The Business Fiber Installation Process: What to Expect
As Jet Hotel Solutions (https://www.jethotelsolutions.com/), we understand the importance of having a reliable and fast internet connection. It’s particularly essential for staying competitive and ensuring smooth operations. That’s why I recently made the decision to upgrade to a dedicated fiber optic internet connection for my company.
The process of installing business fiber can seem daunting at first, but with the right preparation and understanding, it can be a seamless experience. In this article, I’ll share my firsthand insights into what you can expect when embarking on a business fiber installation journey.
The Initial Site Survey
The first step in the installation process is a site survey conducted by the fiber provider’s technician. This crucial phase helps determine the specific requirements for your location. The technician will assess the path the fiber will take from the provider’s network, usually at the property line, to your router or demarcation point.
If you’re in a large office building, this may involve coordinating with the building owner to ensure a clear and functional path. The ideal conduit for the fiber should be 2-4 inches in diameter, equipped with a pull rope and meeting specific bend requirements. Keep in mind that additional inside wiring or conduit work might be necessary if the terminating endpoint (like your office suite) is located beyond the building’s demarcation point.
Power, Grounding, and Space Considerations
Next, the technician will evaluate the power, grounding, and space requirements for your fiber installation. Routers, modems, and other network devices require a stable power supply, typically a 15-20 amp, 110-120V AC outlet in close proximity to the equipment.
Proper grounding is crucial to avoid maintenance issues down the line. The installation location must have equipment racks grounded by a ground rod or building bus bar using a large wire. All powered equipment should be grounded using a 3-prong outlet.
Space and environmental factors also play a significant role. The installation area must meet specific temperature, humidity, and dust requirements to ensure the sensitive equipment functions optimally. A fire-retardant backboard or racking is necessary to mount the equipment securely.
The Installation and Turn-up Process
Once the site requirements are met, the provider will proceed with installing the fiber, testing it, and scheduling the turn-up. Most of this work happens within the provider’s network, including fiber placement, splicing, and infrastructure setup.
After the provider’s network is ready, they will pull the fiber to your site, connect the equipment, and perform thorough testing. If everything checks out, they’ll schedule a turn-up with you or your IT manager to get the service up and running. The beauty of this process is that there’s no downtime, as the new fiber service is installed parallel to your existing internet connection.
Timeframe and Benefits
In my experience, the entire dedicated fiber installation process typically takes around 60 days for most locations. However, this timeline can extend if additional network construction is required.
While the installation process for dedicated fiber might take longer compared to shared fiber, cable, DSL, or satellite internet, the benefits are well worth the wait. With dedicated fiber, you’ll enjoy superior bandwidth availability, uptime, latency, packet loss, and jitter – all crucial factors for supporting business applications at the highest level of quality of service (QoS).
Making the Switch
As a business owner who has gone through the process of installing dedicated fiber internet, I can confidently say it’s a game-changer. The reliability and performance improvements have had a noticeable impact on our productivity and ability to serve our customers better.
If your business relies heavily on internet connectivity for internal or cloud-based applications, investing in a dedicated fiber connection is a wise choice. By understanding the installation process and working closely with your fiber provider, you can ensure a smooth transition to this superior internet solution.