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DSL Processes

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The purpose of this document is to explain how NCF DSL Broadband Service is offered to NCF members.

Please refer to our DSL Terms of Service for related information.

Email Address

  1. In order to keep costs down, NCF has automated many systems to provision, track and notify members about the status of their service. NCF requires that you provide and keep up-to-date at all times a working email address that you access on a regular basis in order to receive notifications about your service.
  2. NCF will also email notifications related to the service to the email address provided to the member upon signup with NCF (i.e., ID@ncf.ca where the ID is two letters followed by three numbers, e.g., aa000).

DSL Equipment

  1. Use of NCF broadband service requires that the member provide a DSL modem that will work with the technology employed by its third party service providers. Currently, any ADSL2+ modem should work as long as its configuration is not locked to another provider. For VDSL service, a VDSL modem must be used. Please see our help site for configuration information.
  2. You may elect to:
    1. Purchase a modem from NCF at the current advertised price. NCF will provide full support of the configuration of the modem and a manufacturer replacement warranty of any defective modem purchased from NCF.
    2. Purchase and configure any ADSL2+ modem on your own. NCF provides documentation to assist you to correctly configure your modem for use with NCF. Should you require assistance with the initial configuration of a modem that was not purchased directly from NCF, a setup fee may apply at the discretion of NCF.

Service Initiation

  1. When the order for service is placed with the third party supplier, the supplier may indicate that a visit is required to your premises or they may indicate that no visit is required. This means that the supplier may or may not require access inside your premises. The supplier may also change the status of whether a visit is required from the time the order is accepted to the “installation date”.
  2. Note for multi-dwelling (e.g., apartment/condo) buildings: the installer may only require access to the utility room or demarcation point for your building and not necessarily your apartment/unit. NCF recommends that you make arrangements with your landlord for access to the appropriate area of the building, if required.
  3. NCF will try its best to inform you whether a premises visit is required by the supplier. This notification will be made via email or a phone call, therefore it is essential that you provide a working email address and phone number when subscribing to our broadband service.
  4. Should a premises visit be required by the third party supplier, NCF highly recommends that you make yourself available (or have an individual over 18 years old available) for the third party technician.
  5. Should you or your representative be unavailable, the third party supplier may not be able to complete the order/work required to activate your service. In this case, NCF will work with you to reschedule an installation date with the third party supplier. If the third party supplier levies any fees for the missed visit, NCF will pass these fees along to you. Also note that rescheduling a new installation date may require another 4-5 business days time frame.

Monthly and One-time Payments

  1. Members will be billed for recurring services on a monthly cycle. All services are pre-paid. Member can make payments by cash, cheque, debit, Visa, Mastercard and etransfer. Learn more about payment options and restrictions from the Payments and Donations page.
  2. Failure to remit payments by the due dates may result in the suspension and/or termination of DSL broadband service. Should NCF terminate the DSL broadband service with the third party supplier, fees may apply to reactivate the service once the account is settled. These fees are levied by the third party supplier and are passed along to the member.

Refunds

  1. Should NCF, through its third party supplier, be unable to provide service for any reason when the service is initiated:
    1. a full refund for services will be provided to the member.
    2. a full refund for the modem will be provided to the member, if the modem was purchased from NCF (as verified by the serial number) and is returned with all packaging material and in the same condition in which it was sold.
  2. If you decide to cancel your service within the first 30 days, you may return any hardware (modem, filter/s) purchased from NCF (as verified by the serial number) with all original packaging material and in the same condition it was sold for a full refund.
  3. Further, should NCF be unable to provide service during any time as a direct result of issues with the third party supplier provision of the service, a credit for length of time of the outage will be given to the member. Outages or inability to use the service that is directly related to member-provided equipment, wiring within the premises or any other factor, will not be refunded. Essentially, if we can get a refund from our supplier, then we will pass this refund on to you.

Dry DSL

Dry copper, dry copper loop or dry DSL refer to DSL service on a telephone line that does not include voice service. The term dry simply means that there is no telephone voice service on that line.

Here in the 21st century many people are using cell phones for communication and do not have home land-line telephones, but still want DSL service. This leads to a requirement for a phone line to just carry DSL service and not voice service.

This page will provide some additional information that the NCF DSL sign-up page does not explain. See that page for how to sign up for dry copper as a new service.

Changing Voice (Wet) to Dry DSL

Signing up for NCF's DSL via dry copper as a new service is easy. Changing over from having voice service to dry DSL while retaining your existing NCF DSL service is a little bit more complex, but can still be done.

Note: that we need minimum of five (5) days notice to switch the service, as Bell treats this as a new installation. This will result in an interruption of DSL, but with some planning this can be kept to a minimum.

Here are the steps:

  1. Check what will be affected. Before you cancel an existing voice service, find out if you are using other services (like an apartment door buzzer and entry control system, or a burglar alarm) that depend on the voice service. Unless you make alternative arrangements for those other services, cancelling the voice service will disable the other services. Cancelling your phone service should not incur any costs unless you are breaking a contract
  2. Cancel with your service provider and ensure that you get the service end date and confirmation number. The new order may be blocked by the existing service so expect the possibility of some time without DSL. Note that if you wish to port your phone number to an alternate provider (say, VoIP), the process is similar with another twist - contact NCF for details.
  3. Contact NCF with the voice service termination date AND confirmation number. NCF will aim to start your dry DSL service the same day.

Potential Problems When Changing to "Dry" DSL

Changing a line to "dry" DSL cancels the voice service on that line. Canceling the voice service will disable any service that uses the voice service. Examples include:

  • Apartment entry control systems that use the voice service. Some entry systems use a panel at the front door with buttons or other means to contact the occupant of a particular apartment. The panel dials a telephone number that has been programmed into the system for that apartment, the occupant answers, and uses the touch-tone dial pad to unlock the front entrance. You need to have a new telephone number with voice service programmed into the entry system so that people can still contact you to open the front entrance.
  • Any alarm system that does not use the internet probably uses the voice service. You need to contact the alarm company to find out what to do before you change to dry DSL.
  • In general, any service or device connected to the phone line but not using internet is likely to be disabled when voice service is cancelled.

Changing from Dry to Wet (Voice) DSL

Phones and other devices connected to the phone line will need a line filter, as described in the DSL sign-up web form. You can order these from NCF on the DSL sign-up form.

Confirm charges with NCF staff.

Moving

NCF's mission is to serve residents of the national capital region, which for simplicity, is defined as the 613 and 819 area codes. If you are moving your home location within the 613 and 819 area codes, NCF can help you make the move. If you are moving to outside NCF's region, NCF may be able to help, but cannot guarantee DSL service there. Feel free to check with the NCF office on this.

  1. Pick a date for your move: Bell requires at least five (5) business days advance notice. Bell can make voice line changes on any day, but activates 'dry loop' orders only on weekdays and Saturdays.
    • For many activations, Bell requires that someone be at home and may provide the options of morning (8 am and noon), afternoon (noon to 5 pm) or evening (5 to 8 pm) to receive a technician.
    • Should the Bell technician's visit be missed, NCF will need to request another activation date, delaying the DSL activation by up to another five business days.
  2. Arrange the voice service move (if required): If you have a voice service on the phone line, you will need to set a move date for that with your voice (or landline) provider. Confirm with them the Activation Date and Confirmation Number for this request. If voice service comes from a non-Bell provider, contact them to make the move arrangements. You will need to tell us:
    • who that Provider is AND
    • what the new Circuit ID is (something like LCLXXU564426000BLCA000)
  3. Dry DSL: If your Internet service is on a dry line or you are moving to a dry line, you're almost done. Just provide the information listed below to us and we'll take it from there.
  4. Details We Need to Process your Move: Go to the Office Message page and select 'DSL Move' or call (613) 721-1773, to provide the following information:
    • The full address including the postal code of your new location
    • Your new phone number (even if you are keeping the same number). Note that NCF serves mainly the 613 or 819 area codes.
    • If a voice service move is part of this:
      • The name on the bill for the phone line (the name to which the line is registered) at the new location.
      • The date that Bell or a third-party provider will be activating the phone line at the new location (see step two above)
    • The date you want DSL service to start at your new location (it must be same as or later than phone line activation date above)
    • The date you want DSL service to end at your current location (it must be same as or earlier than DSL start date about.
  5. Confirmation Email: You'll receive confirmation by email and Office Message.

It is best and most common to have your DSL service start at your new location on the same day as the phone line is activated and to have your DSL service end at the old location also on that day. If you do not do that, Bell will sometimes require a five day interval between phone line activation and DSL start, so either do the DSL move on the same day as the phone line activation, or more than five days after the phone line activation.

What can go wrong with moves

Generally moves go as expected, but sometimes there are surprises, including:

  • If there is an attempt to start DSL but the phone line is not yet active, the DSL activation order will fail and it will take at least five days to try again. This problem is reduced by planning ahead.
  • Sometimes during the process of starting DSL on the new line, Bell discovers that service cannot be supplied to the new location due to their own network limitations. They don't tell us until the day of the attempted activation. We don't know anything that can be done to eliminate this problem.
  • Mistakes in the new address and new phone number can delay establishing service.

Charges

Charges for moves are found in DSL Rates, listed as the Service Installation/Change Fee.

NCF doesn't charge for partial months of service. Thus if you move during your service month, the new service begins independent of your current month. You will be billed at your old service rate until your next service date, at which time the new rate will start.

Changing Voice (Wet) Provider

If you are using DSL internet service from NCF over a voice telephone (wet) landline, changing the telephone provider of that line will affect your internet service. This is because, despite your address and phone wiring remaining the same, NCF must move your DSL internet service from one voice (wet) line provider to another. Scheduling your switch between providers with NCF will help us ensure that interruption to your DSL internet service remains minimal during the change.

  1. Pick a date for your change: we require at least five (5) business days advance notice. The more notice you can provide us, the more reliably we can schedule the necessary DSL changes, and the shorter the possible period of internet service interruption.
    • For many activations, Bell requires that someone be at home and may provide the options of morning (8 am and noon), afternoon (noon to 5 pm) or evening (5 to 8 pm) to receive a technician.
    • Should a technician's visit be missed, NCF will need to request another activation date, delaying the DSL activation with the new provider by 5 additional business days.
  2. Arrange the voice service switch: since you currently have voice service on the phone line, you will need to set an activation date with your new provider, as well as a cancellation date with your old provider. First contact your new provider, and confirm with them an Activation Date, Confirmation Number, and Circuit ID. Next contact your old service provider, and confirm a cancellation date with them that is identical to the Activation Date you confirmed with your new provider. You will need to tell NCF:
    • who your new voice Provider is AND
    • what the new Circuit ID for your voice (wet) line is (for example, something like LCLXXU564426000BLCA000)
  3. Details We Need to Process your Switch: Go to NCF's Office Message page and select 'DSL Move' or call (613) 721-1773 ext. 0, and provide the following information:
    • The full address, including postal code, of your current location
    • Your new phone number (even if you are keeping the same number).
    • The name on the bill for the phone line (the name to which the line is registered) with the new voice provider.
    • Information on your new provider:
      • who your new voice Provider is
      • The Circuit ID for your voice wet line with them
      • The Activation date that your new provider will be activating the phone line at your location (see step two above)
    • The date you want DSL service to start (it must be same as or later than phone line activation date with your new provider)
  4. Confirmation Email: You'll receive confirmation by email and Office Message.

It is best to have your DSL service re-established on the same day as the phone line is activated with your new provider. If you do not do that, Bell will sometimes require a five day interval between phone line activation and DSL start, so eithe schedule the DSL activation on the same day as the phone line activation, or more than 5 business days after the phone line activation.

Charges

Changing voice (wet) line providers is considered a move by NCF. Even though your address remains the same, NCF has to move the DSL internet service from one voice service provider to another. Charges for moves are found in DSL Rates, listed as the Service Installation/Change Fee.

NCF doesn't charge for partial months of service. Thus if you switch voice providers during your service month, the new service begins independent of your current month. You will be billed at your old service rate until your next service date, at which time the new rate will start.

Pause Service

DSL services can be paused for a minimum of 28 days or one month, there is no maximum.

For all DSL accounts, the charge during the paused period is $15 per month + the dry line cost + tax and is pro-rated for mid-month periods (ie. five weeks = (monthly cost) * (5 weeks / 4 weeks)). This is processed internally as a credit on your account for the difference between their regular plan and the amount charged during the pause. Connectivity will be disabled during the paused period.

We ask members to give us one week's advance notice to process a pause. If the notice given is less than one week we will try to process it as fast as we can, but we cannot guarantee the start date of the paused period. The member will be charged the paused rate as of its implementation date.

The invoicing for this is all done manually so a ticket to the Billing queue must be opened with the details for the request.

Note: Members who need their service paused for more than 2 months should consider cancelling the service and asking for a reactivation 5 business days in advance of desired reconnection date. The Reactivation fee is often cheaper than the fee for pausing the service for over 2 months.

To pause your service or answer your questions related to this please, you can contact the HelpDesk by phone at 613-721-1773 Ext0 or email support@ncf.ca

Disconnect

To disconnect or discontinue your DSL service, please use the Office Message system and select DSL Cancellation. Alternatively, contact the HelpDesk by phone at 613-721-1773 Ext0 or email support@ncf.ca.

  1. Members may disconnect at any time.
  2. Notice: NCF requires up to 5 business days to process a disconnect order.
  3. Refunds & Donations: NCF will prorate the monthly charge for your last months of service to the deactivation date and provide you with the following options:
    1. Recieve a refund for the prorated balance of the service month;
    2. Donating the balance of your month back to NCF; or
    3. Leave the remaining balance on your account if you plan on reactivating the service.
  4. Confirmation Email: When we receive your disconnect request, we'll send a confirmation email for your records. If you don't receive a confirmation email, please call the NCF office by phone at 613-721-1773 Ext0 or email support@ncf.ca.
  5. Membership: Disconnection of DSL services does not automatically cancel your membership in NCF.
  6. Potential Reactivation: If you know you'll be resuming service at a later date, be sure to mention that when talking with the NCF office.

At NCF there is no long-term contract, no penalty fees, no hassles or need to return your modem (it's yours, you own it, you keep it!) and no high-pressure sales pitches.

Regarding your modem

  • If you'd like to donate your modem you can drop it off at the NCF office.
  • If you'd like to sell it to other members, NCF has a DSL Equipment Buy/Sell discussion group that may help you do that.

See also

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