Installation
How does the subsidy work? What will I pay for the network "drop" to my house?
Tell me about Standard Installation
Can you explain the installation process?
Can I use my current phone service conduit as a path for my fiber service connection?
What’s included in the installation of the phone service?
Are there alternatives to home telephone wiring?
What do I need to have in place for the interior installation?
Does anyone have to be present for the installation?
What equipment will be provided?
Can I get help setting up a connection to my TV and other devices?
Can I do the interior installation myself?
I don't want a wireless system (Wi-Fi) in my home. Can I hard-wire the equipment instead?
Is there any other equipment I may want to consider?
How does the subsidy work? What will I pay for the network "drop" to my house?
The cost for the physical connection from the road to the house, also referred to as a “drop,” depends on many factors. Becket Broadband is offering a subsidy of up to $750 toward this installation cost for those applicants meeting the installation criteria. This subsidy is expected to cover much, if not all, of the drop cost for many. For those whose installation cost exceeds the subsidy amount (for example those requiring exceptionally long fiber runs or whose property presents geologic barriers to following an existing underground utilities path), the homeowner is charged the difference between the actual drop cost and the amount of the town subsidy. In the case of customers with aerial utilities who want an underground drop, the subsidy amount is defined as the town’s estimated average aerial drop cost.
For more details on this time-limited subsidy, including eligibility criteria, see How can I take advantage of the town subsidy?, just below. If you'd like to see the town's current, official subsidy policy (i.e. for determination of a given-customer awarded subsidy amount), go here.
The drop cost includes standard installation, which comprises a network interface device (NID), optical network terminal (ONT), a wireless router, a Telo phone adapter, if applicable, and all associated cabling and hardware, plus installation labor.
Drops that are farther, involve additional poles and/or underground routing, that need to connect to a non-standard, external or internal location on the premises, or that in any way follow a physical path that’s different than that of the home’s current utilities, may involve additional costs. Your installer will work with you to identify the most cost-effective solution, and you will receive an estimate in advance of any installation work. The Becket MLP Manager can provide more information pertaining to your own installation specifics to help with planning.
Cost and logistics details for various new-connection scenarios are spelled out in the official New Connection Policy document on our Policies page.
Of course, there are also monthly charges associated with the service(s) you subscribe to. Please find current service pricing information on our Pricing page.
How can I take advantage of the town subsidy?
There are a few requirements that must be met in order to have access to the town installation subsidy. These are the applicant eligibility criteria for the town's current (i.e. until further notice) subsidy offer of up to $750:
The applicant must be an owner of the relevant premises.
The applicant must sign up for service and schedule a consultation before the subsidy offer expires.* Sign-up can be done online at whipcityfiber.com/becket/ or by telephone at 833-991-9378.
The applicant must have the drop/installation completed within thirty days following the the consultation or as is deemed reasonably timely by the town MLP Manager.
The relevant premises must be deemed habitable before the applicant's installation date. Premises are deemed habitable once they have been awarded a Certificate Of Occupancy by the town's building inspector. This criterion typically comes into play in the case of new-premises construction.
The applicant must start his/her Internet service subscription immediately following installation and make timely payments.
* The town's subsidy offer is subject to change or termination at any time.
Tell me about Standard Installation
Standard installation includes connection to the Becket Broadband fiber network running down your road using a special fiber cable that then follows the same path as your existing electric utilities, connecting at your home to a Network Interface Device (NID) mounted on an exterior wall (see the diagram below). The NID connects through the wall to the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) located inside (typically in the basement near the electrical utility panel). From the ONT runs a Cat6 Ethernet cable, up to 50 ft long, to the Wi-Fi Internet router on the same floor or the first floor. For subscribers choosing phone service, a Telo phone adapter will be connected to the router. All this equipment, cabling, and related hardware are included. Connection to existing home telephone wiring is not included.
Network Interface Device (NID)
The Becket Broadband fiber network "drop" connects to your home here. Mounted on the exterior, near the electric meter.Optical Network Terminal (ONT)
This is where the digital optical signal is converted to an electrical signal. Mounted on the inside of the exterior wall, near the electric service panel, usually in the basement.
Wi-Fi
Router
Your router provides the wireless (Wi-Fi) signal in your home as well as wired connections for Ethernet and Digital Phone Service, if desired. Usually placed on the first floor.
Ooma
Telo
For Digital Phone Service subscribers, this connects to your home's telephone system (and fax machine if you have one). Usually placed on the first floor. Telephones not included.
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Can you explain the installation process?
Your installation will be scheduled once you have signed up for service. Whip City Fiber will contact you to schedule an appointment at your convenience.
For a standard aerial (overhead) installation, on the appointment date the installer will attach a new cable from the road along any poles on your property. Aerial installations typically take 2-3 hours.
If your home requires an underground installation, you’ll have two home visits. The first appointment will be for an installation consultation. The installer will visit your home and determine whether you have existing conduit that can be easily used or if installation of new conduit is in order. If it’s determined that your property needs new conduit, the proposed dig route will be staked out. You will need to approve and sign off on the proposed plan. After a DigSafe permit is obtained, the installer will make a second appointment with you and return to put the conduit in the ground and install the service to your home.
Both aerial and underground network connections come to the side of the house, where your utilities enter. A small hole, typically less than one-half-inch, will be drilled and a cable run into your house, usually into the basement near where your electrical panel is mounted. Inside, the cable connects to a unit called the Optical Network Terminal (ONT). A wireless router is placed in a central location within 50 feet of the ONT on either the same or first floor and connected to the ONT using a Cat6 Ethernet cable. If you choose to include phone service, a Telo phone adapter bill be installed. The Telo connects between the router and your home’s telephone, wireless base station, or telephone wiring. Connection of the Telo to your equipment or wiring, however, is your responsibility.
The installer will work with you to minimize the need for drilling and coordinate an agreed-upon interior equipment layout prior to beginning our work. 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. However, if you require work that goes beyond the scope of a standard installation, an additional fee may be charged. When the installer is discussing the installation process with you, things like the impact on your yard or precisely where they’ll be placing the NID (Network Interface Device) can be discussed and addressed.
Can I use my current phone service conduit as a path for my fiber service connection?
You may be able to use the existing conduit for your home’s fiber connection. You may even be able to use this conduit for both fiber and continuation of your current phone service. Every situation is unique, and the installers will do the best they can, but there are no guarantees. It all depends on the size and condition of your existing conduit.
If you do discontinue using your landline and want to transfer the associated phone number over to a new Digital Phone Service subscription, it is critical that you keep your Verizon landline account active until you receive word from Whip City Fiber that the phone number has been transferred to your new phone service. Otherwise, you will lose your existing phone number forever.
What’s included in the installation of the digital phone service?
You’ll receive an Ooma Telo phone adapter (Ooma is our VoIP—Voice over Internet Protocol—telephone service provider), which connects to your router and then connects to your home’s telephone, wireless base station, or telephone wiring (which in most cases will be nearby). Connection, changes, or additions to your existing home telephone wiring are not included.
Are there alternatives to home telephone wiring?
Yes—and you can still enjoy phones in multiple locations throughout your home. It is typically much less expensive to purchase a cordless phone system with multiple handsets, available at many online and big-box stores, than to pay a technician to do home wiring work. With a multiple-handset cordless phone system you simply plug the system base station into the Telo and then place the phone handsets wherever you wish throughout your home.
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What do I need to have in place for the interior installation?
Electrical outlets: all equipment must be installed within 6 ft of an electrical outlet. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to be sure these outlets are already in place prior to broadband and telephone service installations.
Does anyone have to be present for the installation?
Yes. Someone with decision-making authority for your premises must be present for any installation-related appointments.
What equipment will be provided?
Whip City Fiber provides all the equipment you will need for service. You will receive an optical network terminal, or ONT (a fiber-optic modem), and a router, which will provide both wired and Wi-Fi (wireless) connections for all the devices in your home. If you choose telephone service, you will also receive a Telo unit, which will provide Internet telephone service for your home phones. All of these units are supported and managed by Whip City Fiber.
No. The ONT and Telo will remain the property of the town, and the router will remain the property of Whip City Fiber.
Can I get help setting up a connection to my TV and other devices?
Yes. Please see the details in our Customer Service section.
Can I do the interior installation myself?
You are welcome to do certain parts of your in-home installation, such as more complex interior wiring, yourself or to hire your own technician or electrician to do so. The Whip City technician will still have to install the cabling and equipment up to the optical network terminal (ONT) and router as well as install the Telo phone adapter, if applicable.
Although you can install your own router, we strongly recommend that you consider using the router provided by Whip City Fiber. Using your own router will not reduce the installation cost and will make it harder for tech support 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. Whip City Fiber technical support covers only the provided and installed equipment. If you use your own router, you will be responsible for connecting it to the Whip City Fiber router.
I don't want a wireless system (Wi-Fi) in my home. Can I hard-wire the equipment instead?
Yes. The router is the unit 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 or your own technician can even install Ethernet cable throughout your home for a completely hard-wired network, if you wish.
Is there any other equipment I may want to consider?
In order to keep your broadband Internet and phone services active during power outages, we recommend one or more battery backup units (also called a UPS, for uninterruptible power supply). A battery backup will provide an always-on solution for frequent short-term outages. Battery backup units will not be provided as part of installation but can be purchased at online stores or big-box stores.
You would need battery backup for the ONT, the router—and the Telo phone adapter if you are getting the Digital Phone Service. Some people use them for their desktop computers, too. Such units will usually provide protection for several nearby devices. You would need a battery backup unit for every location where you have equipment. Expect to pay 50 to 200 dollars for a good battery backup unit.
Note that all these sensitive electronics need "clean power" to operate properly. If you're hoping to depend solely on a home backup generator to power electronics during outages, understand that your generator may or may not provide "clean power," i.e. exhibiting no more than 5% total harmonic distortion (THD), the industry standard definition. Check your generator's specifications to be sure.
Plus there will be an interruption in service each time there's an outage: you'll have to wait for the generator to start and for the equipment to reset and any desktop computers to reboot. Even if you have a backup generator, you're better served to use a battery backup, which will allow your work or play to remain uninterrupted—and, depending on the model, can add the benefit of instantly protecting your equipment from power surges, brown-outs, and other issues, some battery backups actually conditioning ("cleaning") any imperfect power before it reaches your sensitive electronics.
Of course if main power hasn't been restored by the time you've depleted your backup battery, you would still have your generator to rely on (even as the power conditioning continues on many battery backup units).
One way or another, a battery backup unit is an added layer of protection that will bring peace of mind.