Confirm the installation plan with your provider, arrange any necessary permissions, and choose a practical location with power for the ONT and router. Keep access clear and test the service before treating the change as complete.
Start with our London fibre broadband overview to see how availability, networks and speeds fit together.
Understand the equipment
On an Openreach FTTP installation, the optical network terminal, or ONT, is the point where the incoming fibre connects to equipment inside the property. The router connects to the ONT and provides the household network. The precise equipment and arrangement depend on the network and package.
An existing telephone socket does not tell you where a new fibre service must terminate. Ask the provider what work is expected and whether an existing ONT can be used. Do not remove fixed network equipment simply because a previous occupier has moved out.
Plan the location before the engineer arrives
Think about power, ventilation and the rooms where you use the internet. Discuss a workable cable route and where the router can go. A tidy installation at the front of a long home may still need an onward wired connection to a study or access point.
Openreach's checklist asks for nearby power, permission for relevant drilling and an adult decision maker during the appointment. Tell your provider about locked gates, shared entrances or other access constraints in advance.
Separate a straightforward visit from extra work
A property with a ready route can be different from one needing additional external work. Openreach notes that complexity can lead to a further appointment. A blocked route, shared building project or unresolved permission is not something the household should assume can be completed during an ordinary visit.
Keep work and travel arrangements flexible until the provider confirms what the appointment covers. Ask whether any outside work is due before the visit and who will contact you if plans change.
Prepare a short day-of-installation checklist
Clear the area around the proposed equipment position and make sure the responsible adult can explain the preferred location. Keep pets away from the work area. Have your order reference and provider contact details available.
Agree any changes to the planned route before work begins. If the property is rented, have the relevant permission available rather than expecting the engineer to resolve ownership questions on the doorstep.
- Confirm the correct address and flat number.
- Check access to outside and shared areas.
- Identify the power sockets and preferred equipment position.
- Have a device ready for the initial connection check.
- Ask which equipment must remain in the property.
Test the handover, then the home network
Check that the service is active using a capable wired device where practical. Test ordinary browsing and any essential work service. If you have a telephone service, confirm its setup separately with the provider.
Then test Wi-Fi where it will be used. A working fibre line does not guarantee wireless coverage in every room. Keep a note of any problem and report it to the retail provider, which manages your order and support.
Keep the useful information
Record the activation date, equipment model, support number and any agreed follow-up. Store router instructions somewhere accessible. If you later move home, ask which items should be returned and which should stay fixed in the property.
A little documentation saves time when troubleshooting and avoids confusion between the network's equipment and the router supplied with your contract.
Your questions, answered.
Will the engineer always need to drill?
It depends on the route and existing installation. Ask your provider what is planned and ensure any necessary permissions are arranged.
Does an existing fibre box mean I can connect immediately?
It may simplify setup, but the provider still needs to confirm the correct network, available service and activation requirements.
Sources & further reading
Official information behind this guide. Links checked 29 October 2026; individual datasets retain their stated reference dates.