New Customer Resource Guide

THANK YOU

for Letting FTC Be Your Communications Service Provider.

We strive to provide the best communications services and customer service experience for all our customers. We have created this guide to help you understand what to expect for the installation of your services and how our services work. We have also provided you with some tips and tools that will help you do business with us along the way.

Residential Installation

We’re excited to bring you the area’s ONLY fiber to the home network! We want you to have the best experience possible with our services, and that starts with scheduling and installation.

What to Expect

Once you have requested service with us and your service agreement has been completed, you will be given the next available estimated installation date. Our goal is to find a convenient time for you and get your services set up as soon as possible. However, this process can take up to three to four weeks if fiber has not previously been installed at your residence.

Call (256) 638-2144 during our regular business hours, Monday – Friday 8 AM to 4 PM, to make any changes to your appointment or your initial order.

1. Outside your home

In most cases, we will need to install what we call a fiber drop. This involves us installing a fiber cable that connects your house to our existing fiber network. If we are installing a buried fiber drop connecting your home, we will need your assistance locating other buried lines or utilities. This can typically be handled by phone when our field engineer is on-site and evaluating your property. This will help prevent damage to those lines. In some cases, we are reliant on coordinating with other utilities to complete this process.

If we are installing an aerial fiber drop connecting your home, you will not need to be there as long as we have access to the exterior of your home. Since you won’t need to be home for this part of the installation, we don’t set up appointments for it. However, when our field engineers and/or installers arrive at your home, they’ll knock or ring your doorbell to let you know they’re working on your property. If you’re not home, they will still install the fiber drop.

(If the former residents of your home or building had FTC Fiber Internet, this process has already been completed, and we can skip this step.)

Do you have pets or a fence? If so, let us know.

We may need access to a part of your home that is fenced or houses a family pet. If so, please let us know so we can discuss the best time to do the installation on the exterior of your home to ensure our safety and the safety of your pet.

Once we have completed the fiber build to your house, we will stage the order for the indoor installation, which is your scheduled appointment time.

2. Inside your home

You will need to be home for your scheduled appointment time with our FTC technicians. During the 2-hour installation time, we will consult with you on your specific needs based on your order, and complete the necessary wiring, jack, and router installation.
FTC provides a Wi-Fi 6 router as part of its standard Internet service offering. Some homes may require additional mesh Wi-Fi satellites for complete Wi-Fi coverage (which can be installed for additional charges). You may choose to use and manage your own Wi-Fi router and network. We will test for quality assurance at the end of the installation, show you how to use your services, and answer any questions you may have.

If you subscribe to FTC voice services, we provide and install a backup battery that will provide up to 6 to 8 hours of backup power to support voice services in the event of a power outage.

When the installation is complete, all work areas will be cleaned and returned to their original state. Our FTC technicians will answer your questions to make sure you are comfortable with how your services work.

  • Set aside at least two hours for the installation inside your home.
  • An adult (18 years or older) must be present at the time of the installation. This person needs to be prepared to answer questions on wiring preferences and provide access to the areas where the fiber optics run, such as a basement or cellar, exterior of the home, etc.
  • If you have an older computer, your FTC Internet experience may vary slightly from what a newer model offers. The same is true with any device connected to the FTC Internet network.
  • Create a comprehensive list of all devices connected to the Wi-Fi. Our technicians will work to get all of your devices reconnected to your new Wi-Fi network. Typically, not all devices are in the home at the time of the installation and will require a reconnect to your new Wi-Fi network. Download List Worksheet.
  • Create a list of all devices connected with an Ethernet cord to ensure they are properly connected to your new Internet service during the installation.
  • Some homes may need additional Wi-Fi mesh units to get complete Wi-Fi coverage.
  • Wi-Fi router placement is important for optimal Wi-Fi performance and requires a power resource.
  • If you have a security/camera system, you may have to make changes to your settings that could require coordination with your security/camera system service provider.

Learn more about your FTC Fiber Internet

Fiber is sure to deliver the best Internet experience ever. Our Internet services are symmetrical upload and download speeds providing you with all the speed you need for working, playing, and learning. With our fiber Internet service plans, you will experience fast speeds up to 400 Mbps or 1,000 Mbps (1 Gig), depending on the service plan you chose. Something to keep in mind is that the Internet is the connection FTC installs into your house that is connected to the worldwide network. If you connect your computer directly to an Ethernet jack, you will experience the Internet speed you subscribe to. We also provide a Wi-Fi router that enables a wireless network within your home, or you may choose to set up your own Wi-Fi router and network. Your Wi-Fi network shares your bandwidth with all your devices connected to your router. Therefore, your speeds will vary on your different devices with multiple devices connected.

With great Internet, you need the best Wi-Fi technology. FTC’s BLAST Wi-Fi is a next-generation smart home system. Leveraging the latest advancements in Wi-Fi technology, including the Wi-Fi standard known as ‘Wi­Fi 6’, it combines blazing-fast speeds with whole-home coverage to give you an unrivaled online experience. The Wi-Fi Blast provides a longer range, higher efficiency, and is less affected by interference from other nearby Wi-Fi gateways. Dual-band support means that the BLAST lets you take advantage of all the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 using both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The system provides Ethernet ports so you can also connect a variety of wired multimedia devices for rapid data sharing across your network.

CommandIQ App

The ultimate Wi-Fi deserves the ultimate app. Take control of your home with Command IQ.

Utilize the App to view connected devices on your network, set basic parental controls, set up a guest network, or adjust your SSID and password.

Download the app on your mobile device:

Command IQ App Videos
Download Command IQ Guide

Common Troubleshooting Tips

A simple reboot of your Wi-Fi router could save you a call to tech support.

Make sure to follow the steps below to turn the equipment off and back on in a particular sequence.

  1. Shut down the device you are using to connect to the Internet (e.g., a computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.)
  2. Unplug your wireless gateway, modem, or router from the electrical outlet and leave it unplugged for at least 10 seconds.
  3. Check for loose cables.
  4. Plug it back into the electrical outlet and wait 2 minutes..
  5. Turn your computer (or other devices) back on and try reconnecting to the Wi-Fi connection.
  6. Please keep in mind that if other devices are connected to Wi-Fi and working, the Internet is working and the issue is with the device or application you are using.

Run a Speed Test

  1. Connect an Ethernet cable directly from your modem to your computer (testing with Wi-fi can significantly impact your results).
  2. Click Here, then click “Begin Test” in the box that appears at the top of your screen.
  3. We recommend that you run the test several times at different times of day, for accurate sampling.
  4. Please let us know if your download speed does not reflect the tier of service to which you subscribed.

What could adversely affect my test results?

  1. Run the speed test over a wired connection directly to your modem. Performance over a Wi-fi network is greatly impacted by a number of things not within FTC’s control. Try connecting directly to the modem before running your speed test.
  2. Multiple devices on the same connection in your household could affect the reading. Try to run the test at a time when the only running device is the computer you are using to run the test.
  3. Run the speed test at different times of the day. If you test during the hours with the highest network traffic, there is no way to guarantee your speed unless you subscribe to a dedicated connection.
  4. What is the age of your device? Just like all technology, computers and equipment advance at a rapid pace. It is possible that if you use an older device, it will be unable to fully utilize the speeds delivered over your internet connection.
  5. Make sure all programs are closed on your computer before running the test. If any programs were running when you ran the first test, shut down all programs and run the speed test again to see if it affects your results.
  6. Re-start your device to ensure an accurate reading. Try to run the speed test right after restarting your computer, or check your Task Manager to shut down any active processes before running the test.
  7. Viruses and malware could also impede your computer from running at full speed. Be sure that you keep your computer protected from these malicious programs by installing virus and malware protection.
  8. Make sure your device is running up-to-date operating systems, software and applications for optimal performance.

FTC provisions our modems and engineers our network to provide our customers with the speed to which they subscribe. However, we cannot guarantee that you will achieve those speeds at all times, which is why the service is advertised as “up to” a specific level.

If troubleshooting does not resolve your Internet connection issue, you may:

  • Call technical support at 866.638.2144 (available 24/7)
  • Submit a trouble ticket through your SmartHub app or account portal (preferred method)
  • Use the technical support chat box option on our website, under the support menu
Troubleshoot

Smarthub

As an FTC customer, you have access to SmartHub, our online self-service customer portal, to help you manage your account, view and pay your bill, report service issues, and receive important notifications. In most cases, our customer service representative added your email at the time services were ordered, and you were sent an email to complete your SmartHub registration. If not, you can follow these steps for access:

  1. Go to www.farmerstel.com.
  2. In the top right corner of the screen, click on “Customer Tools” and then “SmartHub.”
  3. Click on the “New User” sign-up line and then enter your account number, last name on the account or business name (just as it appears on your bill), and an email address, and then click “Submit.” (Most of this information can be found on your most recent bill or by calling a customer service representative.)
  4. For security purposes, you will then need to select two questions and enter the correct answers. These can include your ZIP code and a recent bill amount.
  5. Type in the requested security characters, accept the terms and conditions, and click “Submit.”
  6. Check your email inbox for an email requesting you to verify your account.
  7. Once you have verified your account, you will be prompted to set up and confirm your password. (Passwords must be a minimum of 12 characters and a maximum of 15 characters, including at least one capital letter and one number or symbol.)
  8. Select how you would like to receive your bill(we encourage you to choose paperless billing), and enjoy online access to your account! You can make changes to your account profile, pay your bill, signup for the auto-pay program, report a problem with your service, change your printed bill settings, and more.
  9. Click on the “Notifications” tab and add your contact information and preferences on the how and what types of notifications you would like to receive.
  10. Download the app for your mobile devices and log in to your account.

Download the app on your mobile device:

Understanding Your First Bill

Why is my first bill higher than the monthly service plan I subscribed to?

Typically, your first bill will always be higher than your average monthly bill. This happens because you are charged for a full month of service in advance and a partial month based on the date your services were installed and the remaining days in the current bill cycle. There may also be activation fees and additional equipment/wiring charges on your first bill.

For example, if your services are installed on the 15th of the month, and the billing cycle ends on the 30th, you will be billed for the partial month of service of 15 days and for the full month of service that follows. Additionally, activation and equipment charges will be added to the service plan amount.

If your monthly service plan is $81.75 per month, your estimated first bill amount would be $122.10 + any other connection fees.

($81.75 monthly service plan amount x 12 months) / 365 days in a year = $2.69 daily rate

$2.69 daily rate x 15 days = $30.35 partial month amount

$40.35 partial month amount + $81.75 monthly service plan amount = $122.10

Additionally, activation and equipment charges will be added to the service plan amount.

To learn more on ways-to-pay your bill click here.

Explore Our Website

Explore our website to learn more about our services and other product offerings.

Learn More
Here is a quick link to documents that we are required by law to provide to you.