After you order, the first thing we check is whether fibre already exists at your address or needs to be built to it. That single fact decides your whole timeline.
If fibre has already been installed at your address before (common with a previous tenant or owner), there's usually no build and no technician visit. You go almost straight to being connected.
If there's no fibre at your property yet, your order triggers a job with the Local Fibre Company that owns the network in your area, such as Chorus or Enable. Their installation follows the "ABC" process defined in the NZ Telecommunications Forum's Fibre Installation Code: Agree, Build, and Connect. That code sets one nationally consistent standard for how a new fibre connection gets put in.
Not sure which one you are? You can check fibre availability at your address before you commit, and if you've decided, you can order home fibre from us starting at $69 per month.
If there's already an ONT on the wall, you don't need a new install at all. You place an order with us, we set up your Latitude account and activate the connection to that existing ONT, and you connect your router. Our typical turnaround for this is within 12 hours, so most people are online the same day or the next.
To activate, we need to know your address and confirm the ONT is live. Then:
A new fibre install has three stages, each with a different level of involvement from you.
Agree. The Local Fibre Company does a site assessment first. According to Chorus's own guide to how the install works, a technician meets you at the property and walks you through the plan, which usually takes about an hour. They work out where the fibre gear goes both outside and inside the home, and you sign an Install Agreement before any work starts.
Build. The technician brings the fibre from the street to a small box on the outside of your house called the ETP (external termination point). In most cases you don't need to be home for this part, because the work follows what was agreed at the first stage. This is the stage that can stretch out. Enable notes that the physical build can take a few weeks or longer depending on the type of house and whether council and/or neighbours' consent is needed.
Connect. From the ETP, the technician runs fibre to another small box inside your home called the ONT (optical network terminal). The ONT is what your router plugs into. You need to be home for this visit, and it usually takes up to four hours. Before leaving, the technician tests that the internet is up and running.
It depends entirely on whether the physical install is already done.
Your situation | What's involved | Rough timeline |
|---|---|---|
ONT already installed | Activate the connection, plug in your router | Within 12 hours (our typical turnaround) |
New install, straightforward home | Agree, Build, Connect visits | A few weeks |
New install needing consent or extra work | Body corporate, right-of-way, or council consent added to the above | Longer, depends on approvals |
The activation path is fast because there's no digging, no wiring, and no technician needed. If your address already has a working ONT, the slowest part is usually
You can bring your own router or buy one from us. For fibre, the device that matters is a router (sometimes called a modem/router or just modem) that connects to the ONT by ethernet cable.
Buy from us. If you'd rather not deal with settings, we can supply a router configured for your plan so it works out of the box. The current standard Latitude fibre modem is a Grandstream GWN7062E with Wi-Fi 6 ($130) or for Hyperfibre connections the Grandstream GWN7062M with Wi-Fi 6 ($200). Latitude remotely manage these modems so if you need settings changed or added later on we can do that for you.
Bring your own. If you already have a router that supports a fibre connection over ethernet, you can keep using it. Most routers made in the last few years will work but we do reccomend that the modem you use has a minimum of Wi-Fi 6. You'll need to configure the Latitude settings we supply, into your modem.
Older copper ADSL/VDSL modems generally won't work on their own for fibre, because they're built to plug into a phone line rather than an ONT.
If you're weighing up whether fibre is even the right connection for your home versus a wireless option, our guide on fibre vs wireless internet breaks down the relative benefits of each service type.
For most standard residential properties, the Local Fibre Company covers the cost of the install itself. Chorus's documentation confirms this covers connecting your property to the fibre network in the street, reinstating any surfaces disturbed during the build, fitting the ETP and ONT, and connecting your router.
Some things aren't included and can carry a charge:
Extra power points or additional hard wiring for fibre sockets.
Requesting a non-standard installation option.
Moving the ONT to a different spot after it's been installed.
On the monthly side, Latitude's Home Fibre plans start at $69 per month. Payment is by all major credit cards online or direct debit.
Consent is needed when the fibre has to cross land or a structure you don't solely own. The NZ Telecommunications Forum's Fibre Installation Code sets out these situations.
If you own a self-contained home and fibre can run directly from the street to your house, you don't need anyone else's consent beyond authorising the work to start. If you live down a shared right-of-way or in an apartment building, consent may be needed from neighbours or the body corporate. If you're renting, you must get your landlord's permission before signing the Install Agreement, and it's worth sorting that early because it's a common cause of delays.
When there's already a working ONT at your address, our typical turnaround is within 12 hours. You order, we activate the connection to the existing box, and you plug in your router. There's no technician visit and no build work, so most people are online the same day or the next.
Latitude can usually connect you on a temporary Freedom Wireless connection while you are waiting for a new fibre connection.
For a brand-new install you need to be home for the "Connect" visit, when the technician runs fibre inside to the ONT and tests it. That visit usually takes up to four hours. You generally don't need to be present for the external "Build" work. If your ONT is already installed, no visit is needed at all.
Only if it's a router that connects to the ONT by ethernet. An old copper ADSL or VDSL modem built to plug into a phone line won't work on fibre by itself. Most routers made in the last few years are fine, and we'll send you the connection settings. If you'd rather buy a ready-configured router, we can supply one.
For most standard residential properties the Local Fibre Company covers the cost of the install, including the network connection, the ETP, the ONT, and reinstating disturbed surfaces. You may pay extra for non-standard requests such as moving the ONT after install or adding hard-wired fibre sockets. To get started, order home fibre or call us on 0800 528488.
For more information please contact us
Author : David Gabites