The key takeaways from Ultrafast Broadband (UFB) provisioning:
UFB orders with an existing ONT take roughly 48 hours to activate
New UFB orders where an ONT doesn’t exist are done on a best effort basis as no carrier SLA exists
Any and all listed site contacts MUST be located in NZ
Hyperfibre orders have the same stated lead times as UFB, however carriers may need to upgrade network elements, extending the lead times
If Fibre is already in place
Already got fibre in place? Jump to the new builds section.
Detail required to lodge order where fibre is already in place
UFB orders at locations where a fibre ONT (Optical Network Terminal) already exists are usually the simplest and quickest to process. Standard ONTs have four ports total, which can be configured with four independent services.
If livening up a secondary port on an existing ONT, the ONT serial number will be required, and this is typically found on a sticker either on the front or back of the ONT.
If churning an existing service from another provider, both the ONT serial number and the name of the losing provider name will be required.
It’s worth noting that, in our experience, churning a service from one provider to another has the potential to introduce a fair amount of risk. There will be guaranteed downtime as the service is re-provisioned to the new provider. Churns can only be initiated during business hours, meaning end users will face downtime as routers are reconfigured or routers are swapped out.
Reversing a churn is also quite complicated and very time-consuming, often leading to hours of downtime.
Our suggestion when changing providers is to liven up a secondary port on an ONT with Lightwire, and once provisioned, you can then manage the cutover at your leisure, and it will give you the ability to roll back in the off chance that something goes wrong.
Timelines
Timelines vary slightly between fibre carriers, but a good rule of thumb is to allow two full business days for a remote activation for an intact ONT.
This may take a few extra business days if choosing to churn from another provider, depending on the Carrier, as validation checks are performed to confirm the circuit matches the losing provider.
When you’ll receive updates
There are 3 major points throughout the provisioning process where you will receive updates from Lightwire.
- Order Acceptance – This is to acknowledge that the provisioning team has received your order and it is now underway
- RFS Confirmation – This is the important one, it contains all the relevant information you need to know to get your upcoming connection live, it will include information such as, the RFS (Ready for Service) date, the IP address(es) and authentication information (if required)
- Order Completion – This is to signify that the order is now complete with the Carrier, and your service is now ready to use.
Site Contact’s Experience
During the provisioning of an intact ONT order, the fibre carrier will not interact with the site contact at all. Therefore, the provisioning of the service is entirely remote, and no site access is required.
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UFB Provisioning for new builds
Detail required to lodge new build UFB order
New builds can be a lot more complex, and as a result, more information is needed to help see the order through to completion.
Simple Build – If the site in question already has fibre running to the building and only requires an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) installation, then only a few key details are required.
- Desired installation date (if applicable). As a rule of thumb we place orders with the carriers and set the installation date to be as soon as possible. However, if you need installation on a specific date, please let us know ahead of time.
- Site Contact Information (name, email address and phone number) of a person or people who are normally present on site. This person/people will be the point of contact for the fibre carrier’s field technicians and will be responsible for pointing out where the ONT should be installed. It’s worth noting that we are not able to use the contact details of someone based in Australia.
- Any health and safety or site induction information that may need to be completed prior to, or on the day of the technician’s arrival.
Complex Build – In the event of a complex build, where fibre has not yet been delivered to the building, the Carrier will need to first design and then build out the fibre infrastructure to the building before they can complete the ONT installation.
The design and build stages require sign-off from any parties that may be impacted by the work, which typically includes the landlord or building manager/owners.
So on top of the details listed above under the Simple Build section, the name, email address and phone number of the landlord or building manager/owner will also be required.
Timelines
For a simple build, the approximate lead time for installation is usually 2 – 3 weeks from the date of lodgement. During this time both a scope and installation visit may be scheduled depending on the work that is required.
The scoping appointment is usually set a week prior to the installation appointment, and during this visit the technician will identify the work that needs to be completed, the desired installation location of the ONT etc. Once the scope is complete, the installation date is confirmed, and the technician will return on this date to complete the installation.
Once installation is complete, the Carrier will usually close off the job within the next 12hrs marking it complete.
Complex builds almost always add an additional layer of complexity and the lead times are typically a lot longer, as a result it’s next to impossible to give an accurate lead time as each order is unique.
The design and build stages of a complex order can often take months to complete, especially if the work that needs to be undertaken will impact roads, shared driveways, or other nearby businesses or residents, as all impacted parties will need to agree to the works before anything can take place.
Once the Carrier has gained approval from all affected parties, work will then be scheduled to begin the build phase, the duration of this stage is entirely dependent on the complexity of the build. Once the build phase has been completed, a scope and installation appointment will then be booked in, which follows a very similar experience to the Simple Build process outlined above.
Site contacts experience
During a simple build order, the site contact can expect to receive a call or text message from the field technician, usually a day or two prior to an upcoming visit.
It’s extremely important that the site contact is not only aware of the work that is being done, but is also capable of instructing the field technician as to where the equipment should be installed.
The site contact will also be responsible for providing access to any communication cabinets, server rooms, or MDFs (Main Distribution Frame) within the building.
During a complex build order, the experience is much the same as a simple build, however, it may involve more visits from the technician as they scope and outline the design of the build.
When updates are received Similar to an intact order, there are 3 major points throughout the provisioning process where you will receive updates from Lightwire, however, given the nature of new builds, there will be a lot more ad-hoc communication between all parties.
So you will still receive the 3 main points of contact outlined below, but we will continue to relay information to you from the Carrier as we receive it.
- Order Acceptance – This is to acknowledge that the provisioning team has received your order and it is now underway
- RFS Confirmation – This is the important one, it contains all the relevant information you need to know to get your upcoming connection live, it will include information such as, the RFS (Ready for Service) date, the IP address(es) and authentication information (if required)
- Order Completion – This is to signify that the order is now complete with the Carrier and your service is now ready to use.
