ISP Connect Fibre Launch Strong Wi-Fi Guarantee and LinkSys Router

Network builder and UK ISP Connect Fibre (Fibre Assets Ltd.), which aims to build a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband service to cover 100,000 premises across the East of England, has partnered up with Linksys and Axiros to offer a new Wi-Fi 6 capable router and the “UK’s best home Wi-Fi guarantee“.

The operator, which recently secured funding from the Foresight Group (here), is already rolling out a new open access (wholesale) full fibre network – using XGS-PON fibre kit from ADTRAN – across the small East Cambridgeshire village of Reach (via local ISP partner Air Broadband) and the large village of Sutton-in-the-Isle.

Customers typically pay from £25 per month for an unlimited 50Mbps (symmetric speed) package on an 18-month term, which rises to £50 for their top 900Mbps plan. All packages include a wireless router, UK support and free setup.

The good news is that all of their packages come with a Wi-Fi 6 capable router from LinkSys and their top two “Pro” (500Mbps and 900Mbps) packages will now also benefit from the high-end Linksys Velop AX4200 router.

For an extra £8 per month, you’ll also benefit from their new Mesh system, which claims to offer the “UK’s best home Wi-Fi guarantee” (i.e. a minimum speed of 30 Mbps in every room, or “customers can cancel the [mesh] service for free” and they’ll refund your last Mesh payment).

Deryck Shepherd, Connect Fibre Chief Customer Officer, said:

“A lack of focus by other internet providers on the importance of Wi-Fi has meant that even for customers with good broadband connections, their internet still feels “slow”, and they are frustrated when their ISP can’t solve issues. We understand that great Wi-Fi must complement gigabit broadband – that’s why all our customers benefit from a professional Wi-Fi installation to ensure their routers are in the best possible location, and now our partnership with Linksys and Axiros will provide the best Wi-Fi 6 routers and support available. Our Wi-Fi 6 service will make other Wi-Fi feel like dial-up.”

All of their Connect Wi-Fi services will also include the complete suite of Axiros’s TR-069 remote device management solutions. Key components include AXWIFI Quality of Experience (QoE) tools, which enables Connect Fibre to monitor the performance of each customer’s Wi-Fi 6 router to automatically solve performance issues – most times before customers even notice.

The AXWIFI system also includes optimisation and management capabilities that deliver insight into the performance of individual connected Wi-Fi devices, to help the provider’s support agents troubleshoot any Wi-Fi issues.

However, one thing to be aware of here is that the LinkSys kit doesn’t appear to include any sockets for phone (VoIP) handsets, which in today’s market is a bit disappointing.