A guide to connecting to fibre optic networks for homeowners, architects, builders and developers.

A guide to connecting to fibre optic networks for homeowners, architects, builders and developers.

Chorus is New Zealand s largest telecommunications utility company. We maintain and build the local access network that connects homes and businesses. An open network Our job is to help phone and internet service providers deliver services via our network of copper lines and, increasingly, the thousands of kilometres of fibre optic cable we re laying throughout the country. This includes laying fibre to homes in new subdivisions of 50 sections or more. We ve connected more than 2,500 sections nationwide and have several thousand more committed with developers. We cover the country Our network is made up of local telephone exchanges, roadside cabinets and copper and fibre cables. It connects approximately 1.8 million New Zealand homes and businesses throughout the country. 26,000km of fibre optic cable (and counting) 130,000km of copper cable 632 telephone exchanges 11,000 cabinets (with more on the way) Our people Our team includes about 2,000 service company technicians who look after our network. They make more than a million visits to New Zealand homes and businesses each year to install, or repair, internet or phone services. Our customers Our customers are primarily internet or phone service providers. They include Actrix, Airnet, CallPlus, Compass, Orcon, TelstraClear, Telecom, Telecom Wholesale, Gen-i, Vodafone and other providers. Get ready for fibre Today s homes need high bandwidth internet connections to use new services like digital TV and internet-based phone services. Increasingly there is a shift in New Zealand as we look toward fibre optic cable to deliver those services. This means it s more important than ever to make sure the wiring and connections in homes are capable of delivering modern telecommunications. A high-speed Ethernet wiring system is at the heart of future-proofing new homes for today s telecommunications and entertainment services and for whatever comes next. We ve put together this guide to help you understand what this means for your building or renovation project and what steps you ll need to take to meet the new Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF) Premises Wiring Code of Practice. A fibre future... 2 Subdivisions... 4 Cat5e cabling or better... 6 New homes & renovations... 8 The Service Delivery Point product... 10 Additional information... 12

A FIBRE FUTURE You can expect speeds of up to 30Mbps downstream and 6Mbps upstream from a broadband over fibre service. A fibre future We are connecting more and more homes to fibre, enabling faster broadband speeds and a range of new entertainment services to the home. Digital voice services With fibre, phone calls can be made through internet-based technology, sometimes called Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP. This technology digitises conversations, sending them through broadband channels. Broadband over fibre Fibre to the home makes it possible to deliver much higher bandwidth required to deliver modern entertainment, internet and voice applications. Broadband over fibre is ultra-fast too. Service Providers Throughout this brochure we will refer to your service provider. Please note that in our fibre subdivisions, WorldxChange is currently the only provider for fibre telecommunications services. You can reach them on 0800 123 456. Using an internet-based voice service can be as simple as using a regular phone or a specialist VoIP handset connected to a gateway device or modem. More service providers are expected as demand increases. For an up-to-date list of service providers and their contact details, phone 0800 MY FIBRE (0800 693 427). If you are building or upgrading a premises outside a fibre subdivision, your service provider refers to your usual phone or internet service provider. 2 3

SUBDIVISIONS Subdivisions: Getting fibre to new homes We are installing fibre in new subdivisions throughout New Zealand. Our job is to manage the initial network cabling to the property boundary and the physical connection of customers to their new fibre network. If you are looking at developing a fibre-ready home, first you should read the TCF Premises Wiring Code of Practice available at tcf.org.nz/premwiring To get the property fibre-ready, the builder or new homeowner will be responsible for arranging the following to the network provider s requirements: Digging a trench for the underground lead-in pipe and arranging for a trench inspection. Before commencing work, you should check with Chorus regarding supply and ownership details, trenching and installation services, charges and appointments. 1 Installing the pipe through the external wall and making it weathertight. Providing a home distributor or star wiring box, patch panel and patch cords. Providing an AC power outlet, ideally with mains power surge protection, for the equipment that will be installed in the star wiring box. All internal communications wiring as per the TCF Premises Wiring Code of Practice. Trench inspection A trench inspection can be arranged by contacting the service provider who will then organise a Chorus technician to visit, usually on the day the trench will be filled in. A visit requires three days notice, and the length of the trench and the address will need to be advised. Our technician will connect the underground leadin pipe to the external termination point (ETP) on the external building wall. Lead-in pipes can share a common trench with other services as long as they are protected against hazards or damage. 4 1 For more detail please see the lead-in installation pamphlet at the back of this brochure, or in the appendix of the TCF Premises Wiring Code of Practice. 5

SUBDIVISIONS Note: Poorly installed wiring may affect the quality of the services delivered over it. For peace of mind we strongly recommend that you request from your cabling installer, a report that confirms the wiring has been installed correctly and will operate at its rated speed for the applications you anticipate using. Cat5e cabling or better The next step is wiring the premises for optimum broadband speeds. This involves installing Cat5e cabling or better. It needs to be star wired which means it travels out from a central point with dedicated cabling going to most rooms. Typically the central point will be the home distributor or star wiring box. We recommend multiple outlets for rooms such as the lounge, rumpus room and study. The star wiring box must be inside the premises and is typically installed on a garage wall or in a utility room for new homes. It should be accessible and located at about eye-level, above the point where the local telecommunications network meets your outside wall. The star wiring box or home distributor requires mains power supply and needs to be large enough to contain: A Residential Gateway: this replaces existing modems or routers and controls your fibre services. A back-up power device: the equipment that delivers your voice and data services over fibre needs power to function. You may choose to install a back-up power device to maintain your voice and data services in the event of a power cut. An Optical Network Terminal: this is the point where a fibre connection is integrated with the internal premises wiring network. For more details on star wiring box requirements and wiring instructions, please see the Wiring homes for fibre page in the back of this booklet, or download it at chorus.co.nz. Customer connection Once work is complete and the homeowner is ready for their phone or broadband service to be connected, the homeowner or developer will need to contact the fibre service provider (see service provider information on page 3) to arrange a site visit by one of our technicians. Our technician will: Provide and install an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) in the home distributor (this should already be installed) and connect the incoming fibre to the ONT. Install the Residential Gateway (RGW). Provide and install a power back-up device if you request it. This will maintain your telecommunications service in the event of a power cut. Connect the RGW to the Cat5e outlets in the home via the patch panel in the home distributor. Remember, the homeowner will need to supply patch cords for each telephone and data outlet to be connected. 6 7

NEW HOMES & RENOVATIONS To deliver high quality digital services, wiring needs to comply with the TCF Premises Wiring Code of Practice. You can download the code at tcf.org.nz/premwiring. NEW HOMES Wiring for new homes and major renovations For building projects outside fibre-ready subdivisions, wiring and ducting options should be considered to get the property ready for fibre services in the future. Traditional telephone wiring won t meet the demands of many high-speed services and a high-speed Ethernet wiring system is essential in modern homes. Installing high-speed wiring makes sense when you re building or renovating because it can be done at the same time other services like electrical wiring and plumbing are going in and before wall linings restrict access. Cat5e cabling and Star wiring At a minimum, we recommend installing Cat5e cable. Cat5e cable is a high quality copper cable designed to deliver Ethernet standard services over short distances at speeds of up to 1Gbits/sec. Cat5e cabling needs to be star wired which means it travels out from a central hub. This central hub is called a star wiring box and will have connections to most rooms. We recommend installing and connecting two Cat5e cables to each telecommunications outlet. We also recommend multiple outlets for rooms such as the lounge, rumpus room and study. For more detail see the Wiring homes for fibre page in the back of this booklet, or download it at chorus.co.nz. Ducting: Future-proofing your home Although Cat5e standard wiring is more than sufficient to meet the bandwidth demands of current telecommunications services, it is also wise to prepare for upgrades. One way to better prepare a property for an upgrade to fibre, Cat6 or Cat7 wiring is to install ducting along with any new Cat5e cabling. Once ducting is installed, a fibre upgrade can be as simple as feeding a new fibre cable down the ducting. Ducting is relatively inexpensive and is covered in section 26.5 of the Premises Wiring Code of Practice. Consult your installer for recommendations on ducting sizes. 8 9

Service delivery point Upgrading your existing service It s not just new homes, subdivisions and major renovations that can benefit from a wiring upgrade. There are options available for those who are just interested in upgrading their service at an existing premises. We have developed a special device called a Service Delivery Point to reduce the amount of re-wiring required. Once installed, the Service Delivery Point makes it easy for you to switch to fibre-based services in future, because it s a ready-made connection point for fibre. The Service Delivery Point is a wall mounted device that functions as a connection point for Ethernet devices in the premises. With this device you can keep your traditional copper-based services which are ideal if you have traditional telephone handsets, burglar or medical alarm services running on the home s existing copper wiring. The Service Delivery Point is typically installed close to your main computer or entertainment centre and includes an integrated splitter that supports ADSL and VDSL-based services. A version is also available complete with back-up battery capability to maintain Ethernet-based services in the event of a power cut. While you don t need Cat5e cabling to have a Service Delivery Point installed, we do recommend installing it to network your PC, entertainment and gaming devices within the premises. Check with your current service provider to see if they offer a Service Delivery Point product. 10 11

additional information Alarms and other equipment When connecting new premises to fibre you ll need to make sure fax and alarm services are compatible with fibre. Only burglar or medical alarm services that are Internet Protocol (IP) based can be used with fibre technology. Details of approved IP-based alarms and battery back-ups can be sourced from your alarm company, or check with your service provider. Most modern faxes should work perfectly over fibre. However, should you experience any problems with a particular model of fax, please contact your service provider. FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit our website chorus.co.nz Download the TCF Premises Wiring Code of Practice at tcf.org.nz/premwiring Call 0800 MYFIBRE (0800 693 427) 12

An overview for wiring installers Minimum communication cabling requirements These are the minimum wiring requirements for all new homes. For full details, please see the Telecommunications Carriers Forum Premises Wiring Code of Practice. You can download the code at tcf.org.nz/premwiring

These are the minimum cable installation requirements for new homes: Cabling must be star configuration. A star wiring (home distributor) box needs to be located at the star point to provide cross-connect and testing facilities. This star point must be internal, accessible and ideally located just above the External Termination Point (ETP) position. The star point will typically be set into the side wall of a utility room or garage. The star wiring box must be large enough to house devices such as a router and video splitter. It must also have integrated power sockets for these devices. Cables to be a minimum specification of Cat5e (UTP) and Tri-Shield RG6 Coax. Run two Cat5e cables and two RG6 from the star point to each outlet position. Run two Cat5e cables and four RG6 from the star point to the main TV position Leave at least 300mm of cable slack at each outlet. Run three Cat5 cables from the star point to the ETP. See over for details. Leave at least 500mm of cable slack at the ETP. Cable through the wall at the ETP must be protected within a short length of plastic pipe. Make sure all clearances between communication cables and power cables are maintained. See the TCF Premises Wiring Code of Practice for more detail on the segregation of services. Recommended outlets When you re looking at where to install outlets or jackpoints in the new premises be sure to consider the following: At least two type jackpoints with two F co-axial outlets (four F co-axial at the main TV position) on the same faceplate in each bedroom and normally occupied room. Avoid wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries. Two or more such outlets are recommended in the lounge, rumpus room and study. At the star wiring point the Cat5e cables should ideally be terminated on type modular sockets mounted in a patch panel. This will allow very simple patching to/from routers and easy replacement if one becomes faulty. Testing and verifying is critical Poorly installed wiring can affect the quality of the phone or broadband services a homeowner experiences. We strongly recommend that newly installed cabling is tested and verified by the installer as being able to operate at the speed it is rated for. Things to watch out for The performance of communications cabling will vary if: Too much cable insulation is removed The communications cabling is too close to electrical cabling, causing interference The correct bend radius is exceeded Wiring is incorrectly terminated Copper pairs are not kept twisted as close as possible to the point of termination Poor quality components (e.g. patch cords and connectors) are used Setting up a star wiring box It is the homeowner or builder s responsibility to supply the star wiring box, patch panel and patch cables. The homeowner s service provider will supply the residential gateway (RGW) and optical network terminal (ONT) to be installed in the star wiring box. Here s the best way to set up a star wiring box. If you have any problems, call 0800 MYFIBRE (0800 693 427). The ETP position will typically be on the external wall of the garage or utility room in new homes. Make sure a plastic pipe is installed through the wall at the ETP position and up into the star wiring box minimum of 20mm diameter pipe use 300mm 90 bend. Do not use an elbow bend. Run the three Cat5 cables from the star point to the ETP position. Leave at least 1000mm of slack loop at the star wiring box and at least 500mm slack at the ETP position. Residential gateway Optical network terminal (ONT) Patch panel NB: Back up battery (not shown) may be installed in box or remotely Figure 1: Home distributor Install a dual power outlet in the bottom of the star wiring box to power the equipment. The star wiring box must be installed in the inside wall above the ETP position. About eye level is ideal. Star wiring box minimum dimensions must be 350mm (W) x 700mm (H) x 80mm (D). Special note: The door on the star wiring box must have louvers so air can circulate to keep the equipment cool. STAR WIRING BOX (LOUVERED DOOR) CONCRETE FLOOR FLUSH MOUNTED POWER POINT IN BASE OF BOX Figure 1 shows a standard home distributor or star wiring box (actual unit may vary). The homeowner s service provider will supply the residential gateway and optical network terminal. The homeowner may also choose to install a back up power device. WALL STUD ELEVATION ETP WALL STUD 20mm PVC CONDUIT 300mm 90º BEND NOT ELBOW (PLEASE INSTALL THREE CAT5E CABLES) ENSURE FALL BETWEEN BEND AND ETP EXTERNAL TERMINATION POINT (ETP) 20mm PVC CONDUIT CONNECTED TO 20mm GREEN TELECOM DUCT 900mm SWEEPING BEND STAR WIRING BOX WALL STUD CONCRETE FLOOR CROSS SECTION Figure 2: Installing the home distributor EXTERNAL WALL ETP ETP POSITION 300mm ABOVE GROUND LEVEL 300mm 600mm

External Termination Point (ETP) ETP ETP Service Lead-in to Network Terminal Telephone Printer Computer Bedroom 1 TV Telephone Bathroom Home distributor or Star point Garage Office Modem Lounge Telephone TV Kitchen Telephone Telephone Laptop Telephone Laptop Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 TV TV Telecommunications Outlet (TO) at the main TV position consisting of 2x sockets and 4x connector (Coax) Telecommunications Outlet (TO) consisting of 2x sockets and 2x connector (Coax) Cable Run consisting of 2x Cat5e cables and 2x RG6 Tri-shield Coax cable (4x RG6 to the main TV position)

For full details, please see the TCF Premises Wiring Code of Practice. You can download the code at tcf.org.nz/premwiring