Learn more about what happens on our end after you sign up for GFiber.
In most cases, one of the last stages of construction is performing what we call a “fiber drop.” We’ll run a fiber optic cable from the street to your building and attach a small box called a Network Interface Unit (NIU) to an outside wall. The NIU connects our fiber network to your building. When this is done, you'll be all set to have GFiber installed inside your business.
In this article, you’ll find more details about what you can expect during this stage of the installation process. Visit this article to learn how we bring GFiber to your home.
1. We’ll install an NIU on the outside of your building
To prepare your business for your installation appointment, our technicians will bring fiber cables from our existing network to the side of each property that has signed up for GFiber service. (You don’t make a separate appointment for this part of the installation. We take care of this in advance.)
When we arrive to perform this “fiber drop,” we’ll knock on your door or enter your lobby to let you know that we’re working on your property. If you aren’t at your business, we’ll still perform a fiber drop. (You don’t need to be physically present for this step, by the way).
Next, our technicians will attach an NIU to the side of your building, typically next to your existing utilities. It’s roughly 6-7 inches tall by 7-8 inches wide, and 2 inches deep.
If there are utility poles near your business, our technicians will usually follow the existing electrical drop path and bring fiber optic internet from the pole to the NIU. If there are existing utilities underground on your property, they’ll usually bury the fiber cable underground by digging a trench from our existing network to the NIU.
2. We’ll contact you to schedule an in-building installation
In some cases, we attach the NIU to the side of your property on the same day as your in-building installation. However, we'll usually wait until after the NIU is attached before we notify you that you're ready to have GFiber installed inside your business.
Heads up that there may be some time after we install GFiber on the outside of your building before the installation inside the building. But no need to worry about next steps — we’ll contact you and ask you to schedule your installation appointment as soon as everything’s ready for the final installation.
You can learn more about preparing for your in-building installation here.
3. We’ll install GFiber inside your building
After you’ve scheduled your installation, a technician will give you a call within 24 hours of your appointment start time. Once they arrive, they’ll start by installing a Fiber Jack inside your building (this is where GFiber’s fiber optic signal comes through the NIU to the Fiber Jack and into your business).
Next, the technician will install any other devices that come with your GFiber service plan (like phone equipment or Mesh Extenders), show you how to use them, and make sure everything is working smoothly. Our technicians follow a signature Quality of Experience checklist and conduct extensive validation to make sure your network is configured and performing at its best.
As soon as your installation is complete, you can start enjoying GFiber!