How do I know if my house has fiber internet?
Fiber optic internet is accepted as the ultimate type of broadband connection today for home usage. Fiber internet is way better than the usual cable and DSL internet with much higher speed, less latency, and more reliability. Nevertheless, the majority of homeowners are not entirely sure whether their house has fiber internet connection capability or not. Here are some ways that you can use to check whether your house is ready for fiber internet.
Consult Your Internet Service Provider
The best approach to determine whether your home qualifies for fiber internet is to consult with an ISP. Almost all leading cable and telecommunication providers including AT&T, Spectrum, Verizon Fios, etc., provide fiber internet service to some extent.
They can in turn call the customer support or the sales personnel of the company. Inform them of your address and ask them specifically whether they offer fiber optic internet service to that address. They would be able to check with their database to find your address and give you an absolute yes or no response. This removes the uncertainty of whether fiber is offered or not in one’s preferred location.
However, this doesn’t mean that fiber internet is unavailable in your area if a provider offers it; it may not be available on your street or block. When asking this, make sure to explicitly ask whether your home address can receive service at this time, not whether they offer fiber in your neighborhood.
Provider websites have availability maps that DTCs can check to determine the availability of ads.
Most internet providers also provide addresses look up their websites to see what services they provide. Often there is the “Check Availability” button where you enter your street address, city, and zip code. When you input this information, it will inform you what internet, TV, and other services they can offer.
Search for a term such as ‘fiber optic internet’ or simply ‘fiber’ in the title of a given service level. For instance, it might state something like “AT&T Fiber”, “Verizon Fios”, or “Up to 940 Mbps Fiber”. Whenever fiber is mentioned it means your address can access their fiber optic internet service.
If you do not see fiber in the service offerings then sadly, your home is not serviced by it yet. Another thing you can do is to try typing in the address of a nearby location to check whether neighbors have access. And remember to revisit in the future since providers frequently branch off into new specializations.
Search for any signs of underground conduit that leads to the house.
If you wish to check it on your own before calling the ISP about the possibility of fiber, the best thing that you can look for is conduit piping leading into your home. Fiber optic cables are very fragile, thus they are installed in plastic conduit piping that is buried underground instead of being strung up on telephone poles.
Walk outside and look for areas near the house where wires or pipes penetrate the structure. If you notice that there is flexible black plastic piping that seems to be emerging from the ground and then entering your house, then it is probable that fiber lines have been laid. The conduit also suggests that fiber might be present, but one needs to follow up with the provider in question.
You may try to look down the end of the conduit with a flashlight to see whether you have a fiber optic cable line there. Treat any pipes with care and do not twist or bend them in any way. Never try to open sealed boxes that contain networking equipment because they are very sensitive.
Seek Help Finding Availability
If you have checked that fiber internet services are available but the service seems a little far from your home, call a provider sales agent rather than a service agent. Tell them your story – neighbors have fiber connection but it is still uncertain whether one can be provided at your place.
They may be able to look in-house at the progress of its expansion initiatives, send a request to their construction divisions to lay fiber down your street or enlist your address onto lists of future build-outs. Such personal assistance can sometimes help where online tools state that fiber is not available.
Instead, some agencies endeavor to connect homeowners to available providers within a particular region, such as Allconnect. You ask them questions about your address, and they provide you with the corresponding Internet packages. Although the services themselves are still coming from major ISPs, the third-party checker can show whether any of the providers offer fiber you weren’t aware of.
Recap: Deciding Whether You Have Fiber
In summary, here are the steps to take in determining fiber optic internet availability: In summary, here are the steps to take in determining fiber optic internet availability:
1. Some Internet providers may be contacted by phone while other Internet providers can be checked using the availability lookup option on their websites.
2. Walk around your home and search for conduit piping where fiber may be installed.
3. Talk to the sales representatives about plans if fiber is in the neighborhood but not in your home yet.
4. Use third-party availability checkers that map addresses to provider service areas.
With fiber optic internet extending its coverage to more neighborhoods across the country, more homeowners discover they can get these advanced connections. By following the above tips, then you will be in a position to know if your house is fiber-connected or is ready for such an upgrade to these ultra-fast speeds.
Upgrade to faster, more reliable AT&T Fiber Internet today! Call us at +1 844-905-5002 and get connected with speeds that keep you ahead.