Whip City Fiber was chosen by WiredWest to provide internet and Network Operator services for member towns. It is owned and operated by Westfield Gas + Electric in Westfield, Massachusetts. WiredWest has chosen to work with Whip City Fiber because, as a municipal utility, they are customer oriented and not driven by creating high profit. Whip City Fiber has a successful track record and a high level of customer satisfaction.
WiredWest is a Coop of Town Municipal Light Plants. It is governed by the member towns and returns any excess revenue back to the towns. Participating towns have chosen to manage our networks regionally via the WiredWest Coop to reduce the burden, cost, and risk over managing as an individual town, and to share research and ideas about how to better provide service to our residents. Heath’s town owned network will be administered by WiredWest.
WiredWest runs on a data network which is constructed of optical fibers instead of the traditional copper wire or coaxial cable. Optical fiber is a hair-thin piece of glass that is specially designed to transmit light impulses. One small fiber can carry multiple signals at once and the signal does not degrade over long distances. Unlike coaxial cable, performance is not affected by interference or shared bandwidth. The fiber optic network provides high-speed access that runs at the speed of light.
Each year the use of the internet for applications and services is increasing. As high-definition video, telemedicine, distance learning, telecommuting, and other applications continue to evolve, only fiber technology provides the bandwidth to carry the heavy data load we expect to see. We’re excited that our town can take advantage of this cutting-edge access which will support our community into the future.
WiredWest is a cooperative of town municipal light plants with a commitment to provide premium services to our customers. Our gigabit service is the fastest in town and our customer service is always on call. The revenues generated by WiredWest in member towns are reinvested locally to benefit the entire community.
You can complete an application online or call 1-833-WW1-WEST (1-833-991-9378) and one of our customer service representatives can answer any questions you have and complete your application over the phone.
When signing up, you’ll be asked to provide your contact information and answer a few questions about what service/s you want. An email address is required for service as payments must be made online. You’ll also be asked to agree to terms and conditions, giving permission for our installation company to visit your property.
Signing up takes about 10 minutes. If you don’t have good Internet or want some help, please email heathbroadband@gmail.com.
Yes, you will need to sign up for service on our website. Your $49 deposit plus interest will appear as a credit on your first bill.
The person who signs up should be the one who is going to be billed for the monthly service (this is usually the renter unless the landlord is going to include the price of Internet in the rent or the unit is currently empty).
On the application you should indicate that you are a renter and include your landlord’s contact information in the appropriate fields. Your landlord will be contacted for the necessary installation permissions. The homeowner (landlord) MUST be present on installation day since both the outside and inside installation involves work on the property and changes to the wiring and drilling through walls or floors. Thus, installation can only be approved by the property owner.
If the property owner can’t be present on installation day, s/he can appoint someone who will be on site on installation day and be authorized to make decisions about the installation and pay for any upgrades. We encourage all renters and homeowners to discuss installation details and ongoing service before sign up.
We are offering 1 gigabit service which is up to 1,000 megabits per second upload and download speed. Actual speeds may vary due to a number of factors including the age and speed of your equipment and which software and websites you are using. You will always get the best speeds when your computer or other device is using a hardwired connection.
Many customers are taking advantage of resources which require higher speeds and bandwidth, including streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, YouTubeTV, Sling, and Amazon Prime), video calls, and Ultra High-definition television (UHD). WiredWest provides the speed for customers to use these services and other internet resources without glitches or buffering.
A WiFi router is included with residential service to provide wireless access to tablets, phones, gaming systems, and other devices in your home. You should expect speeds over a wireless connection to be approximately half of the wired speed.
We are building a system that supports gigabit bandwidth. We expect you will receive up-to 1,000 Mbps for both upload and download. A wired speed test should be around 960 Mbps and a wireless test, approximately 440 Mbps. Your actual speed will be affected by the age and speed of your devices, the software you are using, the server of the site you are visiting, and the overall volume of internet traffic at any given moment. As usage increases, we can add more capacity without having to run new cables. Technical support is available at 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378) if you have any concerns about the speeds you are getting.
WiredWest will issue electronic invoices to the email address you provide on your application. Bills are due upon receipt. Residential customers are required to have service for at least 6 months before cancelling.
WiredWest internet is available at $75/month for residential 1 gigabit service or $59/month for residential 25 Mbps service. Both include free equipment and WiFi. All customers will be charged a one-time $99 activation fee.
Yes. If you decide to move forward with the install, the full estimated cost will be billed to you prior to the installation. Detailed Drop Police
WiredWest will charge a one-time $99 activation fee to start a new service account.
There are no contracts for WiredWest residential service because we are providing a great service which we believe you’ll want to keep.
You must pay your bill online through our customer portal. You will receive an email with the payment link after installation. At this point you can set up your account, make a payment, or set up automatic payments. Payment can be made either through electronic fund transfer from your bank account or you may pay by credit card. We encourage you to use automatic payments from your bank account (EFT). This saves our town network money and ensures you don’t miss a payment, which could result in service disconnection. You will have the option to pre-pay your account if you so choose.
Add Bank Accounts (preferred method)
You must add and verify a bank account before it can be used for payments.
Once the bank account has been added, we will make two small deposits over the next 2 business days.
When you see the deposits in your account, please return to this page to complete verification.
Use your checking account for auto-pay. Set up your payments on the billing and payments page.
Add Credit Cards
Credit cards are available immediately for making payments.
Add a card here to use for auto-pay. Set up your payments on the billing and payments page.
Need assistance? We hope you are already accustomed to online bill paying for other household expenses, if not, contact us at heathbroadband@gmail.com and we will provide assistance or the Whip City Fiber customer service team at 833-WCF-CALL (833-923-2255).
You will not be billed for the monthly service or additional charges until everything is installed and working at your home. All payments will be made online. You will receive an email with login information to our customer portal. This is where you can make changes to your preferred billing method at any time.
If you are having problems with your service, please call the WiredWest Tech Team at 1-833-WCF-HELP (1-833-923-4357). They will provide free phone support. More complex issues which require a visit may result in additional charges. We always support WiredWest equipment at no charge.
There is no monthly charge for the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) [like a cable modem] and WiFi router. Authorized account users that are living in the same residence and their guests will be able to connect multiple devices to the service at no extra charge. Equipment must be returned if service is terminated.
We certainly hope you’ll encourage your neighbors to sign up for their own service but sharing WiFi outside of your residence is a violation of the acceptable terms of use.
Lifeline is a federal program that lowers the monthly cost of phone and internet for eligible low-income subscribers. Qualified customers will receive up to $9.25 applied directly towards their bill. You can use Lifeline for either phone or internet, but not both. FCC rules prohibit more than one Lifeline service per household.
To use this portal, you will need to be an active WCF customer. Otherwise, you can submit an application and choose to have the credit applied to your WCF service once you have been approved.
You can apply here if you are not a WCF customer yet.
Standard installation includes installation to the basement where other utilities enter the building. The WiFi router will be placed in a central, first-floor location for optimal service. Other placement or additional wiring will incur additional charges.
Customer Service will contact you for next steps and schedule an installation appointment at your convenience.
— Installations typically take 2-3 hours. An adult who can make decisions about the installation must be present for the installation.
— The fiber-optic cable will be brought from the curb to your home and will enter your home through a small box mounted on your home near where your existing utilities are located. The technician will then set up the interior electronics.
— As soon as the technician is finished, you will have broadband in your home!
UNDERGROUND INSTALLATIONS If your home needs an underground connection, you’ll have two home visits. The installer will first contact you to make an appointment for an installation consultation. They will visit your home and determine whether you have an existing conduit that can be easily used or whether to install a new conduit. If you need a new conduit, they will stake out the proposed dig route. You will need to sign off on the plan. After a DigSafe permit is done, the installers will make a second appointment with you and return to put the conduit in the ground install the service inside your home. An adult who can make decisions about the installation must be present for both of these appointments.
PHONE INSTALLATION If you order WiredWest Premier telephone service, the basic installation includes connecting one telephone to the Telo device. If you want to connect all of your home’s phone wiring and jacks to the service, you’ll have to pay for an additional home visit or do the work yourself. The cost for this additional wiring will likely be $150-200. Alternatively, if you wish to have your landline phones available in multiple locations in your home, it will be much less expensive for you to purchase a cordless phone system with multiple handsets, available at most online and big-box stores, than to have internal wiring done. With a multiple handset cordless phone you will plug the system base into the router and then place the phone handsets wherever you wish throughout your home. Please note that if you cancel a scheduled appointment less than 18 hours in advance or if you miss a scheduled appointment, a $50 missed appointment fee will be charged on your first bill.
Electrical Outlets: There MUST be electrical outlets within 6 ft of where your router (usually centrally located in main part of the house) and ONT (usually located in the basement where the utilities enter your house) will be located. (ONT = Optical Network Terminal, a necessary component to run your home network). It is the homeowner’s responsibility to be sure these outlets are already installed prior to the home fiber installation.
Router Location: While the technician will be willing to help you find a good central location for your router, it is good to give some thought to this in advance, especially if you want to locate it further than 50ft from where the ONT will be installed (which will result in costs that you will have to absorb) or if you want it in a location that does not yet have an electrical outlet within 6ft (which will require you to arrange for an electrician to install an outlet in the area you wish to place your router).
Yes, we will need to have access to the inside of your home to install fiber. We will offer various times for appointments to accommodate the time that works best for you.
Please note that if you cancel a scheduled appointment less than 18 hours in advance or if you miss a scheduled appointment, a $50 missed appointment fee will be charged on your first bill.
If your electric service is already overhead your fiber will be too. If your service is underground, a DigSafe will be scheduled. When that has cleared, we will use a minimally invasive process to bring the wire from the street to the house. Our crews are professionals and will restore your lawn as is necessary. We want happy customers and we stand behind our restoration work.
Most likely. These holes are typically ½” or less. We will work with you to minimize the need for drilling and coordinate an agreed upon route prior to beginning our work.
You are welcome to do certain parts of your in-home installation, such as providing more complex interior wiring, yourself or find and pay your own technicians/electrician to do so. The Whip City Fiber technician will still have to install and provision the fiber-optic network portion of the installation up to the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and router.
If you want a specialized connection, you will need to absorb any additional costs incurred. An example of this is if your existing utilities use an aerial connection to your home, but you instead want the fiber to go underground. You can discuss options and get estimates during your initial consultation.
This fiber optic network is designed with reliability in mind. By design, the path that provides your service contains only a limited number of components that might break. That said, as with any outdoor facility, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. While fiber optic cabling is stronger than other wires that are run on a utility pole, they are still subject to some risk. If there is a problem, WiredWest has dedicated teams to work on repairs. Our goal is 99.99% uptime.
The WiredWest Tech Team at 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378) is our front line when you need a little extra help. They are available for free phone support 24 hours a day. When necessary, we will dispatch a technician if we cannot fix a problem remotely although there may be an additional charge. We always support WiredWest equipment at no charge. The WiredWestTech Team can provide support on issues including setting up devices, transferring email, and streaming video.
The installers are trained to work with you to find the best placement for the inside the home electronics. Things like whether you have a basement, the size of your home, wall thickness, electrical outlet locations, and aesthetics for the location can be considered when you are working with your installer to decide where to locate the electronics.
WiredWest provides all the equipment you will need for service. You will receive an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) device which is a fiber optic modem and a router which will provide connection and WiFi for your home and devices. Both devices are supported and managed by WiredWest.
Generally, we install fiber, the Optical Network Terminal (ONT), in a basement or first floor location. For best performance, the router is placed in a central location on the first floor. Custom installation may be available for an additional charge.
Yes. The ONT (Optical Network Terminal) [modem] will be hardwired to the fiber-optic cable coming into your home and to the router. The router is the piece of electronics that can transmit a wireless signal. You can plug your devices directly into the router and turn off WiFi with a button on the side of the router. You can have an electrician put in a completely hardwired system if you wish following installation.
Although you can install your own router, we strongly recommend that you consider the router provided by Whip City Fiber. Using your own router will not reduce the installation cost and will make it harder for us to remotely troubleshoot any problems you may have. If they need to send out a technician to solve a problem that turns out to be due to your router, you will be charged for the service call.
Most customers plan to use WiredWest to set up streaming video on their television. Many devices (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon FireStick) will allow you to watch TV and movies over the internet. We encourage you to do some research and complete the initial set up before your installation. Our installers can help when they are at your appointment if you get stuck. You can also call the WiredWest Tech Team at 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378) for additional support with setting up your devices.
Although the WiredWest Premier Phone Service may not be appropriate for your current alarm system, you have multiple options: keep your Verizon landline just for your alarm system, upgrade to a cellular-based alarm system (if you are in an area with reliable cell service), or upgrade to an Internet-based alarm system. Both cellular-based alarms and Internet-based alarms enable your alarm monitoring company to monitor the state of your alarm in real-time, instead of relying on your alarm making a phone call once or twice a day. Some offer smart-phone apps for you to check on your home yourself. We recommend that you contact your alarm monitoring company and ask them about the best options for your situation.
Yes, for small additional monthly charge. Please contact our customer service team at 1-833-WW1-WEST (1-833-991-9378) to set this up.
You can contact Customer Service at 1-833-991-9378 after you have signed up to change the services you would like.
If you decide to add Premier telephone service after installation there will be an additional charge. If you are planning on “porting” your existing Verizon telephone number to the new service, it is critical to keep your Verizon telephone service active until Verizon completes the porting process. If you cancel your Verizon service before the process is complete, you will lose your telephone number for good.
WiredWest provides internet service. We do not provide television programing, but we offer amazing access to all streaming service providers. Many customers will subscribe to one or more streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, Sling, etc.) for watching TV, movies, and sports over the internet.
Get started with this streaming flyer. Or, websites like suppose.tv and thestreamable.com can help you find a package that contains the channels you want.
Visit our Streaming page for additional information.
Many local channels are available through a streaming service provider. Refer to each service’s website to review availability.
You may also be able to get local channels over the air with an HD digital antenna for free. Signal strength will vary depending on your home location. You can check your potential signal strength and channels at www.antennaweb.org by inputting your address information. Antennas range in price from $10 to $150, depending upon what channels you hope to get and how far away the stations are. You can purchase them at department stores or online.
WiredWest offers add on Premier Phone Service for $19.99/month (when purchased in conjunction with an internet service plan). or Standalone Premier Phone Service, without internet service, run through our fiber network is $49.00/month. Both of these services provide phone calls over the internet and are similar to but not the same as a traditional landline. They are not appropriate for use with medical devices or some alarm systems without adjustments. Premier Phone Service includes free long-distance calling in the US, Canada, and Mexico, 911 service, call blocking, voicemail, and more.
In many cases, you won’t have to do anything. If you have Gmail or another “forever” email (Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail) you’ll continue to receive your email. If your email is through your previous ISP you may be able to keep that too. You will need to contact them directly for this information.
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. This means that your phone signal and service are provided over the fiber network and internet rather than over the copper wires many of us grew up with. If you have ever used Zoom or Skype you have used this type of voice service.
In many parts of Western Mass, the landline provider has chosen not to continue support for the copper based service. With fiber optic internet, you have the option to add VOIP phone service to your account.
The VOIP service travels across the fiber optic network to the internet rather than over copper lines. This provides reliable and low-cost service with many bells and whistles including:
You can keep your previous phone number or get a new one.
Unlimited local and long distance including service to Mexico and Canada.
Block pesky telemarketing calls and you can block other unwanted calls as well.
Call forwarding
Voicemail-to-email
Caller ID
Much, much more!
Premier phone service works best with cordless phones that have a main base station and additional units to place around the home. You will have the best performance if the phones are a newer model (less than 5 years old). In our experience, older phones may experience distortion, echos, and feedback which are alleviated by using a newer model.
Our technicians will not tie the Telo into any previous wiring in your home. For best performance, we recommend using phones with a main base handset with additional units (less than 5 years old).
Our technicians will work with you to transfer or "port" your phone number to our service. During this time, a temporary number will show up as your caller ID when you make outgoing calls. Your phone will remain connected to the original landline while your number is being ported.
—Please DO NOT cancel your previous phone service until you are certain that your number has successfully ported or you will lose your phone number.
—During this period it is VERY IMPORTANT that you watch your email for confirmation that the porting is complete or communications about any possible issues which need to be resolved.
—If you have a second stand-alone phone, you may want to plug it into the Telo device right away. When porting is complete, your calls will ring on that phone and you won't miss any incoming calls.
—When you receive an email confirming that your number has ported, your phone base will need to be plugged into your newly installed Telo device for you to receive calls.
You can always reach out to the Tech Team for assistance at 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378).
Our VOIP system is not designed to work with medical devices. We encourage you to discuss other options with your provider.
You should discuss your alarm system with your alarm system company. Our VOIP system is not designed to work with these systems and Whip City Fiber is not able to support any alarm system issues.
There are two important things to know about 911 service with your VOIP service.
1.)You will register the 911 address when the device is installed. If you ever move the device to another address it is CRITICAL that you update the address for emergency response.
2.) If the power or internet is out, you will lose all phone function INCLUDING 911. Please review the information under Outages to make sure you are prepared.
Your internet service needs the fiber network and electricity to work. Your town's network has invested in a back up generator to keep the internet working even if power is out in town but you will still need a source of power at your home to use your internet and phone service including 911.
There are three devices which will all need power to keep things working during an outage:
1.) The ONT (generally in the basement)
2.) The router (often on the first floor)
3.) The Telo device and your phones
You should plan for these devices to be on a circuit which is served by your generator or power them each with a battery back up or uninterrupted power source (UPS) available online or at local big box stores.
In the event that the internet is down (either the drop to your home or a larger scale outage), you will not have phone or 911 service until it is restored.
Ideally, once power is restored, your internet service will come back up on its own. If not, there are a few things you can check.
First, it may be that the fiber network has been damaged, either in your town or at your home. If we are aware of the outage, we do our best to post a banner at www.whipcityfiber.com on the homepage for your town.
If there is damage at your home, please contact us at 413-485-1204 to report the issue.
Please check that any power strips or GFCI outlets for your devices have been reset after your power outage.
To get your service up and running, you may need to refresh the devices in your home. We recommend you begin by unplugging power from all devices and then powering them up in this order:
Starting with the ONT (white device, generally in the basement), leave unplugged for 60 seconds, then plug it back in.
Next, plug in your router (black device, generally on the first floor).
Finally, if you have VOIP phone service, plug in the Telo device (with the flower light). You may need to do the same with your phones as well.
You may want to check out our Help Center for additional information.
As always, we welcome your call to the Whip City Tech Team at 413-485-1204, 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@whipcityfiber.com which is monitored until 8 PM each day.
The reliability of VOIP services is dependent on a number of factors. No system is 100% reliable, due to planned provider service outages, weather, traffic accidents, etc. Power and internet access are both necessary for the phone to work. If power is out and you do not have a generator or other sufficient back up power, internet and phone service will not operate until the power is restored.
These days so many parts of our lives are linked to the digital world that it’s especially important to connect to the internet safely. We suggest you install an antivirus software on your computers, laptops, and tablets. One reputable option available for free download is available at www.avast.com.
Questions? Email us at techsupport@wiredwestfiber.net or give us a call at 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378).
With no paper bills, the customer portal is an easy and convenient way to manage your account online. With your first bill, you will receive an email to access your account portal. Here you can view and download bills, make a one-time-payment, or setup autopay, all in the comfort of your home. Watch our video to get you started!
There is no suspension option, however, customers can cancel internet service for up to 12-months without penalty or charges. Please see How do I cancel my service? for more details.
You can cancel your service (but we hope you won't!) at any time with a simple phone call to 833-WCF-CALL (833-923-2255). For most customers, we recommend keeping the equipment at your home. If you choose to return the equipment, you can mail it back to us. Please fill out the Equipment Return form and include it in your shipment.
Customers who cancel their VoIP/Ooma phone service will be able to port their number to a new service or they will lose their phone number. Any customer who wishes to keep their VoIP service will be switched to the "Phone-Only" rate until internet is reactivated. These customers are encouraged to take the phone adapter with them to use elsewhere in the US. If you move your phone device to a different address, it is CRITICAL that you log into the Ooma portal or contact Ooma customer support to update your location for 911 services.
We are committed to providing the best service for your new high-speed internet service. If you have any questions please contact us!
Customer Service 1-833-WW1-WEST (1-833-991-9378) | customerservice@wiredwestfiber.net
Tech Support 1-833-WCF-WEST (1-833-923-9378) | techsupport@wiredwestfiber.net
Our goal is excellent and reliable service but sometimes Mother Nature has other ideas. Any time your service is not working, for quickest response, we ask that you contact the Whip City Tech Team at 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@wiredwest.net which is monitored until 8 PM each day. Outages and other technical issues will be addressed most quickly when sent to the Tech Team and not Customer Service which does not have 24 hour coverage.
If there is a simultaneous power outage in your area, our technicians have to wait until that is resolved before we can address any internet outage. Rest assured that our teams are keeping tabs on the activity in the area and will respond as soon as it is safe. If it is only an internet issue, then our teams will address this in the office and in the field. We will do our best to provide updates to customers as we learn more information.
When service has been restored, we know that some customer's service won't come back up on it's own. If you believe that an outage has been resolved but you are still having problems, we ask that you contact the Whip City Tech Team at 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@wiredwest.net which is monitored until 8 PM each day.
Ideally, once power is restored, your internet service will come back up on its own. If not, there are a few things you can check.
•First, it may be that the fiber network has been damaged, either in your town or at your home. If we are aware of the outage, we do our best to post a banner on the homepage.
•If there is damage at your home, please contact us at 833-WCF-HELP to report the issue.
•Please check that any power strips or GFCI outlets for your devices have been reset after your power outage.
•To get your service up and running, you may need to refresh the devices in your home. We recommend you begin by unplugging power from all devices and then powering them up in this order:
1.) Starting with the ONT (white device, generally in the basement), leave unplugged for 60 seconds, then plug it back in.
2.) Next, plug in your router (black device, generally on the first floor).
3.) Finally, if you have VOIP phone service, plug in the Telo device (with the flower light). You may need to do the same with your phones as well.
You may want to check out our Help Center for additional information.
As always, we welcome your call to the Tech Team at 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@whipcityfiber.com which is monitored until 8 PM each day.
First, we always want you to assume that a downed "wire" is dangerous. What you think is a fiber drop could be a hazardous electrical line so please stay away. For quickest response, please report your downed drop to the Whip City Tech Team at 833-WCF-HELP (833-923-4357). Our phones are staffed 24 hours a day so we work on correcting your issue right away. You can also reach us by email at techsupport@wiredwestfiber.net which is monitored until 8 PM each day.
Your phone from Whip City Fiber runs over the internet. If internet access is interrupted, your Voice-Over-IP-Phone (Ooma) will not work. If only the power is out and you can provide generator power or an uninterrupted power source (UPS) to the ONT, router, and Telo device then your phone will continue to work. We know that there is limited cell service in many hilltowns so we encourage you to plan for this limitation of your VOIP phone service.
Ideally, when there is an interruption of service it is brief. We are not able to offer a credit or refund for when your service is out because your network belongs to you and the taxpayers in your town. Offering a credit to customers would impair the town's ability to fund the debt on the project.
If you plan ahead, an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) can be a temporary solution to keep your service working during a power outage. Customers can purchase a UPS battery online or at retail stores where other computer/office supplies are sold. When looking for the right UPS for you, it's important to note that both the ONT and router will need to be powered by a UPS to continue service.
You can learn more about UPS batteries here.
