Get Ready for Fibre

To get the most out of the services that will become available over the Enable fibre connection, the cabling in your home needs to be able to handle very high speed communication.

Traditional copper telephone cabling won’t be suitable for extending the future fibre dependent services around your home.

In technical terms the cabling should support Ethernet services and would at least be compatible with the Cat5e cabling standards that all reputable cabling installers will be familiar with. 

Wiring in Existing Homes

In many cases you may not have to change the existing wiring in your home, especially if you just want to connect a computer or Wifi router to the fibre connection.

If you do have the opportunity to re-wire your existing home for high speed services, the Ethernet cabling should be run from a central location (or hub). This could also be the location where the new fibre service will come into your home. Cable in a star configuration to all the rooms you may want to have services like IP TV delivered. There should be a convenient 230v power source at the hub location because FTTH is delivered using an active electronic device.

It would pay to make sure your cabling installer can comply with the voluntary standards recommended by the Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF). These standards and a brochure on wiring for a smart home are available at TCF website.

Building a New Home

If you are building a new home, or if your company constructs homes, you have the ideal opportunity to prepare your home for fibre.

Bury a 25mm PVC conduit (at a depth of 300mm or more) from the front property boundary to the termination point inside the house. This will reduce cost and disruption when the fibre network is installed in your area. Any bends in the conduit should have a large radius, ideally of 1 metre or more so the cable can easily be pulled/pushed through from the street.

Fibre connections require power, therefore a power outlet should be installed at the point where the fibre terminates inside the house. This is where Enable will locate the fibre terminal equipment. This may also be the ideal point to locate a communications or media hub for the home. Ethernet Cat5e or better cabling should be run from the hub location to points around the home where telephony, computer, surveillance, control and TV services may be required.

Choose a qualified installer to avoid problems in the future. The installer should comply with standards recommended by the Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF). These standards and a brochure on wiring for a smart home are available at TCF website.