How to get connected to fibre

We don’t sell broadband or landline plans directly. Instead, we work with phone and broadband providers to deliver fibre into homes and businesses across the country.

Here’s what you need to do to get connected:

Your chosen provider will guide you through ordering fibre, their monthly plans and charges, plus any other costs that may apply. They’ll process your order and send it to Chorus to carry out the installation work and get you connected.

Compare broadband provider plans

If you’re not sure where to begin or want to compare different providers’ plans and prices to find the best fit, we recommend Broadband Compare.

Move your landline to fibre

If you want a landline phone service over fibre, make sure you request integrated wiring. This is free and ensures your home wiring is optimal for phone service over fibre.

Once we have your fibre order, we’ll be in touch to arrange an appointment with a Chorus technician. Someone who can make decisions for your property will need to be at your place for your installation appointment. They’ll be asked to sign an agreement plan with our technician and they’ll also need to be available for our technician to talk to, should anything need to change.

Renting? Get your landlord's permission

If you rent, you also need your landlord's permission before we can install fibre at your place. Landlords have limited grounds for refusing a tenant’s request for fibre under the Residential Tenancies Act. You can find more help on the Government's Tenancy Services website.

Planning the work with the technician

At the installation appointment, our technician will talk you through the work that’s required to upgrade your place to fibre. There are a few different ways we can do this – our technician will recommend the best method for your property.

Here are the different methods we use to install fibre:

Aerial

Fed overhead from a power pole to the outside of your house.

Underground

Through existing pipe or duct running from the street to your house.

If the underground pipe is blocked or unusable, our technician will make a recommendation from the following options:

Slot trenching

Cutting a small slot (approximately 10mm wide and 30 – 40mm deep) into a hard surface e.g. concrete. The slot is then filled to maintain the surface.

Trenching in soft surface

Digging a shallow 200mm deep trench in soft surface e.g. grass. We will leave the property tidy, returning it to the way we found it as quickly and accurately as we can.

Surface mounted cable

Attached to a fence, retaining wall or along a driveway.

During your appointment, our technician will bring the fibre from the network in your street to a small box installed on the outside of your house called an external termination point (ETP). The fibre will then be taken from the ETP to another small box (called the optical network terminal or ONT) inside your house.

Deciding where the ONT will go

Think about where you’d like your ONT installed so you can let our technician know. The ONT is what your modem plugs into so where it lives in your home can affect the quality of your broadband or phone experience. For broadband, we recommend placing it in the living room, near your TV. For landline service, our technician will install the ONT near an existing phone jack. This will connect to all other phone jacks in the house. Your first choice of location may not be possible, but you do have a say.

Testing and finishing the installation

Once the fibre equipment has been installed, our technician will check everything is working. Then if your fibre plan is active, you can simply connect your modem to the ONT and enjoy your new fibre broadband and landline connection. If you have already received a modem from your provider, our technician will be able to assist you with this step.

To connect properties like apartments, units, and those that share driveways to our fibre network, we have to do some build work in areas that are shared by multiple residents. Depending on the work we need to do, we may need consent from a third party, like a landlord, body corporate or neighbour who has a shared interest in your property.

If we are unable to gain consent, we may have to cancel your fibre order. If this happens and you disagree with our decision, we have a third party disputes resolution process available where you may be able to take the matter further. 

If you’ve received a first notice and order a fibre service, then we must install fibre within a reasonable timeframe, and (in most circumstances) at no cost to you. If this does not happen, we cannot withdraw copper unless:

• We have made at least three attempts to confirm an appointment for connection and
• You haven’t co-operated with the process of getting connected.
• If a third party like your landlord or neighbour (for shared driveway work) withholds consent and prevents a fibre install, we’ll advise what steps might be available to you. We can’t withdraw copper if you take reasonable steps available to resolve the issue, but we can withdraw it if you don’t take those steps.