by Larry Magid
This post first appeared in the Mercury News
I had hoped that today’s column would be a review of AT&T fiber high-speed internet, which has recently become available where I live. I’m happy with my Xfinity gigabit service but, unlike cable, fiber is symmetric, which means you get the same speed when uploading as you do when downloading. My cable service gives me a gigabit down but only about 35 megabits for uploading. It’s not a big deal but, in theory at least, a faster upload speed should improve how I look on video calls and TV interviews and make it faster when uploading large files, like video files. Gigabit service from both AT&T and Xfinity costs more than slower speeds, and not everyone needs that fast of a connection.
Unfortunately, I can’t yet review the service, because I’ve, so far, had two failed installation attempts. I may or may not ever write that review, depending on how they resolve my installation issue.
Started with an upsell
It all started last week when I ordered an almost “free” iPhone from AT&T wireless, taking advantage of a trade-in plan which gives me an $800 rebate on a new iPhone 13 in exchange for trading in an older phone and paying the full sales tax. At the end of that call, the AT&T representative offered me a promotional deal on AT&T Fiber. I usually reject upsells but I had wanted to check out fiber anyway, so I said sure. She scheduled an installation for Tuesday, and I rearranged my schedule to be here when the installer arrived.
On Monday, I got a call from a local AT&T facility saying they could install it a day early, but I was busy and needed to use my office (where the modem and router would be) so he said they could just do the outside work. A unionized AT&T technician arrived shortly afterward and spent several hours outside running fiber from the pole (which is across a creek from my backyard) to a connector on the side of my house, As far as I can tell, the work was done competently and professionally. He said that another technician would come on Tuesday between noon and 2 p.m. to run the fiber to the other side of the house and into my office.
I arranged my schedule for that appointment, but the installer didn’t show up until 3, but unlike the previous technician, he was a contractor, not an AT&T employee. He was nice enough, and he might be a good installer, but I didn’t find out because he said he didn’t have a necessary module to connect the modem. He said they could send an A&T technician (not a contractor) on Thursday and made an appointment.
For some reason, I was nervous as to whether they really made that appointment, so I called AT&T support and was told that there was no appointment. But, the person on the phone said they could send someone the next day, and we agreed to 8 a.m. on Wednesday. I asked him to please send an employee — not a contractor — and to be sure they had the right module, and he agreed.
Another contractor
On Wednesday, I got a call from someone who was — once again — a contractor — who told me he was on his way, but when I asked him about the module, he admitted that he didn’t have it. I told him not to bother coming, but he did make me a Monday appointment with what he said would be an AT&T employee.
I still had the incoming phone number of that AT&T local dispatcher who sent the AT&T technician who ran the wire from the pole to my house on Monday. He said that AT&T techs have that module and asked his manager if they could come out and do the installation, but his manager said they couldn’t because it had already been assigned to a contractor.
I then again called AT&T’s support department, which this time, does have a record of the Monday appointment that the contractor made, but the support person said he couldn’t promise me whether they would send a contractor or an employee.
I don’t know what they pay their contractors, but I’m guessing it’s less than their unionized technicians, but in fairness, there may be a shortage of employees, which makes contracting necessary. Still, I wish they would at least equip their contractors with everything they need to get the job done.
A bit nervous
I realize this is very much a first-world problem, especially since I already have a good Xfinity internet connection. My plan is to keep the Xfinity service until I try out AT&T fiber and then decide which is better for my needs. That plan is still in place but — based on my installation experience so far — I am a bit nervous. Like many people these days, my internet connection is a necessary tool for making my living, and increasingly, for important tasks like making doctor’s appointments, doing my banking and so much else. Losing your internet — even for a little while — is not like when your cable goes out and you miss your favorite shows. It’s like (or maybe worse then) when your car breaks down and you can’t get to work.
I know not everyone will agree, but I’ve found Xfinity to be quite responsive during the few times over the past few years when there has been an outage. According to my neighbors on Nextdoor and friends on Facebook, AT&T fiber is quite reliable but any service can be disrupted if a wire is cut or a piece of equipment fails, and I’m hoping that — if I do switch to AT&T — any problems that might emerge are handled quickly and competently.
I’m hoping that the installation does happen, and I’m waiting to see what happens on Monday. If all goes well, I look forward to sharing my review of high-speed fiber with you soon.
Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist.