How do I know if my area is Fibre ready?

Posted on: 13 Aug 2024

Having high-speed fiber Internet in your home can be a game changer. Fibre is fast with low latency and highly reliable for work, play, streaming, and even learning from home. Now let us understand how one can be certain that fiber internet is available in his or her area. Here are the main ways to check if your area is fiber ready: Here are main ways to check if your area is fiber ready:

Fiber availability checker

This includes all the above major fiber internet providers including AT&T, Verizon, and TELUS among others have an online availability checker on the main website. Just type in your address and they will inform you whether your home is ready for a fiber internet connection. Availability checkers provide you with a simple availability answer of whether fiber service can be provisioned or not. Some will even get down to the details of informing you of the specific fiber internet plans that are available.

Call Your Internet Provider

The most reliable source of information on fiber availability is a conversation with a customer service agent from your current or prospective internet service provider. Make them understand that you are keen on fiber internet and would like to know if it is available in your area. They can type in your address in their system and tell you yes fibre has been rolled out in your area.

The agent can also provide more information that online checkers cannot such as whether fiber is available at your physical residence or still under construction in your area. They can also tell us an approximate time if fiber is on its way. This is critical knowledge when it comes to changing service providers or waiting for an improvement in service quality.

Check Availability Maps

Some fiber and telecom providers have maps on their websites indicating areas and neighborhoods that have fiber internet service. They also help you zoom in on your address and determine if you are within the fiber internet coverage area.

At least if you go to the high-level map, you can see if fiber is being deployed or not in your area. Simply enter your zip code to check whether your area is serviced. The drawback to these maps is they are not always updated in real-time and therefore should not be solely depended upon.

Look for Construction Activity

If you have any doubt about what these maps and agents say, then get into your car and cruise around your community. Search for construction workers pulling cables on telephone posts or digging pits on the ground to lay fiber.

Witnessing the construction of towers or observing the actual construction work being laid out in front of you assures one fiber internet is on its way if not already active. You may even be able to question construction crews putting on high visibility jackets when the construction will be done in your region.

Ask Your Neighbors

Your neighbors are likely aware of the current status of fiber internet in your locality. Go and speak to people living close by and ask them if any companies have come to them asking them if they want fiber internet installed in their homes yet.

If the households next door already have working fiber internet, then the possibilities are slim to none that service cannot be delivered to your home. Informal discussions in your micro-community can also help to establish if the fiber rollout has already taken place.

Attend Local Government Meetings

Do the investigative spirit? You can go further than maps and outsourcing to private providers to find out more about fiber plans in your region directly from local authorities.

Most municipal governments currently have special broadband development meetings to inform the public about the progress of fiber Internet construction by the public and private sectors in their region. Attend a few meetings, especially if fiber expansion is to be discussed. This gives you a sneak preview of timelines on the deployment of neighborhoods.

Search National Broadband Maps

Last but not least, to get the broadest perspective on fiber internet access across the whole country, turn to national broadband maps. The FCC and BroadbandNow maintain extensive databases that list every type of high-speed internet service, including fiber, in the United States and are updated regularly.

Simply type in your zip code and address to see a list of all providers and connection types available in your area. If fiber services appear, ta-da! Otherwise, the map should show whether and when fiber will be available depending on the ongoing fiber expansion projects.