General inquiries about fiber networks since my internet provider won't reply
General inquiries about fiber networks since my internet provider won't reply
So.. the internet providers in my country are kinda silly. max upload speed here is like 5mbit while download is like 500mbit on broadband and i hate it. i would very much rather have something like 30mbit up and 100mbit down instead because IMO 5mbit is just not functional nowdays.. anyways, recently alot of providers in my country started sending workers to put down fiber infrastructure all over the country and many people have that now with minimum speeds of 1gb down 100mbit up which is insane to me, i want that really bad. the tricky part here is that apparently, all of these companies have a policy that they are NOT connecting private houses, only buildings.. and i live in a private house. whenever i ask these ISPs why they dont connect private houses they just dont say anything but its not that hard to understand that its just more profitable for them to do that i guess. here is my question one of the providers (that is also my current ISP) has put fiber infrastructure in my street but ONLY for the buildings, there is a row for private houses which i am in and a row for the buildings which is like 5 meters across from me, you walk 3 steps from my house and youre in one of those buildings. its the same exact street.. i called them and asked them why can i not connect to fiber if my street is already connected and they refused to explain so i wanted to ask people with knowledge on network infrastructure and stuff because i dont know much about it, why is it so hard for them to connect my house if the street is already connected? like how does that work? it just doesnt make any sense to me that there is a building 3 steps across from me that has access to these cables and there is absolutely no way for me to also have that. im just really curious about that.
They likely bring many fiber strands to the building, aiming to connect each apartment or person and attract more subscribers. Installing and laying cable to a single home would be expensive, so they might not agree to long-term contracts. Most single users would likely object to paying for media converters and other services. Since it's close by, you could negotiate with one apartment that doesn’t need fast internet—ask them to subscribe in advance for 6-12 months, charge a small fee for the router’s electricity use, and provide an Ethernet cable from the building to your home, which works up to about 100 meters.
I’d likely consider even a three-year agreement for this situation, though I’m not sure if others will agree. Personally, I could handle it by running an Ethernet cable into my home, but I’m unsure how to proceed. The proximity and shared street make it tricky—there’s a sidewalk between the buildings, so stretching a cable isn’t straightforward. Also, why would they need to dig? I’m already connected to their infrastructure, not their fiber network. Wouldn’t it be better to use existing tunnels with new cables instead of digging?
In the USA each cable is laid individually without tunnels or conduits, except in busy city zones. A broader explanation: fiber systems fall into two main types—direct connections and PON. Direct connections demand pricier gear but offer faster speeds, ideal for offices or apartment complexes with a single router distributing signals. PON (Passive Optical Network) resembles a DOCSIS setup, where multiple fibers can be split using optical splitters to serve several customers. On the customer side, the equipment is simpler and cheaper, often called an ONT (Optical Network Terminator). It’s likely your local fiber serves either direct connections or targets multi-family buildings through grants meant to boost coverage in those areas.
As discussed earlier, the approach varies depending on the method used. In the past in the UK, builders would install fibre directly to the telecom cabinet and then connect via ethernet to each unit. This wasn't practical for homes because the expense of laying fibre was too high unless the customer contributed to the cost. Now, providers are adopting PON technology, which enables them to serve individual houses more efficiently. They can lease the existing telecom conduits, significantly reducing the overall expense of installing fibre.
I don’t understand your location or network setup, making it hard to predict anything. In the UK, the lowest price for FTTP installation was around £8000, which covers costs for multiple customers. If it’s a single-to-one service, the monthly income from one customer would need to match what you’d earn for an entire building. You might find it easier if neighbors joined in, but I’m not very hopeful about that.
One of the fiber companies in the United States selects locations where it installs fiber. In the US, apartment buildings may have special agreements with an ISP, making that provider the sole service for the complex. It’s also inconvenient for them to upgrade every home connection. Many cable and telecom providers here only offer fiber in newly developed areas, leaving older neighborhoods with whatever infrastructure exists before.
Thanks for your feedback. I’ve gained a clearer understanding now. Do you have any innovative ideas for linking one of your apartments to my home? Of course, with the consent of the property owner. I’m open to exploring creative solutions—especially since a straight crossing over a cable isn’t feasible here. I noticed a recent video showing how a house connected to the internet across a lake using similar methods, and it seems possible without hiring an electrician. What options are available to me?