The End of Cable Services – what this means for your home connectivity
If you are a StarHub cable, broadband or home phone line customer, you will no doubt know by now that on 30th June 2019 they will be terminating all cable services. All customers are to be migrated over from the old coax network to the latest generation Fibre optic network.
Whilst StarHub has promised that its technical experts will take care of end-to-end installation and activation of fibre services, which include providing home networking advice and fibre TV cabling solutions, we have already received a number of calls from customers left with expensive conversion quotes and sub-optimal WiFi and TV access.
Tekkie Help is on hand to provide sound and unbiased advice, as well as to implement solutions to ensure seamless connectivity. In the form of a concise Q&A, let us help explain the implications of switching to fibre, the possible issues that may be encountered and the solutions to these problems.
Q: How may the discontinuation of the cable network affect me?
A: The move from the old coax network to the latest generation fibre network, will mean that you can no longer access cable TV, broadband or phone services. Simply switching may cause issues with WiFi coverage and problems accessing the new fibre TV services. This is because the fibre termination point may not be installed in the right place to enable the router to effectively transmit WiFi and for the TV to be connected to the Internet.
Q: What can be done to ensure TV connectivity?
A: TVs will now need to connect to the fibre network via a data point in order to watch StarHub/ MioTV. If your WiFi signal is poor, you also need the data point to access Internet TV (i.e. Netflix). If you do not have a data point close to your TV, additional wiring can be installed but this can be costly, disruptive and often requires installation of unsightly trunking around the house.
A really great solution we have identified is to use specialised equipment called MoCA (Multimedia over Co-ax alliance) which utilises the existing co-ax StarHub cables to connect the TV to the fibre network.
Q: How can MoCA solve my problems?
A: By installing MoCA equipment, you can easily get access to fibre TV services. The added benefit is that all of the old StarHub cable points around your home can be used as data points. In most cases, this means that the fibre Internet can be distributed around the house, to areas that may have lacked good coverage, at speeds of up to 1Gbps. This negates the requirement for data cabling to be installed around your home.
Q: How can I get MoCA installed and how much does it cost?
A: Tekkie Help is on hand to come and ensure your home is fully functional after the switch to fibre network. MoCA installation starts at $360 for the connection of one main point.
Should you wish to discuss your specific home solution in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact Tekkie Help on 81138682. We can also arrange a complimentary site visit to ensure the best possible solution is implemented. www.tekkiehelp.com.