Joe Goss MIRPM, Enterprise Sales Executive at Fixflo, walks us through the process for upgrading the internet service for your block.

High-speed Internet is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. Ofcom data says that during the height of national lockdown in April, UK adults spent an average of a quarter of their waking day online. Internet usage has been so heavy over the pandemic period that for three weeks of August, weekly outage numbers at Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were the highest they’ve ever been this year. Leaseholders expect good Internet connections and any disruptions are going to be felt and displeasures noted.

For much of the UK, good broadband still amounts to a postcode lottery, with the fastest fibre optic broadband currently only available to around 14% of households, so if you receive a flyer or letter advising you that fibre optic broadband is available in your area, consider the difference this can make for your building’s residents. Although it may be at the bottom of your priorities, future-proofing your building’s Internet connection can increase its value and enhance the satisfaction of your residents. It could also serve to help facilitate equipment like smart notice boards and digital site-based working tools.

Who Pays for Internet Installations?

The good news is that private and government investment means that joining a full fibre optic network shouldn’t cost your leaseholders a penny. 

Openreach, a division of British Telecom and the UK’s biggest provider, is incrementally rolling out their cabling to different areas of the country. If your building is in an area they are providing full fibre to then they will often be able to connect you free of charge. Similarly, Virgin says that all costs will be met by them. 

If there are any costs involved with fitting, you will be told this when the cable provider draws up its proposal.

Residents should be informed that they are under no obligation to use the fibre optic service, and, as the cabling is brought into the building and not individual homes, if they wish to be connected they can choose a service provider for themselves and arrange an installation.

Even though leaseholders should not have to pay anything, you should still consult them as the work required to fit the cabling may be disruptive. 

Communicating the fact that they will have the option of better internet and that it won’t inflate their service charge bill will help you obtain permission.

Know Your Fibres

There are actually two types of fibre optic connection: FTTC (‘fibre to the cabinet’) and FTTP (‘fibre to the premises’). 

Most providers offer FTTC, while FTTP is only available in certain areas of the country and through certain companies. 

FTTC uses fibre optic cables to deliver broadband from the exchange to the telephone cabinet on the building’s street. Standard copper cables take the broadband to residents’ homes, meaning that although it’s faster than traditional ADSL broadband, speed and signal strength can be affected depending on how far they are from the cabinet. Your block will likely have this already as around 95% of households in the UK do.

FTTP, also known as full fibre, does not suffer from loss of signal strength or speed because fibre optic cables are used to carry the signal the entire way from the exchange to the home. Although it may require some work to fit, full fibre broadband can be thought of as an investment for the future and a way to future-proof your building for the greater speeds that will be required as demands on bandwidth increase.

The Upgrade Process

The upgrade process is not as complex as it might sound and should in most cases consist of the following steps:

• Initial Contact

If you are thinking of upgrading your building’s broadband connection, you’ll likely have heard from cable companies already to inform you that full fibre is available in your neighbourhood, or residents themselves may have contacted you to push it up the agenda. If not, you can always head to a provider’s website to check availability, then contact them to express your interest. You’ll be able to set up an initial meeting to discuss the benefits and what’s available in your area.

• Reaching Out to Clients

If you have decided to go with an upgrade, you’ll next need to pitch the idea to your clients be they Freeholder, Residents’ Management Company or Right to Manage Company directors or Residents’ Committee representatives. 

Present it at your next meeting as part of the quarter’s agenda. Make the case for it as a no-cost investment for the future and an effective way to raise the value of their property. Faster Internet can also provide benefits for on-premises features such as CCTV download speeds and Internet of Things (IoT) data devices.

• Feasibility Study

Next, the cable company will want to carry out a site visit with a surveyor to establish feasibility. Depending on build or conversion date, the surveyor will need to be provided with relevant documents such as the building’s asbestos management plan and site plans. 

They will also need full access to the building, so you or a representative should be there to meet them for access to comms room(s) and riser cupboards. In most cases the survey should not take more than a day and will often take much less time than this.

• Findings

Following this survey, the surveyor will produce a proposal detailing their suggested solution for cabling and explaining any works required. 

Communicate with your client these findings and what the suggested solution is. Consider the work required, including what will be disturbed and any making-good works needed to correct any aesthetic defects which occur during the fitting.

• Communications Plan

Before you inform the cable provider you’ve been given the go-ahead, you’ll need a strong communications plan. Think about the stakeholders you need to communicate with: residents, absent landlords, building managers/concierge/caretakers, and what they will need to know and do by when.

• Wayleave Agreement

Once you’re happy with the proposal, the cable company will require the signing of a wayleave agreement – a formal agreement made between the land or property owner and the company which gives them permission to run their cables and install their equipment. This should be given to whoever represents the freeholder or landlord to sign.

• Scheduling the Works

With the wayleave agreement signed, your chosen cable company will work with you to agree plans for when they will carry out the works. 

You may want to schedule the job at the same time as other refurbishments to the block to minimise disruption. If more urgent works and safety inspections are on the horizon, these should be prioritised. Don’t forget to factor in COVID measures. All work done will need to follow relevant guidelines. You may want to seek reassurance on this from the provider.

Note that any work which is carried out to riser cupboards or ceiling voids should be flagged to whoever carries out the next fire risk assessment as there will have been material changes.

• Keeping Residents Updated

Use a CRM or repair and maintenance system to inform your residents of when scheduled works will start and what they can expect, whether it’s noise, limited access to areas of the building or Internet downtime. 

Fixflo lets you schedule maintenance tasks ahead of time and send out notifications to all residents so they’re kept in the loop. Find out more about our specialist block management software solutions here.