Service credits for fibre downtime are typically pro-rata — calculated as a fraction of your monthly fee proportional to the downtime period. Eligibility, calculation method, and claim process vary by ISP. Credits usually apply only to FNO-caused outages exceeding a minimum threshold (often 24–48 hours) and must be formally requested.
How Service Credits Work
Service credits compensate customers for service unavailability caused by faults in the ISP or FNO infrastructure. They do not apply to customer-side faults (router issues, WiFi problems), scheduled maintenance (with advance notice), or force majeure events. The credit is typically calculated as: (downtime hours / total hours in month) × monthly service fee.
Credit Eligibility Criteria
| Criterion | Typical Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum downtime | 24–48 hours continuous | Varies by ISP terms |
| Fault domain | ISP or FNO infrastructure | Not customer-side faults |
| Documentation | Ticket reference required | Fault must be logged and tracked |
| Request window | Within 30 days of resolution | Must be formally requested |
| Scheduled maintenance | Not eligible | Pre-notified maintenance excluded |
Service credits are not automatic in most South African ISP contracts. You typically need to request them formally after the fault is resolved, referencing the support ticket number and downtime period.
How to Request Credits
After a fault is resolved, email your ISP's billing department with: your ticket reference number, the start and end time of the outage, confirmation that the fault was ISP/FNO-side (not CPE), and a request for pro-rata credit. Keep the request factual and reference your service agreement terms.