Fibre to the Home (FTTH) provides residents, across a number of Places Victoria s projects, with access to a range of telecommunication services. 1. What is FTTH and what does it provide the resident with? FTTH is fibre-optic cable technology which will provide your home with the capability to receive telephone and internet services and, in some estates, TV (Free-to-Air and subscription TV services). It is optional whether you want to use any, some, or all of these services. 2. What is Places Victoria s role in FTTH? Places Victoria holds a telecommunications carrier licence and currently owns and operates at a wholesale level the fibre-optic networks in its Aurora, Valley Lake, Meridian, Metro Village 3175, Aspect and Riverwalk developments. 3. What is a Retail Service Provider? Retail Service Providers (RSPs) are organisations who provide internet and/or telephone services to residents on a commercial basis, typically by the resident signing a contract for a defined period. Places Victoria provides RSPs with access to its infrastructure (fibre-optic networks) to enable them to deliver the services selected by the resident. The RSPs currently available at Places Victoria s developments include iprimus and iinet with more being sought. 4. What steps are involved in the process for a resident to obtain RSP Services? Step 1) Review carefully the offerings from each of the RSPs iinet and iprimus at www.iinet.net.au and www.iprimus.com.au. Step 2) Select your preferred RSP and the plan that best suits your needs. Step 3) Contact your selected RSP and place an order. Step 4) After you have placed an order you will be contacted to confirm a connection date for your FTTH service(s). Step 5) An FTTH technician will then come out to your house on the agreed connection date and install the equipment for your FTTH services connection. Step 6) The FTTH technician will then liaise with your chosen RSP to activate your internet connection. 5. How long will the process take from beginning to end? Typically the order fulfilment process for a new home without an existing service will take approximately 3-6 weeks from the date you place an order with your RSP depending on the volume of demand for services connections. VU-FTTH-PROC-AAAA-0028 Page 1 of 5
6. Where do you call if you have questions about the process or timing of your FTTH service connection installation? Please call the RSP if you have ordered a telephone and/or internet service. If you have only ordered a Free-To-Air TV service, please call the Places Victoria FTTH Helpdesk on (03) 9331 4575 7. Once installed and operating, who do you call if you have problems with your telephone or internet service? Please call your RSP in the first instance. They will either rectify the problem over the telephone with you or pass the problem on to the relevant support group for investigation and resolution. Where necessary the RSP will arrange for a home visit. 8. If you believe you have extenuating circumstances concerning the timing of your FTTH service connection installation (telephone and/or internet service), what can you do? Please call your RSP and advise them of your particular circumstances and why you require a telephone and/or internet service. 9. What must you do if you only want to receive Free-to-Air TV services, for example you don t want telephone and you don t want internet? (This question does not apply to Aspect and Riverwalk residents.) You need to follow the steps below: Step 1) Call the FTTH Helpdesk on (03) 9331 4575 and advise them that you only want a Free-to-Air TV Service. Step 2) After you have placed an order you will be contacted to arrange a connection date of your fibre infrastructure. Step 3) The FTTH technician will then come out to the house on that date and install the equipment and your fibre connection, and activate your Free-to-Air TV service. You must also comply with the requirements as set out in these FTTH FAQs if you wish to receive Free-to-Air TV services. 10. Is there a cost for normal (Free-to-Air) TV? No, Places Victoria does not charge you for Free-to-Air TV provided through FTTH. However, please note that if there are any internal cabling faults or other non-network related issues with your Free-to-Air TV service, you will have to meet the cost of addressing those issues. 11. Will you be able to access the FTTH Cabinet? Certain equipment within the FTTH Cabinet like the Optical Network Terminal is owned by Places Victoria (Carrier Network Equipment). In a majority of instances the FTTH Cabinet was supplied and is owned by Places Victoria, and is also considered Carrier Network Equipment (refer also to Question 12). VU-FTTH-PROC-AAAA-0028 Page 2 of 5
Places Victoria, as the Telco Carrier, requires that the FTTH Cabinet is kept locked to secure Carrier Network Equipment in the FTTH Cabinet in order to comply with standard industry practice and the requirements of the Telecommunications Act 1997.* If you believe you require access to the FTTH Cabinet, please contact your RSP in the first instance to assess if the access is required. The RSP will liaise with Places Victoria where appropriate reasons exist to arrange for an authorised technician to attend. Please check with the RSP as a fee may be involved.* 12. Do you own the FTTH Cabinet if you paid the building costs? As discussed in Question 11, in the vast majority of instances the FTTH Cabinets were supplied and are owned by Places Victoria (Carrier Cabinets). In relation to a limited number of residents in Stages 1 7 of Aurora, the FTTH Cabinets were supplied by the builders and are owned by the resident (Resident Cabinets), however, any Resident Cabinets are locked to secure the Carrier Network Equipment within the Resident Cabinet for the reasons discussed in Question 11. Should you want to verify whether your FTTH Cabinet is owned by you or Places Victoria, please email Places Victoria on FTTH.Enquiries@places.vic.gov.au. For the majority of residents, when you elected in your building contract to have the fibreoptic network connected to your property, your builder would have commissioned the supply and installation of Carrier Network Equipment (including the Carrier Cabinet) from Places Victoria at your property (FTTH Services). The building costs specified in your building contract and paid by you in relation to the FTTH Services do not, however, involve the purchase of the Carrier Network Equipment or the Carrier Cabinet. 13. Will you be able to access the FTTH Cabinet if you only receive normal (Free-to-Air) TV? As outlined in Question 11 you cannot access the FTTH Cabinet. Places Victoria, as the Telco Carrier, requires that the FTTH Cabinet is kept secure in order to comply with standard industry practice and the requirements of the Telecommunications Act 1997. If you believe you require access to the FTTH Cabinet, please contact your RSP in the first instance to assess if the access is required. The RSP will liaise with Places Victoria where appropriate reasons exist to arrange for an authorised technician to attend. Please check with the RSP as a fee may be involved.* 14. Who is accountable for the quality of the FTTH telephone or internet service? The RSPs are responsible for the delivery of services leading up to each home s FTTH Cabinet. Any fault in the network leading up to the FTTH Cabinet is known as a Lot Network Fault. All internal cabling faults, backup battery, TV (RF) Equipment, or any fault other than Carrier Network Equipment faults, are collectively known as an Internal Customer Fault and are the resident s responsibility. All telephone and internet service faults should be reported to the RSPs. If you request an RSP to send out a technician to fix an Internal Customer Fault, you will need to pay for this service. Please ask the RSP for a list of charges. If a fault is found within the network up to your FTTH Cabinet (including the Carrier Network Equipment), there will be no charge to you and the RSP may arrange for a technician to visit the site and fix the fault within the network. VU-FTTH-PROC-AAAA-0028 Page 3 of 5
15. Who is accountable for the quality of the FTTH Free-to-Air TV service? Please report any Free-to-Air TV service fault to the FTTH Helpdesk on (03) 9331 4575. If you report a Free-to-Air TV service fault to the FTTH Helpdesk and a technician is sent out to fix an Internal Customer Fault (for example a fault regarding the internal wiring of your house), you will be required to pay for this service. Please ask the FTTH Helpdesk for a list of charges regarding Free-to-Air TV service faults. If a fault is found within the network up to your FTTH Cabinet (including the Carrier Network Equipment), there will be no charge to you to repair this fault and the FTTH Helpdesk may arrange for a technician to visit the site and fix the fault within the network. 16. What part does Places Victoria play in ensuring the quality of the service provided by the RSPs (relating to telephone and internet service)? Because the contract is between the RSP and the resident, Places Victoria has no responsibility in ensuring the standard of service. 17. What role does Places Victoria take in internet connection passwords and set up processes? Residents who order an iinet service are able to control their iinet BOB router. Residents who order an iprimus service, will not have control of the router as the router forms part of the Carrier Equipment in the FTTH Cabinet. 18. Can you swap between service providers? You will need to check your contract with the RSPs - iprimus or iinet. 19. Do you need a specific type of telephone to link into this service? 20. Are telephone handsets supplied by the RSP? 21. What after hours support will be available? 22. Can you use your computer and talk on the telephone at the same time? Typically, you can use your computer and the telephone service simultaneously. Please check with your RSP. 23. Does your computer need to be turned on when you use the telephone? Typically, your computer does not need to be turned on to make a call on the telephone service. VU-FTTH-PROC-AAAA-0028 Page 4 of 5
24. Can you use a fax machine with the service? 25. Can you keep my existing telephone number? No, the RSP will issue you with a new telephone number when you connect to the RSP telephone service of choice. 26. Will you be listed in the White Pages? Yes, unless you request to be listed as a silent number. 27. Can I access Directory Assistance? Yes, access to Directory Assistance is available. Rates can be obtained from the RSP. 28. Will your telephone work during a power failure? This depends on how your RSP provides the telephone service. Please check with your RSP. 29. Can you call 000 Emergency Services and does your 000 information show up correctly? Under normal operating conditions - Yes. 30. Can you get broadband over FTTH? Yes, broadband internet is available through the RSPs. 31. What is the speed of the internet connection? 32. Can I get High Definition Digital TV? Yes, High Definition Digital Free-to-Air TV is available through FTTH. * Please note that the FTTH Cabinet is Carrier Network Equipment and therefore it is a criminal offence to tamper or interfere with it. For further information, please contact the Places Victoria FTTH team at: FTTH.Enquiries@places.vic.gov.au Attention FTTH Development Manager. The information provided is current at time of writing and may be subject to change due to unforseen circumstances. VU-FTTH-PROC-AAAA-0028 Page 5 of 5