Coronavirus: Delivery, installation and repair information >
Your home is almost ready for our fastest broadband speeds.
There are just a few things we need to do first:
- Before the engineer visits your home, we'll complete a survey to find out if we need to do any extra work on the roads to lay our fibre cables. Sometimes we also need to get permission from local authorities or your neighbours.
- If you're a tenant, you will need to check that your landlord is happy for us to install our new fibre cables.
- If extra work is needed (such as digging up roads and putting in new poles), it'll take longer to install your Fibre, so please bear with us.
We'll install your broadband in two steps. We may complete both steps on the same day or on separate days. We'll let you know what type of installation to expect.
Step 1: Outside your home
- Before your appointment, an engineer will visit and attach a box (about 15cm x 10cm x 3cm) to the outside of your home. You don't need to be there as long as we can get to the outside of your property.
- If you've got locked gates, please leave them open for the engineer.
- If you've got an alarm on your phone line, please let your provider know that there might be a false alarm while we're working.
Step 2: Inside your home (your engineer appointment)
- You'll need to let the engineer into your home to complete the installation. The appointment may last up to four hours. Make sure someone's home for all of your appointment slot - and 3-4 hours afterwards, in case your engineer arrives towards the end of the slot.
- Whoever's at home should be over 18 and able to make decisions about the installation (including what goes where).
- Have the equipment we've sent you and any computer passwords handy.
- Think about where you'd like your new Openreach fibre modem and/or Hub to go. Near your computer or TV is usually best. Your engineer will discuss this with you.
- If you've got an Openreach fibre modem (and battery), it'll need to be wall mounted and will be connected directly to your Hub. Both your Hub and Openreach fibre modem need their own power sockets.
- On the day, your engineer can run an uninterrupted fibre cable (up to 30 metres long) to your Openreach fibre modem and/or Hub from the box on your outside wall. This cable can only go along walls, both internally and externally, but not under carpets or floors - they may also need to drill some holes (as carefully as possible).
- Your engineer will also connect one device, such as a computer or tablet, to your broadband.
If you're also getting our fibre voice service:
- Be prepared for your engineer to be working a few hours - inside and outside your home, as well as at the exchange.
- Your engineer will install cables so you'll be able to use any extensions to make and receive calls after the changeover.
- If you have an Openreach fibre modem, don't switch it off from the mains power supply after your new broadband and voice service has been installed. Otherwise you might not be able to make and receive phone calls. You'll need to replace the battery if your modem battery light glows red. Your engineer can show you how do this or you can find out how to do it yourself at Fibre Home Phone service: Questions about the battery back-up unit >