Gigaloch basics
What happens during installation?
Gigaloch basics
What download speeds do Gigaloch supply?
We supply all subscribers with a 1 Gb/s download speed equivalent to 1000 Mb/s. These speeds are the envy of many city dwellers and mean rural households need no longer suffer digital poverty. Even higher speeds of up to 10 Gb/s are also available at an increased cost, but that is only likely to be of interest to specialist business users.
What upload speed can I expect?
Our standard service upload speed is around 200 Mb/s for the standard domestic service, but for business users and others who want a symmetrical service, a 1 Gb/s upload speed can be provided for a modest increased service cost.
Will the cost of your service increase?
Costs may change in time, but our aim is to ensure we provide an exemplary service at competitive and affordable rates. We will review our service pricing and benchmark against similar community, “altnet” and traditional “telco” offerings across the UK. Our aim is to ensure our services are competitive with the best available in the UK.
Is there a connection charge?
There is no connection charge for homeowners whose property is eligible for a gigabit voucher. If you live in one of our network build areas but your home isn’t covered by Government subsidisation, we’ll still connect you for a fee. For a quote, please contact us at connect@gigaloch.com
My house is very remote. Will I be charged more to get connected to Gigaloch?
No. We firmly believe that everyone in the UK should have a good broadband service, no matter where they live. We don’t want to further disadvantage people who live in remote areas, so we charge everybody the same. Connection is free if you are eligible for a gigabit voucher but if you are ineligible for a gigabit voucher we’ll still connect you for a fee. For a quote, please contact us at connect@gigaloch.com
How much does Gigaloch cost?
For too long, rural communities have been ripped off by large internet providers. Our gigabit connection is free for your first year. After that, the price is locked in at £35/month until 2025.
What happens during installation?
How does the fibre get through my garden, driveway or patio?
Before any work is done on your property, a member of your team will arrange a visit to carry out a survey. We’ll work with you to plan the best and most convenient route to run our cables underground to your house.
When we’re digging under lawns and gardens, we use a specialist robotic mole-plough which digs a narrow trench and buries the ducting as it goes. We take every care to avoid your flower beds and any existing utilities. We make sure everything is left just as we found it.
Where possible we aim to go under soft ground – it’s faster and easier – but where we have no choice but to go under flagstones or tarmac we discuss the options with you.
Where will the fibre come into my home?
We work with you to determine the best place to install the connection terminal on your external wall. Our customers are often surprised when we tell them it doesn’t need to be in the same place as their current master socket. Although we try to help where there’s specific requirements, we generally advise the terminal is fitted at waist height, which makes any future repairs or alterations safer and easier.
Where will the router be located in my home?
The router (ONT or ONU for PON installations) can be located wherever you choose, but we suggest as close as possible to the fibre entry point to the building. The fibre within the building is not the responsibility of Gigaloch and longer fibre runs will be more vulnerable. Note: some people like the router close to the television for smart TV services, but if placed behind the TV the wireless signal from the router can be severely limited.
Will I be able to connect throughout my home?
The Gigaloch router fitted inside the home provides short range wifi connectivity. For larger homes and those with solid internal walls, as with any broadband supplier, you may require repeaters or extenders to get to remote rooms.
Our network
Network areas
Our network
Will your network cope if demand increases or is especially high when Scotland get to the World Cup final?
Yes. Our network is being built to be resilient and traffic demand levels will be monitored to ensure we can increase the so-called “backhaul” service to exceed peak demand levels.
Do you provide IP addresses?
Gigaloch use a variety of methods to preserve precious IPv4 addresses since the European run-out in 2019. We can provide a single fixed IP address if required for a connection, and multiple addresses can also be arranged at additional cost by discussing your requirements with our network experts.
How secure is your network?
All networks can be at risk from external attack, and Gigaloch take such threats seriously to ensure our network is not taken down by any such attack. No network can be 100% secure, but we will take all reasonable steps to mitigate the risk. Similarly, we understand our responsibility to protect all data we hold and we will ensure that any personal or payment data is protected
Network areas
How does Gigaloch benefit the community?
We love to become part of the communities that live within our build areas and truly believe that forging strong relationships helps us ‘future proof’ the networks for the benefit of everybody.
Bringing state-of-the-art optical fibre connectivity to rural areas increases property values, creates more prosperous businesses and improves local economies. We encourage communities to unlock the potential of a gigabit internet service with a range of initiatives, including:
- Free hyper-fast broadband service for smaller schools in our network footprint;
- Free hyper-fast broadband for qualifying community centres such as village halls;
- Free hyper-fast broadband for churches to allow services to be accessed remotely;
We’re also committed to allocating a percentage of our annual profits to be distributed among local good causes and projects aimed at boosting investment in technology and local employment.
Are there opportunities for employment with Gigaloch?
Yes, in every area we build a network, we create employment opportunities for technicians, labourers and office staff. We also work with local teams of contractors to boost our manpower when installing road crossings and chambers.
Our service
Gigabit Voucher Scheme
Our service
What is the minimum contract term?
The Gigaloch service contracts are 12 months, but you can cancel at any time with just one month’s notice. We have complete confidence in our exceptional service, so we don’t believe it’s necessary to lock you into a long contract.
Is there a data-cap or usage limit on the service?
No, the service is provided with no maximum monthly usage limits or additional charges for exceeding a limit, but there is a “fair usage” clause. This means that where a home or user is using far more data than expected, or is normal, we could ask what is causing this usage and potentially revoke the domestic contract and require a business level or special level of contract instead. This is a very unusual case that might never occur, but the clause is required to protect the business and ensure the best service to normal users.
Do I still need a BT/Openreach line with monthly line rental cost?
No, our fibre can replace the BT/Openreach line and remove that cost. For those who still use a land-line telephone, then that service can be provided over the Gigaloch fibre.
Will my service work during a power cut?
Yes, if you have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or a generator to power the router and equipment in your home. The Gigaloch cabinets are equipped with back-up UPS systems and for longer power cuts our engineers will set up generators.
Will I be charged for the repair if I damage the fibre?
Accidents can and do happen. Customers or contractors working on their property may cut through fibre and we’ve even heard of particularly tenacious pets digging it up and giving it a good chew. While we’re happy to make these repairs free of charge, we reserve the right to charge for repeat breakages and we urge our customers to take precautions.
We always show homeowners exactly where the ducting will be laid on their property and we’re always happy to work with them to ensure it’s installed in the safest and most convenient places possible.
If your cable gets damaged how long will I be without service?
As a local provider, we understand how important our internet service is to you and we will do everything we can to get it back up and running as quickly as possible.
As our fibre networks are built underground, our cables tend to be better protected than overhead lines. When damage occurs, it’s usually done by a digger or agricultural machinery during the working day, which means it’s highly likely we can locate the break and make the repair within a few hours.
Can I keep my BT/Openreach land-line telephone number?
Yes, you can port your existing land-line number to a new VOIP phone service provider in a similar way to porting your mobile telephone number to a new provider. There is a process which requires you to arrange the new VOIP service and then request the BT/Openreach number be transferred to the new telephone service provider. The telephone service may be provided by Gigaloch or another third-party provider over the Gigaloch fibre service. We can assist you with this.
How is the billing done?
You will be asked for Direct Debit details when you sign your contract with us, but we won’t take a penny for the first 12 months. You will receive monthly ‘zero charge’ invoices during your free year but these will increase to our standard £35 thereafter.
Gigabit Voucher Scheme
What is Project Gigabit and the Gigabit Voucher Scheme?
Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion programme that targets hard-to-reach areas where it is more difficult and more expensive to build digital infrastructure. The majority of the rollout will come through local and regional contracts, providing subsidies to suppliers to extend their gigabit-capable networks to premises that are unlikely to be reached otherwise.
The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) is part of Project Gigabit, focused on helping specific people and communities upgrade their broadband connection. It mainly operates in areas where there is no existing coverage, planned commercial coverage or through Project Gigabit procurements.
Who is BDUK?
BDUK (Building Digital UK) is an executive agency which is sponsored by DSIT (the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology), which was formerly known as DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport). BDUK administer the Project Gigabit voucher scheme and issue the voucher funding.
Do I need to apply for a voucher myself?
No, Gigaloch will handle this – we will apply for a voucher on your behalf as the supplier if your address is within one of our project areas and your property is eligible for a voucher.
What is involved in the voucher process?
Once you have signed up for your Gigabit service from Gigaloch, we will request a voucher on your behalf from BDUK who administer the Gigabit Voucher Scheme. They will email you a link to their portal and ask you to confirm that we will be providing you with a connection. This is a simple process and will only take a few minutes.
We will then get to work, delivering your connection. Once we have got your property live, we’ll let BDUK know and they will send another email to ask you to confirm that the service is live and working. BDUK may sometimes make further checks before the voucher income is paid to Gigaloch.
Is the value of the voucher redeemable for cash?
No, afraid not! The value of the voucher is paid to Gigaloch for the installation of the fibre network. This is only done post-installation and when you have confirmed that you’re happy with your new connection.
