Fibre Broadband Installation Guide

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Are you thinking about switching to fibre broadband? If so, you’re on the right track! Making the switch can mean faster upload speeds, high-quality video streaming, and clearer voice calls, among other incentives. 

If you’re tech-savvy, you may find yourself wondering, “Do I need an engineer to install fibre broadband?” This guide answers that question and breaks down the process of getting fibre installed in your part of New Zealand.

Do I Need an Engineer to Install Fibre Broadband?

Yes, you do. A new fibre broadband installation involves tasks like laying fibre cables and working with fibre equipment, two things you can't do without specialist knowledge. You also need items like an optical network terminal (included with the fibre service), a router, and so on.

A broadband provider like 2degrees provides most of the new fibre equipment, which it buys from a local fibre company like Chorus. Your provider can help you through the process of getting fibre, arranging for the installation, and troubleshooting issues that occur after an installation.

Fibre Broadband Installation Considerations

There are a few factors you need to consider before initiating the installation process. They include:

Availability 

Is fibre available in your area? It's a good idea to check before making any arrangements. Consider using our Fibre Checker to determine whether your home is eligible for a fibre connection.

Broadband Service Provider 

Once you’re sure that your area has a fibre network, you’ll need to choose a broadband provider. Check out this list of the cheapest providers if you’d like to save money.

Property Ownership

If you’re renting a property (residential or commercial), you'll need to obtain your landlord's permission before engineers can lay a fibre optic cable. Similarly, if you live in a shared building or a building with right of way, you'll need your neighbour's consent.

Installation Duration

Knowing how long it'll take to complete a fibre installation can help you manage expectations. The process typically takes a few weeks. However, allow for a week or two extra if you need to obtain consent or special circumstances arise.

Existing Connection

If you're not a property owner, you may want to check whether you already have fibre connected to the outside wall of your house. It could be that the former occupants arranged for it while living there. 

If you confirm that your home has fibre, you can get your internet service provider (ISP). The ISP will contact a local fibre company to activate it.

How to Get Full Fibre Broadband in Four Steps

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The process of getting a full fibre connection for your property usually goes as follows:

Step 1: Contact the Fibre Provider

After confirming that fibre is available in your area, you’ll need to contact one of New Zealand’s best fibre providers. Speaking to a provider serves multiple purposes:

• It gives you the opportunity to choose a package for your broadband connection (i.e., connection speed, data cap, etc.)
• During the call, you can give your provider details about your property, which will help with the installation process.
• You and the provider can arrange a date for an engineer visit.

Once you complete this step, you’ll be closer to setting an installation date.

Step 2: Attend a Pre-Installation Appointment

Your discussion with the fibre provider will culminate in an appointment known in the industry as a site scope visit. The engineer that shows up will assess your property to understand how best to carry out the installation. 

Among other things, they'll decide where your External Termination Point (a small box that connects your fibre cable to your house) is, how to do internal wiring, and so on. The entire process can take up to an hour, and you'll need to be present at your property when it happens.

The appointment will end with you and the engineer agreeing on an installation plan, you signing a contract, and both of you scheduling a date for the installation. 

Step 3: The Build Stage

On the scheduled installation day, the engineer will show up to set up fibre for your property. They'll follow the installation plan you agreed to in step two and build the external fibre infrastructure. This process involves installing the ETP outside of your house, laying cables, and other tasks. You don’t have to be present at this stage. 

Step 4: Connection

With the external fibre infrastructure installed, the next step is for the local fibre company’s technician to do the internal connection. At this stage, the technician does the wiring and connects the fibre to a small box called your Optical Network Terminal.

In addition, the technician installs the indoor equipment (i.e., your new router or modem) and tests them to ensure that they connect to the broadband service.

This process can take a couple of hours to complete, and you’ll need to be present while the technician is working. 

Are There Any Costs Involved In Getting Fibre?

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At the moment, most local fibre companies offer free fibre installations. The New Zealand government launched a programme to subsidize the cost for a limited time (it ended in 2020), and some of these companies still offer the free installs the subsidy empowered them to do.

For example, Enable Fibre Broadband offers free standard residential installation (a connection travelling less than 200 m to a house) until December 31st 2024. People who live in some homes added to the company’s coverage area in 2017 can get free installs until December 2025.

With that said, non-standard installations may attract costs in the form of electrical work and the extra wiring needed to complete the job.

Conclusion

Getting fibre installed on your property isn’t a complex process once you know what and who’s involved. Once you choose and contact a broadband provider, schedule an appointment, and agree on an install date, the rest of the process is hands-off.