Home Support Centre Consent & Access Category 2 build methods

Category 2 build methods

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.