Guidelines for fibre installation
There is no law that regulates exactly how a fiber connection should be made. But as a consumer, it can be good to know that there are guidelines within the industry.
Page summary
Fiber connections lack statutory regulations, but there are industry guidelines to ensure robust and reliable networks, such as through the Robust Fiber certification. The fiber can be buried underground or run via poles and requires technical precision and permits. The placement of the media box affects the quality of Wi-Fi. Ledningskollen helps to locate buried cables before digging. The construction of broadband networks may also involve land agreements, easements, or access to existing networks. Consumers can contact providers for advice and possible solutions.
Robust fiber
Robust fiber has developed guidelines for how fiber networks should be built to be robust and reliable. The guidelines are intended to describe the minimum requirements that should apply when fiber networks are installed. Companies that wish can be certified by Robust fiber – which can then follow up if the installation deviates from the guidelines.
The Robust fiber project was started as an industry project under the leadership of the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority. The responsibility for managing and developing Robust fiber now lies with the Swedish Urban Network Association. The management council includes, among others, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, Broadband Forum, industry representatives, and Sweden’s municipalities and regions, SKR.
Buried fiber
To lay down the fiber conduit, a trench is dug in the ground. The standard depth within the property boundary should be at least 30 centimeters according to Robust fiber’s guidelines. A colored tape, known as a marking net, is placed one decimeter above the pipe. As a consumer, you can request a product specification to see how your installation will look technically when it is completed.
Aerial fiber
Sometimes the fiber is run in the air instead of in the ground. The fiber cable can then, for example, be run via poles along roads or over forest land. Robust fiber has also developed a standard for aerial fiber. To run fiber in existing poles, permission is required from the pole owner.
Box on the wall
To use the fiber network, the provider installs a connection on the wall. Sometimes there are two units, a service distributor and a box on the wall called a media box or media converter. In some cases, it is just one box that contains both of these parts. To get a good wireless connection (Wi-Fi), it is important to consider where in the house the box is placed; a central location increases the possibility of a good connection regardless of where in the house you are. Feel free to consult your fiber provider and broadband operator about the placement.
Where are the cables in the ground?
To reduce the risk of excavation damage, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority operates the web service Ledningskollen. The purpose is also to simplify the coordination and planning of construction and installation projects. If you are going to dig, you can use the service to get information about where cables and wires are buried. The service is free.
Land agreements and right of way
To expand the broadband network, a fiber provider may need to sign agreements with the landowner. Issues concerning the right to land are outside the scope of the Telecom Advisors’ mission.
Access to someone else’s network
In some cases, those who want to expand fixed or wireless broadband can gain access to another provider’s network. It could, for example, be a village association requesting access from an existing network provider. The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority has the website Expansion Portal where you can find more information about the expansion law. As a consumer, you can contact the provider you want and ask if they have the opportunity to rent into the existing network. If this provider and the network owner cannot agree, they can contact PTS for a dispute resolution.
Consumer Agency’s guidance
The Consumer Agency has previously developed a guidance that addresses certain issues regarding fiber connections. In the guidance, the authority provides its views on delivery time, cancellation, and information before entering into agreements.