Support, around the clock.
Log a fault or service request with the FirstNet Rapid Response Service Desk by email or phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Every request gets a reference number that stays with it until it is closed.
Rapid Response Service Desk
How to reach us
Requests are logged by your registered Technical Contacts (TCs), who give first-level support to your users and escalate to FirstNet when needed.
Not a registered Technical Contact? Ask your company’s IT contact to log it, or Ask FirstNet for general questions.
Email · 24×7
support@firstnet.co.za
The best way to log a request with screenshots, trace routes or other attachments.
Escalations
Business hours (Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00 SAST): escalations@firstnet.co.za
After hours, weekends and public holidays: 0861 924 686 (24×7)
Email escalationsPriorities
First response times
Every request is prioritised by its business impact. First response is measured from the moment a request is logged.
P1 · Critical
30 minutes
24×7
Service unavailable or severely degraded, critical business impact, no reasonable workaround.
P2 · Major
1 hour
24×7
Service degraded; significant but partial impact.
P3 · Minor
6 business hours
Business hours
Minor impact on the business.
P4 · Routine
8 business hours
Business hours
No impact on the business, e.g. information requests or routine changes.
Logging a fault
What to include in your request
Including these details helps us respond faster:
- Company name, Technical Contact and their phone number(s)
- A description of the incident and the business impact
- The priority, the affected site or service, and when it started
- What has been tried so far
- Circuit number / Service ID (network), affected extensions (voice), hosted service (cloud) or security platform
- Attachments such as screenshots, files or trace routes
Priority 1 incidents
What you can expect
- A first response within 30 minutes, 24×7
- Proactive updates at least every 30–60 minutes until service is restored
- One named owner accountable from acceptance to restoration
- Automatic internal escalation (2 and 4 hours), you can also escalate at any time
- We tell you whether the service is Restored (working again) or Resolved (root cause fixed)
- A written Post-Incident Review within 5 business days, without you having to ask
Planned work
Changes and site access.
Scheduled changes
Log planned changes that affect business processes at least 48 hours in advance so the work can be prepared and tested. Firewall changes must be authorised by your designated firewall Technical Contact.
Data centre access
Registered TCs log access requests at least 24 hours ahead (Durban, Cape Town and Isando). For emergencies, call and email support@firstnet.co.za with the Escalations Manager copied; after-hours access can be arranged within 1 hour.
Documents
Policies & guides
Complaints & billing
Not happy? Tell us.
Send formal complaints and billing disputes to complaints@firstnet.co.za. We acknowledge within 3 business days and respond in writing within 14 business days.
Billing questions: accounts@firstnet.co.za. General enquiries: sales@firstnet.co.za.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may refer the matter to ICASA (011 566 3000, consumer@icasa.org.za).
FAQs
Questions,
answered.
Straight answers from the FirstNet team.
More support answers in the Knowledge Hub →Who can log a support request?
Registered Technical Contacts (TCs). They identify themselves when logging a request, give first-level support to their own users and escalate to FirstNet. FirstNet may decline requests logged directly by end users. Contact us to add or change a TC.
How quickly will you respond?
P1 (critical) within 30 minutes and P2 (major) within 1 hour, 24×7. P3 within 6 business hours and P4 within 8 business hours.
How do I escalate?
You can escalate any active request at any time: escalations@firstnet.co.za during business hours (Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00 SAST) or 0861 924 686 after hours. We also escalate internally on your behalf, for P1 after 2 and 4 hours.
Will I be told about outages and planned maintenance?
Yes. Subscribed Technical Contacts receive FirstNet notifications for network or service outages and for planned and emergency changes, with updates at least every 30–60 minutes during an active event. Ask us to subscribe your contacts.
How do I lodge a complaint or billing dispute?
Email complaints@firstnet.co.za with your details, account reference and the reasons for the complaint (for billing disputes also the invoice number, disputed and undisputed amounts). See the Complaints Procedure for the full process.