” will depend on many factors. Windsor is offering a credit of $2000 off the installation costs for those who sign up by September 15, 2020 with Underground drops or by December 15, 2020 with Overhead drops. This will cover the entirecost of connecting approximately 85% of the homes in Windsor. Only homewoners with long driveways or extended direct bury service without conduit would exceed that amount. If you have concerns about the estimated cost for connecting your home contact Windsor’s MLP manager, Douglas McNally at dmcnally@windsormass.com and he will be able to tell you approximately how much it will cost to connect your home.
For these drop connections, your installer will work with you to identify the most cost-effective solution, and you will receive a reasonably accurate estimate in advance of any installation work.
After the deadline, new customers will be responsible for the installation cost, which may be somewhat higher, due to additional mobilization costs. Beyond physical installation, WiredWest will charge a one-time $99 activation fee to start a new service account.
Standard interior installation includes the connection from the Network Interface Device on the outside of the home to the Optical Network Terminal located inside (typically in the basement near the utility panel) plus an Ethernet connection up to 50 ft to the Wi-Fi router, located on the first floor. The equipment and router are included.
Let your customer service representative know if you want to discuss other options. Alternate arrangements or additional home wiring can be arranged, but may incur additional costs, which will be the responsibility of the customer.
There are no contracts for WiredWest residential service because we are providing a great service which we believe you’ll want to keep.
You must pay your bill electronically to WiredWest. Payment can be made either through electronic fund transfer 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 our town network money and ensures you don’t miss a payment, which could result in service disconnection. You will have the option to pre-pay your account if you so choose.
We hope you are already accustomed to online bill paying for other household expenses, if not, contact us at dmcnally@windsormass.com and we will provide assistance.
WiredWest will issue electronic invoices to the email address you provide. You must provide an email address to sign up for service. Bills are due upon receipt.
You will not be billed for the monthly service or additional charges until everything is installed and working at your home. All payments will be made online. You will receive an email with login information to the WiredWest billing portal. This is where you can make changes to your preferred billing method at any time.
Customers are allowed to “suspend” their internet service, which means they can request (via customer service) that their internet service be shut off, while maintaining an active account.
Customers may not suspend phone service. If they have phone service they can take the phone adapter with them to use elsewhere in the US. If you move your phone device to a different address, it is CRITICAL that you log into the Ooma portal or contact Ooma customer support to update your location for 911 services.
Customers may reinstate service within 120 days with no fee. A $99 fee applies if the service has been suspended for more than 120 consecutive days or if the service was previously suspended for any amount of time in the preceding 365 day period. If the service is not reinstated within one year, the account may be deactivated and we may collect the router. Reactivation of an account once it’s been deactivated will be treated as a new account and the current terms and activation fee for new customers applies.
If you are having problems with your WiredWest service, please call the WiredWest 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 WiredWest 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 that are living in the same residence and their guests will be able to connect multiple devices to the service. Equipment must be returned if service is terminated.
We certainly hope you’ll encourage your neighbors to sign up for their own service but sharing Wi-Fi outside of your household is a violation of the acceptable terms of use.
You can cancel your service (but we hope you won’t!) with a simple phone call to 1-833-WW1-WEST (1-833-991-9378). You will need to return your router and phone equipment (if applicable) to the Windsor Town Offices (Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
You can contact WiredWest Customer Service at 1-833-991-9378 after you have signed up to change the services you would like.
If you decide to add Premier telephone service after installation there will be an additional charge. If 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. If you cancel your Verizon service before the process is complete, you will lose your telephone number for good.
WiredWest 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, YouTube TV, etc.) for watching TV, movies, and sports over the internet.
Visit the Streaming page for additional information.
Yes, you can, by using any of several available streaming services. You could save hundreds of dollars a year by transitioning from satellite TV to online streaming video.
Visit the Streaming Page for additional information.
Download this flier to get started: Getting Started with Streaming
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.
Yes, your number can be “ported” from your existing home phone service. You will need to keep your existing telephone service active until your current provider completes the porting process. If you cancel your current service before the process is complete, you run the risk of losing your home telephone number.
WiredWest offers Premier Phone Service for $19.99/month. This service provides phone calls over the internet and is not the same as a traditional landline. It is not appropriate for use with medical devices or alarm systems. 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 “forever” email you’ll continue to receive your email. If your email is through your previous ISP you may be able to keep that too.
Electrical outlets: There MUST be an electrical outlet within 6 ft of where your router (usually centrally located in main part of the house) and ONT (usually located in the basement where the utilities enter your house) will be located. (ONT = Optical Network Terminal, a necessary component to run your home network). It is the homeowner’s responsibility to be sure these outlets are already installed prior to the home fiber installation.
Router location: While the technician will be willing to help you find a good central location for your router, it is good to give some thought to this in advance, especially if you want to locate it further than 50ft from where the ONT will be installed (which will result in costs that you will have to absorb) or if you want it in a location that does not yet have an electrical outlet within 6ft (which will require you to arrange for an electrician to install an outlet in the area you wish to place your router).
Standard installation includes installation to the basement where other utilities enter the building. The Wi-Fi router will be placed in a central, first-floor location for optimal service. Other placement or additional wiring will incur a custom charge of $49/hour + materials.
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. • The fiber-optic cable will be brought from the road to your home and will enter your home through a small box mounted on your home, usually 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!
UNDERGROUND INSTALLATIONS
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 install the service inside your home. An adult who can make decisions about the installation must be present for both of these appointments.
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.
If your electric service is already overhead your fiber will be, too. If your service is underground, a a DigSafe and Conservation Commission inspection will be scheduled. When these have cleared, we’ll 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.
The Windsor MLP has designed and built this network with reliability in mind. By design there are a limited number of components in the path which provides your service which 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’s run on a utility pole and subject some risks. If there is a problem, WiredWest has dedicated teams to work on repairs. Our goal is 99.99% uptime.
The Whip City Tech Team at 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378) is our front line when you need a little extra help. They are available for free phone support 24 hours a day. When necessary, we will dispatch a technician if we cannot fix a problem remotely although there may be an additional charge. We always support WiredWest equipment at no charge. The WiredWest Tech Team can provide support on issues including setting up devices, transferring email, and streaming video.
WiredWest 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 Wi-Fi for your home and devices. Both the ONT and router are provided at no charge and are supported and managed by WiredWest.
The installers are trained to work with you to find the best placement for the inside the 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 Wi-Fi 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 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 us 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 Wi-Fi 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 WiredWest 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. The website www.suppose.tv can help you search for the best available packages that include your choice of channels. These are usually much cheaper than equivalent satellite or cable TV packages. Our installers can help when they are at your appointment if you get stuck. You can also call the WiredWest Tech Team at 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378) for additional support with setting up your devices.
Although the WiredWest Premier Phone Service may not be appropriate for your current alarm system, you have multiple options: keep your Verizon landline just for your alarm system, upgrade to a cellular-based alarm system (if you are in an area with reliable cell service), or upgrade to an Internet-based alarm system. Both cellular-based alarms and Internet-based alarms enable your alarm monitoring company to monitor the state of your alarm in real-time, instead of relying on your alarm making a phone call once or twice a day. Some offer smart-phone apps for you to check on your home yourself. We recommend that you contact your alarm monitoring company and ask them about the best options for your situation.
Yes, for small additional monthly charge.
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.
Questions? Email us at techsupport@wiredwestfiber.net or give us a call at 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378).
