If you can get both at your address then you should consider fibre. It uses fibre optic cabling instead of copper which means the speeds are more consistent and faster. Fibre is a little trickier to install than VSDL, but it’s worth it. Our UnicomNZ staff will help you out all the way.

Broadband is not available in all areas. Factors such as distance from our equipment or the network's capacity, means we may be unable to deliver UnicomNZ Broadband to a specific address.

Sometimes further checks are required before we can know if you can get UnicomNZ Broadband. In some situations, for example with complex Fibre installations, we will not be able to confirm whether you can get UnicomNZ Broadband until we, our contractors or agents have commenced installation. For this reason and the other reasons set out here we do not guarantee service until installation is complete and your connection line has been tested.

When Chrous receive your order for fibre from us, they may need to seek consent from some parties before getting you hooked up to fibre.

If your property is accessed by a shared driveway or you live in an apartment or gated community administered by a body corporate, consent is needed for fibre installation. If it’s a shared driveway, Chorus need consent from your neighbours. And if you rent or your neighbours rent, approval must be sought by the property owner before installation can go ahead.

If your property is administered by a body corporate, Chorus will contact them directly to manage the necessary consents.

ADSL (Asymmetric digital subscriber line ) is a type of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology.

ADSL broadband is the most common broadband in NZ homes. It's fast, reliable, available in most places and can be bundled with a home calling line.

ADSL has been the standard in NZ for a long time and, depending on the quality of your lines, gives download speeds of up to 24Mb/s and upload speeds of 1Mb/s. The national average is about 10Mb/s download and 1Mb/s upload. This is plenty for the basics like emailing, surfing the net and checking social networks.

VDSL (Very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line) is a digital subscriber line (DSL) technology providing data transmission faster than asymmetric digital subscriber line(ADSL) over a single flat untwisted or twisted pair of copper wires.

Both technologies use the copper line network (like a traditional home phone line).

Fibre is the newest technology and uses fibre optic cables.

You might have to be around if a technician has to install the phone line, or broadband. Either way, we'll let you know before they arrive. For fibre installation, you'd better be there.

It’s easy! When you order VDSL we offer a standard connection similar to ADSL. Please note you will still need a compatible modem to receive the full benefit of VDSL.

We have a range of VDSL plans and when you sign up to a 12 month contract standard installation and a top-spec modem is free lease too.

If your alarm is monitored through the copper phone line then you'll need to install a splitter. This will stop your broadband interfering with your alarm. If you are installing Wireless Broadband then you will need to contact your provider to swap your alarm to a wireless model which doesn't require a copper landline. Alternatively you can upgrade to fully wireless monitoring with your alarm company.

If you’re an existing UnicomNZ broadband customer, you will need to take your modem with you when you move unless you are upgrading to a new technology.If you’re new to UnicomNZ, you’ll get a free lease modem with a 12 month contract.

The more notice the better. But even with lots of warning, be aware that sometimes we can't guarantee connect you on a specific day. The people who lived there before you might not have moved their services.

Stated speeds are theoretical maximums, and actual speed will be affected by various factors including NZ and overseas networks, your modem, device technology including WFi capability, internal home wiring and other environmental factors. You can find out more about broadband speed here.

Give us notice as soon as you have decided to move that you are moving your UnicomNZ broadband or home phone and we’ll let you know if there are any issues.

Please call Chorus on 0800 463 896 ( 24 hours a day) to report any suspected damage to Chorus network.

Chorus outages map shows an indicative affected area around each identified network outage. This should give you an idea of whether your property will be impacted by the outage but it may be subject to change and additional properties may also be affected.

https://www.chorus.co.nz/outages

If you would like more information or need to log a fault please contact us.

Why? This will often re-establish your Internet connection.

How?

Unplug the modem power cable from the power point

Ensure lights have all turned off

Reconnect the modem power cable to the power point

Wait 5 minutes then check which modem lights have come on and are solid green.

If the Broadband light is on, you have a broadband signal

Outages can be caused by a number of factors; some are easy to identify and can be resolved remotely while others need additional investigation and may involve dispatching a technician to the site of the outage. If a cable is damaged, the exact location needs to be identified.

In some cases it may be underground, under a road or public access. These may require excavation in order to access the damage and in some instances the restoration may require permits or road traffic management for technician and public safety.

Is your broadband humming away in the lounge but a bit slow in the bedroom or home office? It may be that your WiFi needs a boost.

1. You have a large or odd shaped house

A normal modem will generally cover an area is standard. However, your modem will distribute a signal evenly from wherever it’s located, there may be rooms that get a weaker signal.

2. You have solid internal walls

If your home’s internal walls are brick or concrete, that’s kryptonite for WiFi as the signal will struggle to transmit through the solid structures.

3. Your primary modem is away from the action

We generally recommend you have your modem installed near your entertainment units so you can connect Internet-heavy devices like your television straight into your modem.

4. You want to use your broadband connection outside

UnicomNZ provide our customers better Wi-Fi solutions by our professional technicians.

WiFi is the wireless network your computer, tablet or mobile uses to connect to the internet. If you have a UnicomNZ modem, it's set up with a password to keep your WiFi connection secure. This stops people from connecting to your network and using your data.

The age of your modem. Older modems could reduce your WiFi speed. That said, WiFi is not always improved by the quality or the cost of your modem.

Your internet connection speed. WiFi can't run faster than the speed your modem gets data from the internet.

The number of devices you have connected. If you've got an ADSL connection, your WiFi speed can slow down when several devices are online at the same time.

Stated speeds are theoretical maximums, and actual speed will be affected by various factors including NZ and overseas networks, your modem, device technology including WFi capability, internal home wiring and other environmental factors. You can find out more about broadband speed here.

1. Ensure that Wi-Fi is enabled on your modem or router. It should be on by default but it pays to be sure.

2. Make sure you are using the correct Wi-Fi SSID (Service Station Identifier or network name). Sometimes, routers do not broadcast their SSID publicly, so you need to be sure you are entering it correctly. If you cannot see the wireless network publicly, ask the owner of the device for the SSID and security key. You will then need to configure the wireless network manually.

3. Check if the Wireless network is turned on on the device you are using.

4. If you are using a phone, make sure Wi-Fi is enabled in the phone settings. If you are using a USB Wi-Fi dongle, make sure it is plugged in properly and that computer is recognizing the device and that all drivers are up to date.

5. Try to get closer to the router or access point. They have a limited range and each wall or obstruction the signal has to pass through to get to your device weakens the signal output.

6. Restart the router, modem or access point. Sometimes even though the internet connection is still functioning, the modem may need to be restarted to get your Wi-Fi network working again.

7. Check that your Wi-Fi adapter is set to obtain Default Gateway and DNS settings automatically. If you are using a device provided by your employer these settings may be configured statically to allow you to connect to an office network. You should check with your work IT team before making any changes here as it could cause issues when you are back at the office.

8. Ensure you have all the latest drivers for your Wi-Fi adapter and computer or mobile device.

Whichever connection you choose for your home, there’s lots of things that can impact your internet speed. Many of those things are within your control. Broadband performance is impacted by nine key factors, either by themselves or in a combination. We all desire the fastest, most consistent speeds possible, so ensure you address each of these if your broadband performance is compromised.

Distance

If you’re on the copper network, the further away you are from the cabinet or exchange, the slower your broadband speed. We can deliver VDSL services over the copper network within approximately 800m of the cabinet; ADSL 2+ within two kilometres of the cabinet and ADSL within six kilometres of the cabinet;

Fibre broadband is not affected by distance.

Capacity

Also known as congestion, broadband capacity is affected by the number of people online. The time of day you use the Internet can affect your broadband speed – we see the traffic on our network peak in the afternoon when school finishes and at the end of the work day.

Broadband plan

If your speed drops suddenly and you’ve been downloading lots of content, you may have exceeded the data limit attached to your plan. Increasing your data allocation or switching to an uncapped plan will fix this.

Your modem

If your modem is five years or older this could be affecting your broadband performance. Like all technology, age is a factor, so it is best to upgrade modems every few years.

Your modem needs to be compatible with your broadband package. Some modems can only reach maximum speeds of 100, 200 or 500Mbps.

Wiring

Poor or aged wiring is one of the leading causes of broadband speed issues. If your wiring has not been looked at for a number of years, it’s likely that the wiring and jack points in your property were installed to deliver a good phone service rather than high speed broadband. Filters can be added to your jack points to improve broadband speed.

Hardware and software

Old computers and software can affect your broadband performance and slow things down. Ensure you regularly;

Update the internet browser

Clean out old software you no longer use

Use less memory-heavy software while browsing

Delete cookies and browser history

Update your security software

Copper quality

The quality of the copper line delivering your broadband can affect speed. Your broadband provider will be able to investigate and confirm the quality of your line using diagnostic tools.

Measure the download and upload speeds of your internet by taking this test:

http://www.speedtest.net/

For best results:

Use the Speedtest.net application. This is the most accurate way to test the connection.

Close all background apps and any open browsers or tabs. Only have one computer, tablet or mobile connected to the internet when doing a speed test.

If you're using your computer you should ideally connect using an Ethernet cable. On a wireless modem the speed can be reduced, particularly for devices that are further away from the modem.

The Ethernet cables should be of good quality for fast internet connections. Note that CAT-5e should be able to carry 1000Mbps, but the CAT-6 is more reliable over a longer distance.

If the device you're using is connected by an Ethernet cable you can turn off the WiFi to stop other devices connecting. This is done by holding down the WLAN button for 10 seconds. Just remember to turn back on after the test. Choose your nearest UnicomNZ server from the menu.

Repeat the test a couple of times to get an average speed.

Actual speeds differ due to networks, and the computer or modem you're using. Your home wiring can also impact internet speed.

Speeds vary based on how many people are on the network at the same time, both in your house and in general. Your distance from your nearest internet server would also impact the internet speed.

Connecting straight to your modem using ethernet wiring provides the fastest connection speed.

Flashing lights is a good sign. It means data is travelling through your connection into your device. If there are no lights, or they appear static in a “on” capacity, try restarting your router to see if this may improve your connection.

Be cautious about giving out your personal information over the internet.

Don't give out your full name online. Use a nickname instead. Check the security policies of online shopping websites.

Use chat sites or forums that have a moderator. Moderators are able to remove people who cause problems in the forum. Beware of trolls. They are people who will go out of their way to try to get an angry reaction out of others on the internet. Don't engage with them.

Report spam, online abuse, see more information below.

Use a high-spec modem and a high-spec laptop or computer. Keep your browser up to date.

Make sure you're using up-to-date antivirus software. Viruses can slow your internet down.

Check your data usage. You may go back to dial-up speed for the rest of your billing month if you reach your monthly data allowance.

If the broadband seems slow, reset the modem by turning it off for a couple of minutes, then turning it on again.

Here's what to do when you often find yourself having to restart your computer or wireless router to "fix" the wireless connection:

1. Reboot your router. 2. Try to get as close as possible to the Wi-Fi router or access point. Line-of-sight is always best but if that isn't possible, try removing any obstructions around the device. If at all possible try to move your router to the most central part of your house – a meter off the ground at least. In my experience I find eye-level is best.

3. Eliminate sources of interference. The most common cause of interference is cordless phones, sat right next to the router. They are notorious for interfering with your Wi-Fi signal so make absolutely sure the base unit for your cordless phone is as far away as possible from your router. Other appliances (such as microwaves) can also cause problems if they are very close to your router. Even having your modem near a plasma TV is a really bad idea.

4. Change the Wireless channel. If you live in an apartment building, chances are there are loads of people around you broadcasting Wi-Fi networks, amongst other things. Your best bet is to find which channel will give you the best performance.

5. Get a Wireless Access Point. These devices extend the range and signal output of your Wireless network considerably and will increase performance dramatically especially if you have a large house or cement/brick walls.

6. Try a different router to see if you experience the same issue. Sometimes there’s just nothing for it and replacing the router is the only answer.

WiFi

Connecting a number of devices to your WiFi simultaneously can slow your broadband speed if you have limited capacity. Your proximity to the WiFi device can also have an impact.

The other end of the line

One factor out of your control is who you are connecting to and how they are connected. International connections, the capacity of their line and the content you are accessing, can all affect the quality of your broadband experience.

Technology

GPON technology uses a light signal to transmit data over a fibre optic cable to and from your house. It provides ultra-fast and ultra-consistent speeds because light signals are not impacted by distance or interference.

ADSL and VDSL technology use an electrical signal to transmit data over a copper cable to and from your home. The speed is impacted by both distance and interference. VDSL is a newer technology and provides much faster speeds than ADSL.

Your home WiFi

The age and layout of your WiFi can affect the experience you have when accessing the Internet using your home WiFi network. You should also make sure your modem is positioned where you are using your Internet the most. Larger houses may need WiFi extenders which boost your signal to ensure you have an optimal experience no matter where in the house you are. Your electronics retailer will be able to give you advice here.

A wired connection correctly installed will provide a more consistent and faster internet experience.

Your device

If the hardware or operating system on the smartphone, tablet or computer you’re using are older, they could have trouble processing high-speed broadband. Check that your computers, laptops and smart devices have the capacity for ultra-fast broadband technology and have updated software and protection against viruses or malware. There’s heaps of info online or your friendly electronics retailer can provide guidance here.

How information travels

The sites that you are connecting to might not be able to respond at the same rate as your broadband. If you’re connecting to a website, their server could slow you down based on where in the world it’s located and the technology that site is using, even if your broadband connection is top notch.

When you receive your first UnicomNZ bill, there may be a few charges that you're wondering about: UnicomNZ charges for services a month in advance. This means your first bill will have a full month's charge from your bill’s start date. You'll also get a pro-rata charge (one-off) from your connection date up to your billing start date. If you change, cancel or add a service, you may get a pro-rata charge. If you signed up to a plan with a special offer, your bill will show the value of that offer. You'll receive a credit on your account for this value.

Go to contact us page.

December 2018

Dear all customer,

Christmas and the New Year are fast coming!!!

We appreciate your support for soon leaving year of 2018. Ourteam has become more efficient and productive than before, and thanks to you Unicom New Zealand & Smartcall Ltd is now one of the leading companies in this industry.

Lots of goals have been achieved this year and we built our own milestones from all the way back. Exciting things happened one after another, cannot wait for the coming year full of opportunities.

We would like to let you know that based on our key supply partners' schedule, UnicomNZ & Smartcall Ltd will be in blackout period during 21 December 2018 to 06 January 2019.

● Our office is closed during: 25/12/2018 to 26/12/2018; 29/12/2018 to 02/01/2019;

● We will have an on-call facility available via our main contact phone number 0800 600 660 or 0800 588 880.

● On-duty time is 24/12/2018, 27/12/2018 to 28/12/2018, 31/12/2018 and 03/01/2019 to 04/01/2019.

Other than that, please DO enjoy the summer time and happy holidays!

Merry Christmas from us all at UnicomNZ & Smartcall Ltd. Wishing you a peaceful and festive Christmas season.

Many thanks and kind regards,

UnicomNZ&Smartcall Limited

If the work they’re doing has been classed by Chorus as category 1 or category 2, you will have received notice of the work including an approximate time frame of when work would begin. Under the Telecommunications Act, consent is only required for category 3 builds. If you believe the work at your property was classed as category 3 but you haven’t provided consent, please contact us.

Fibre is the best broadband available on our network, delivering the fastest speeds. A dedicated and consistently reliable connection means everyone can do what they want, when they want, without interruption. Both copper - which you will have traditionally used to get online - and fibre provide a dedicated fixed line to your house - they just use different technology to do it. Copper transmits data via electrical signals while fibre sends data as pulses of light.

Fibre performance doesn’t degrade over distance, so your broadband speed is consistent no matter how near or far your home or business is located from the exchange or cabinet. With fibre plans of 100Mbps or more, you can use multiple devices simultaneously to watch, listen, play, post, work and chat all at the same time without any loss of quality or buffering.

Because it’s a new technology, home and medical alarms that run over your older copper phone line can be affected when you upgrade to fibre. If you have alarm services, let us know so Chorus can take the right steps to keep them working when you switch from copper to fibre.

Along with other infrastructure developers, Chorus works with the Government and other partners to undertake the huge task of laying fibre the length and breadth of the country. The Government policy for the rollout was to get schools, hospitals and business areas connected first, then factors such as projects already underway, existing infrastructure, geology and topography and local planning rules all need to be considered to get fibre to kiwi homes and businesses as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Whether your building consists of two dwellings or twenty, there’s some work we need to do in shared areas of the property so you and your neighbours can connect to fibre.

If you live in a multi-dwelling unit or right-of-way, and you or one of your neighbours has ordered fibre, you will have received a notification pack from us outlining the work we need to do, including build methods, to bring fibre from the street and along your driveway or through your building.

For category 2, the following build methods are used.

Surface mounting to buildings

We may need to mount fibre cable, housed within a protective pipe, along with other equipment to the side of a building in order to reach all units. The pipe can be painted to help conceal it.

Micro trench

For hard surfaces, such as concrete driveways, we can use machinery to cut a thin, shallow trench (no wider than 15mm) and bury our fibre cable. We aim for the most direct route and take into account other utilities and ground features. As an option, trenching is dependent on your location, condition and type of hard surface and where other underground utilities on your property are located.

Limited hard surface

Hard surfaces include things like concrete or asphalt driveways and paths. The area disturbed by the work is limited to a maximum of four square metres for each dwelling on the property, a maximum length of three metres, and the width must not be more than 30% of the width of the driveway.

Ancillary pillars

Occasionally we need to install a fibre distribution point in a shared driveway. This won’t block access to the driveway and will be less than one metre high.

Building distribution

Sometimes we need to install a fibre distribution point in a building so tenants can connect to our fibre network. These will be located somewhere out of the way so they don’t interfere with your day-to-day use of the property.

Cabling in/around buildings

In some multi-dwelling units, we may need to install equipment or cabling using concealed areas like risers, false ceilings, within communications rooms, or attached to ceilings or walls in internal common areas like entryways or hallways.

Building penetrations

To bring the fibre cabling from the outside of a building to the inside, or from one internal area to another, we may need to go through interior and exterior walls or floors. Please note that this type of work will be in common areas only.

To connect properties such as apartments or units to our fibre network, we have to do some build work in areas that are shared by multiple residents. We need to notify your neighbours of this planned work and, in some instances, we may need them to give consent before getting started.

What's the process?

A fibre order triggers the process. First we visit the property to determine what work needs to be completed in common areas to bring our fibre network from the street to your building. Each job is then categorised according to its level of impact.

We'll send a notification pack to all residents in the building, letting them know what category the work is and how we plan on completing it. In some instances, we will require consent before we can begin.

Pre-consenting

Pre-consenting means there is reduced lag time between when we receive an order for fibre at your property and when we can start the installation. Typically the install process is triggered by an order being placed, then consents being sought. Only when consents have been received can the installation process begin. However, by pre-consenting your building before an order is placed, we can save time and move more quickly onto the installation.

Your TV aerial, meter box, or the kitchen sink – there are just some things you wouldn’t take with you when you move house and your fibre equipment is no different.

Every month we get hundreds of requests from people who have moved into a new place only to find frustratingly that the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) box that makes your fibre connection work is missing its power cable.

James Ray from Chorus’ customer services team, says the number of requests for ONT power cables has doubled in the past year with up to 1,000 a month.

“We’re seeing more and more people taking the ONT power cable with them when they move out of a property. This leaves new tenants or home owners, who are keen to connect to fibre straight away, having to request a new power cable before they can get their broadband up and running. These power cables really do belong with the ONTs as they are unable to be used with other devices.

“In some instances, people have even taken the entire ONT with them, which means new tenants have to organise getting a new one installed. Fibre broadband is a utility so this would be a bit like taking the water meter or power switchboard with you when you move out,” says James.

So next time you’re moving house, leave your ONT and its power cable behind. They belong together. It’s one less thing to pack and no doubt the new tenants will thank you for it.

The installation process starts when you place an order for fibre with us - your broadband provider. Then, Chorus begin their ABC installation process – ABC stands for agree, build and connect. However, every property is unique, so the steps involve in getting you connected may vary. Once Chorus have your order, we can discuss the installation process specific to your place in more detail.
Agree
When Chorus receive the order from your broadband provider, they’ll get in touch to arrange for a Chorus technician to meet with you at your house to talk you through the work required and agree on your installation plan.
The initial meeting with a Chorus technician takes approximately an hour. Any work that needs to be completed both inside and out on your property will be noted on an agreement form completed by your Chorus technician which you’ll be asked to sign.
This agreement covers what they need to do to get the fibre from the road to the outside of the house and where Chorus will install your fibre equipment inside the property. Chorus technician will also discuss the build and connect components of the install with you.
Build
Next Chorus build fibre from the road to your house. You don’t need to be at home for this but it helps if you are contactable by phone, just in case they do need to make any changes to what was agreed. They builds the fibre from the street to your property and connect it to a small box installed on the outside of your house called an external termination point (ETP).
If your existing copper phone line is connected by aerial cable or an underground pipe, they usually install your fibre cable in the same way. If that’s not possible Chorus will recommend another option.
Connect
Once they have built the fibre to the outside of your house, it’s on to getting you connected. You will need to be home for up to four hours for this visit as they bring the fibre from the outside of the house, inside.
Their technician will take the fibre from the ETP that they installed outside your house earlier, and connect it to another small box called an optical network terminal (ONT) inside your house. This is what your modem connects to.
The technician will complete the internal wiring and installation of the new fibre equipment in the agreed position as well as testing it before leaving.

To connect properties in shared driveways or private roads to our fibre network, we have to do some build work in areas that are shared by multiple residents. We need to notify your neighbours of this planned work and, in some instances, we may need them to give consent before getting started.

What's the process?

A fibre order triggers the process. First we visit the property to determine what work needs to be completed in common areas to bring our fibre network down the shared driveway. Each job is then categorised according to its level of impact.

We'll send a notification pack to all residents in the shared driveway, letting them know what category the work is and how we plan on completing it. In some instances, we will require consent before we can begin.

Whether your building consists of two dwellings or twenty, there’s some work we need to do in shared areas of the property so you and your neighbours can connect to fibre.

If you live in a multi-dwelling unit or shared driveway and you or one of your neighbours has ordered fibre, you will have received a notification pack from us outlining the work we’ll do, including build methods, to bring fibre from the street to your building. Find out more about the category 1 build methods below.

Possible build methods

Soft surface

If the route from your street to your property is a soft surface like grass, dirt or gravel, we can bury our fibre cable. We dig a shallow trench by hand with a spade or saw and lay our fibre cable in the trench.

We restore any surface we've disturbed with the same material and include grass seed in grassy areas. We do try to keep the turf and replace after we've finished. This example shows a where fibre has been placed within a micro trench on the driveway, leading into the grass.

Surface mounting to fences

If there's a suitable surface such as a driveway edge, footpath, curbing, retaining wall or structurally sound fence from your street to your property, we can mount our fibre cable to that surface, minimising the digging needed for your install.

We aim to hide the cable by mounting it at the base of the fence or under the fence rail. As fibre cable is very light, it won't cause any weight-bearing issues on a fence. It can be unscrewed and remounted if you're replacing the fence and can also be painted to conceal it.

Sometimes we'll surface mount our fibre cable inside a pipe where there's a risk of impact or more protection needed.

Lift/lay paving stones

Similar to the method used for soft surfaces, we can lift paving stones and shallow bury the fibre cable in the ground underneath before relaying the pavers. The paving stones will not be cut if this method is used.

Aerial

If your copper phone and broadband services are delivered via an aerial cable, we may be able to bring our fibre cable in the same way. If your property has an aerial cable for power, then we may be able to install our fibre cable underneath the power cable.

Existing duct

If your copper phone and broadband services are currently connected via an existing underground pipe to your property and it's usable, we'll dig at each end of the pipe and pull our fibre cable through. This work is carried out on soft surfaces only such as grass or dirt.

When Chorus receive your order for fibre from us, they may need to seek consent from some parties before getting you hooked up to fibre. If your property is in a shared driveway, or in a building with multiple units like an apartment building or office block, they will need consent from your neighbours or body corporate before starting work. If you rent or your neighbours rent, approval must also be received from the property owner before installation can go ahead.

Fibre provides a reliable, consistent experience even at the busiest time of day. With a dedicated line just for you, it isn’t just about getting things done online much faster. It’s about multiple people being able to do everything they like online, all at the same time.

1. Reliability

Fibre provides a great experience with consistent speeds and no buffering even at the busiest time of day.

2. Capacity

Dedicated capacity for multiple devices to watch, listen, play, post, work, and chat all at the same time, without any loss of quality.

3. Fastest speeds

The faster your connection, the faster data moves through it. Which means you can do more in a shorter space of time.

Laying fibre in your street

When it’s your street’s turn Chorus will let you know when fibre is coming, when you can connect and how to get connected.

A few weeks before Chorus begin work, you will receive a mailer from them letting you know more about the work they'll be doing and what to expect while they are working in your street. A second letter will be sent letting you know when work will begin closer to the start date. You will also notice street signs communicating start and target completion dates. After Chorus have finished building the network in your street, they'll let you know when it’s time to contact us - your broadband service provider and switch to fibre.

The process starts by getting the fibre from the exchange to your street – Chorus aim to use existing underground pipes or telephone poles where possible. They may need to dig or drill along your street to install smaller microducts, which they use to blow the fibre through to connect your property.

If you live in a multi-dwelling unit or right-of-way, and you or one of your neighbours has ordered fibre, you will have received a consent pack from us outlining the work we need to do, including build methods, to bring fibre from the street and along your driveway or through your building.

For category 3, the following build methods are used.

Extensive hard surface

This includes any hard surface work (concrete or asphalt) that will cover an area greater than four square metres per dwelling on the property, longer than three metres, and covering more than 30% of the width of a driveway. This also include any occasions where multiple areas next to each other require reinstatement once the build work is complete.

Chorus will visit each property to assess what work they need to do in shared property areas to get fibre connected. Each job is then placed in category 1, 2, or 3 depending on the level of impact the work is likely to have.