Laying you own fibre connection down a private road

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Dreaver

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#289508 9-Sep-2021 18:56

Hello gurus,

I've read many posts on Geekzone before but thought it best to register to ask this as I'm coming up a bit dry on the google-fu.

The RBI has delivered fibre to our area, but a twist of fate means the literal border slices through the middle of our street.

So this means the first two houses get fibre, but I do not even though I'm about 300m as the crow flies (or 410m along the road) away from houses that have fibre.

Naturally, I have massive FOMO with their 900Mbps connections and my.....5Mbps downhill with a tailwind.

Our road is private, so basically, I can do whatever I want. I was wondering if anyone has had experience trenching their own fibre?

I've checked, and there is no capacity to run fibre through our correct conduits in the network (clap clap for someone not thinking ahead)

What I'm thinking is getting something like this https://www.hirepool.co.nz/products/equipment/earthmoving/trenchers-attachments/572b-chain-trencher-walk-behind and then laying the conduit myself.

Then contracting Chorus to connect to the main fibre that connects the first two houses, and then at my house.

House is modern, so I need to get it to my curb, and then they can thread it through the same conduits to my house as my phone line.

Has anyone done anything remotely like this and can advise any pitfalls, have any advice, or even some reasonably priced businesses that could do this.

I did try the supplier who Chorus contract in for this (initially to do the full road), but at 80k or so, it was a hard pass.

Any help appreciated - go geekzone!

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#2775689 9-Sep-2021 21:12

It will cost you a small fortune to do this, expect 5 figures (at least). As to the "300m from my neighbours" part, there has to be a cutoff anywhere, and it sounds like you're just outside of it.

You can certainly install your own trenching/conduit (green), then engage a provider to get a quote to get your address connected - but it won't be cheap, and I'd ask for the estimate first before you go off hiring diggers, etc. $80k is probably about right though.

mrdrifter

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#2775696 9-Sep-2021 21:27

The last quote I know of for someone in this situation was $90,000. The best part is it's not that they are actually outside the zone, it's that the GIS system tells them they are because it has the legal property details in the incorrect place ~300m down the hill from where the demarcation actually is.

I also know of one property that they did the full site survey for and had an install plan, even ran the fibre once, but the installer accidentally broke the run and didn't have enough spare. That was when they decided it was all to difficult deleted the property details from the address look-up and canceled the job - until it was escalated via industry contacts.

networkn

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#2775747 10-Sep-2021 06:31

How good is your relationship with said neighbours? Could you hey your Fibre installed on their second port of the ONT and do a p2p wireless? If you offered a 3k incentive you could be sorted.

wellygary

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#2775756 10-Sep-2021 07:12

Chorus’ fibre policies and charging aside

Trenching 400 metres with a walk behind trencher sounds like hard work

A tractor with a “mole plough” or “pipe ripper” could run a poly pipe of that length through a field in a couple of hours .

What’s the ownership of the land your road runs through? Is it yours or friendly to you??

traderstu

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#2775808 10-Sep-2021 09:39

wellygary:

Trenching 400 metres with a walk behind trencher sounds like hard work

Actually, in my experience it's not too bad. With flat ground and good soil (no rocks or rubbish) you should get it done with a half day hire.

That aside, is this a good thread to pose the question: why does it cost so much? Could someone in the know give a breakdown ie the component parts of the actual works and materials and I would expect an admin overhead. The figures quoted here regularly seem astronomical.

And further, is there an "economy of scale" case where savings can be made? For example, a rural situation where the fibre runs along the road, but say 6 somewhat spread out properties are only serviced by copper. (I was once in this situation, not any longer, thankfully)

olivernz

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#2775873 10-Sep-2021 10:04

Starlink an option? Would be a LOT cheaper if not quite the same. Depends on use I guess.

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cyril7

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#2775890 10-Sep-2021 10:42

Hi, so you say the road is private, how close to the neighbours with fibre do you own.

Cyril

dryburn

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#2775893 10-Sep-2021 10:49

I'm in a similar situation, I'm 50-100 meters away from an ETP that provides fibre to a school next door. I have tried getting a connection from the ETP or a second connection on the ONT multiple times but was never successful. It's so super frustrating knowing that it's so close but can't get fibre! Is there anyone from chorus that could help? Even blowing another fibre connection down the same tube?

Jase2985

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#2776139 10-Sep-2021 16:43

traderstu:

wellygary:

Trenching 400 metres with a walk behind trencher sounds like hard work

Actually, in my experience it's not too bad. With flat ground and good soil (no rocks or rubbish) you should get it done with a half day hire.

That aside, is this a good thread to pose the question: why does it cost so much? Could someone in the know give a breakdown ie the component parts of the actual works and materials and I would expect an admin overhead. The figures quoted here regularly seem astronomical.

And further, is there an "economy of scale" case where savings can be made? For example, a rural situation where the fibre runs along the road, but say 6 somewhat spread out properties are only serviced by copper. (I was once in this situation, not any longer, thankfully)

a fair chunk of the cost will be "traffic management" but seeing as chorus wont give you a break down because its "commercially sensitive" there is no what to know.

afe66

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#2776148 10-Sep-2021 17:44

But then again if chorus prices are so ridiculous where are the competing companies offering cheaper installations.

Jase2985

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#2776153 10-Sep-2021 18:08

afe66: But then again if chorus prices are so ridiculous where are the competing companies offering cheaper installations.

The problem is they have no access to chorus infrastructure to connect it up. Would chorus even allow this?

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raytaylor

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#2776258 10-Sep-2021 21:46

Chorus only quotes for the cost to get the fiber to the border of your property.
So call an ISP - usually smaller ones are better at this and ask them to create a new address point in the chorus system. Then ask for an "NGA on Application" quote request.

An estimate will come back after a few days. If the estimate is good then place the order, and get the trench laid between the roadside and the house.

Assume an extra $2-5k for the internal materials and labour if you are going to open the trench yourself.

As it is such a long run, they may need to add an extra splice enclosure as with your 400m driveway, it may be too far to blow from the cabinet or pit.

Often when fiber is "laid" its only the ducts. There is quite a bit involved in connecting it back to the exchange. I was quoted $21k a couple of weeks ago for a customer who wants a CCTV camera at their gate.
The fiber trunk ducts run past my customer's house on the opposite side of the road, towards a new subdivision.

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Dreaver

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#2776306 11-Sep-2021 10:40

quickymart:

It will cost you a small fortune to do this, expect 5 figures (at least). As to the "300m from my neighbours" part, there has to be a cutoff anywhere, and it sounds like you're just outside of it.

You can certainly install your own trenching/conduit (green), then engage a provider to get a quote to get your address connected - but it won't be cheap, and I'd ask for the estimate first before you go off hiring diggers, etc. $80k is probably about right though.

Approx 400m following the road, 300m as the crow flies. Below shows the RBI rollout and how it cuts through my road, the pink jut being the closest neighbour with it.

From what I got, the 80k was just to trench the cable, but it was for the whole road (1.4km total) and a future proof conduit with room for other services if needed.

Dreaver

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#2776313 11-Sep-2021 10:53

networkn: How good is your relationship with said neighbours? Could you hey your Fibre installed on their second port of the ONT and do a p2p wireless? If you offered a 3k incentive you could be sorted.

A great relationship with the neighbours, I pretty much manage the common area. I did think about P2P Wireless and this will be my backup plan.

Initially, I looked at a solution for the road but many have either Fixed Wireless, or Satellite, or Starlink now (or under the impression 5G will solve all problems)

Also looked at Stratanet which basically do the same thing, but with the amount of money needed to do it, you would need everyone to sign up to make it worthwhile and then it gets to the point I may as well do it myself.

So Plan B is to run the fibre connection to a water tank on the neighbours, and P2P to my home office which has a line of sight.

I offered to pay for their internet but since I do so much for the road already they said I could go ahead. But if someone sells/buys wherever I set it up they might not be so understanding so I wanted to look at other options first

Dreaver

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#2776314 11-Sep-2021 10:54

wellygary:

Chorus’ fibre policies and charging aside

Trenching 400 metres with a walk behind trencher sounds like hard work

A tractor with a “mole plough” or “pipe ripper” could run a poly pipe of that length through a field in a couple of hours .

What’s the ownership of the land your road runs through? Is it yours or friendly to you??

I self-propelled one won't be too bad, perhaps half a day I think.

Everyone on the road has a piece of it, and people are fine with me looking at options. I organise all maintenance etc for it.

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