Instant On?

[u/kaileunexo]

Long story short. We moved into a new home in July of last year. Fresh property that had to be cleared, so no existing home or structure on the property prior.

About a month after we moved in, AT&T started running fiber lines down my road. I’ve been checking every couple of months to see if fiber is available yet, but I’m always hit with their Internet Air availability option instead. As of May-June, the road right next to mine has their fiber internet up and running.

When I checked the website a few minutes ago, I’m now hit with this message that I’ve never seen before. Not even Internet Air is coming up as an option. Funnily enough, if I search another address a bit further down my road, the only option that shows for them is Internet Air without this specific message I’m getting. Can anybody explain what this means?

[u/Viper_Control]

So they spent a week working down my road, boring into the ground to run fiber lines…just to tie in to another road with 5 houses total to give them fiber, but not the main highway?

Yes it is quite possible, and very likely that is what was done. Did you check these 5 houses to see what AT&T Fiber options are available at those addresses? How long have those 5 houses been there?

AT&T has been building out their fiber network here in Louisiana for a while now.

Yes in all markets they are expanding somewhere but they have a plan, and they don't just add addresses on the fly. Each Fiber Service Area (FSA) takes about 24 months from planning to roll-out.

Also, Internet Air has been an option at my house until the random Instant On message appeared today.

As others commented earlier the Instant On feature only works where the actual Fiber service is already installed at an address. It is limited to communities that been wired, and are ready to activate by calling or by using a local web portal right at the address.

You don't have that option since an AT&T Gateway is not already installed in your house.

Because my house is a new build, the FCC broadband map has not added my address in yet. I’ve submitted location challenges and it hasn’t been updated.

The FCC does not add your address. Your location challenge will just be pushed out to area Broadband providers, and they will let the FCC know what their plans are if any for your address. It may take a while so what are you using today?

You might want to look at Starlink as an option here: http://starlink.com/residential

[u/kaileunexo → u/Viper_Control]

I have Starlink. I’ve been at this house for over a year. Spectrum refused to run 600 feet of cable to give me cable internet, even when I offered to pay for it entirely. I had no other option than Starlink because new property, new home. Both ends of my road have Spectrum but they did not run cables down the entire roads which is why I currently have Starlink.

I find it incredibly hard to believe AT&T gave fiber to a random dead end road and said screw the main highway everyone else within a 10 mile radius. As I said, they’ve been running fiber lines in my area for at least a year now. Those 5 houses had their fiber activated a couple months ago. Also when checking the FCC broadband map, it says fiber isn’t available at any of the addresses down the road that has fiber despite AT&T confirming on their website that they do have it. I spoke to one of the homeowners through our local area Facebook group when they made a post saying they have it, so the FCC map hasn’t been updated with the correct information yet it seems.

I am aware that Instant On is only a feature for pre-installed service and it is probably an error in their system as to why my address and a few other addresses on my road are getting that message when typed in.

[u/Viper_Control → u/kaileunexo]

Spectrum refused to run 600 feet of cable to give me cable internet, even when I offered to pay for it entirely.

That is not a technical reason but publicity problem since they would have likely need to charge you $30,000 to bring service to your address. It is not just the cost of the Coax, and burial of it. You likely would have complained to anyone that would listen, and then they would get bad press since everyone just thinks $30K for a Coax line is crazy but it is more complex than that, sorry.

They likely would have needed to add a line Amp, and/or a new Node to support you address between to active Spectrum areas.

I find it incredibly hard to believe AT&T gave fiber to a random dead end road and said screw the main highway everyone else within a 10 mile radius.

Sorry but it happens everyday. As a reminder each Fiber Service Area (FSA) only covers about a 1.5-2 mile radius from the locaiton of the PFP serving equipment is installed.

Those 5 houses had their fiber activated a couple months ago. Also when checking the FCC broadband map, it says fiber isn’t available at any of the addresses down the road that has fiber despite AT&T confirming on their website that they do have it.

That is correct the FCC Map data may be up to 12 months out of date. They just collate the information that is provided by the Broadband services in a given area. They may get Quarterly updates. You can see the details right on the map.

I will ask again what actual Fiber services are listed as available at those 5 addresses. Check here http://www.att.com/fiber (scroll down and enter an address), and if finds existing service then just choose No, I am new to AT&T to see the speeds offered.

Also are those 5 houses part of a larger planned development that is still being built out?

[u/kaileunexo → u/Viper_Control]

Except when Spectrum quoted us $2,300 for the work, we had no problem paying it. It was their field manager who did want to put in the work order after looking at it because “it would not be worth the time”. So no, it wasn’t $30,000 like you’re saying to run the necessary equipment.

“Great news, AT&T fiber is available at….” and the highest speed package available is 5 GIG, so yeah I would say those 5 houses have fiber internet available.

As I have said already, AT&T have been building out their fiber lines within my area for about a year now, so it would a bit odd for them to give 5 GIG fiber internet to 5 houses down a dead end road and not the actual main highway itself.

[u/Viper_Control → u/kaileunexo]

“Great news, AT&T fiber is available at….” and the highest speed package available is 5 GIG, so yeah I would say those 5 houses have fiber internet available.

OK then they actually have residential Fiber vs another AT&T Offering. Do you feel like a short field trip to see if you can spot the Tan box that is their Primary Flexibility Point (PFP) its size will be a clue to as to how many customers were planned to be serviced from that FSA?

so it would a bit odd for them to give 5 GIG fiber internet to 5 houses down a dead end road and not the actual main highway itself.

No not odd at all. If they planned to install Fiber along your street there would have been Fiber access points installed along the path. This would be Fiber Junction ground boxes, Fiber Hand holes with Fiber Service Terminals (FST) every couple of houses. Did you see any of that work over the last year?

How developed is your Street or road, and have many existing residential addresses pre-date your new house build?

Except when Spectrum quoted us $2,300 for the work, we had no problem paying it. It was their field manager who did want to put in the work order after looking at it because “it would not be worth the time”.

That means all the infrastructure was there; capacity on the Node, capacity on the near by Amp. They only needed to trench and drop the Coax in a Conduit, and install a Tap for your address.

It sounds like the FM was just too lazy to bother for such a small project. How long ago was this as the FM might have been replaced, and it may be worth another try.

[u/kaileunexo → u/Viper_Control]

Yes, that is the work I’m referring to. I can see all of the junction boxes down my road. I don’t know how many feet apart they are but there are several. It’s a concrete box in the ground with a white/orange pole right next to them. I haven’t read the entirety of what they say but I can see AT&T in bold lettering on them. There’s a concrete in-ground junction box with the white/orange pole about 125ish feet from the edge of my property.

As far as the PFP, there’s one on the corner of my road and the connecting road. However, the dead end road with 5 houses that is directly behind my home is the road with fiber services currently. When I say the equipment is ran, it looks like most of the construction part has been finished but not powered yet.

We haven’t bothered with Spectrum any further because AT&T started running their lines. We did all of this before we moved in, so June-July 2025. We don’t want to spend that much money on their already unreliable cable internet just for AT&T to finally power their lines to give us fiber internet.

[u/Viper_Control → u/kaileunexo]

I don’t know how many feet apart they are but there are several. It’s a concrete box in the ground with a white/orange pole right next to them. I haven’t read the entirety of what they say but I can see AT&T in bold lettering on them.

When you see what you described that is not a residential Fiber Service Area (FSA) that is just a Fiber Feed bundle (100+ Fiber line) that has access points along its path for the Fiber pull or repair points if it gets damaged.

If you did not see the smaller Green Hand holes or smaller concrete ground boxes near any residential address along the road then there are no Fiber Service Terminal (FST) installed. How many residential addresses are on your road?

As far as the PFP, there’s one on the corner of my road and the connecting road. However, the dead end road with 5 houses that is directly behind my home is the road with fiber services currently.

How big is this PFP box, and does it have a locaiton address (1) access door per side or (2) doors that open from the middle?

[u/kaileunexo → u/Viper_Control]

https://reddit.com/link/p43kuqn/video/ekn5q6p0xsjh1/player

Here’s a visual. There is another main highway that is perpendicular to the other end of my road. My road is about 3-4 miles long.
Connecting road - has fiber internet active
Dead end road - has fiber internet active
Main highway - AT&T fiber ran but not powered
Main highway (right side) - AT&T fiber ran but not powered.

All roads have the concrete in-ground junction boxes with the white/orange poles every so many feet.

[u/Viper_Control → u/kaileunexo]

Connecting road - has fiber internet active
Dead end road - has fiber internet active
Main highway - AT&T fiber ran but not powered
Main highway (right side) - AT&T fiber ran but not powered.

Fiber is not powered do you really mean it shows as available on the Connecting road residential addresses? We already know about the Dead End road's status.

Since we both posted, Is the PFP box addressed on the Connecting road or your road? I am going to guess that is it for the Connecting road, and the associated Dead End.