One of the most common questions from businesses considering a switch to full fibre broadband is how long the whole process takes. The answer depends on whether FTTP infrastructure already exists at your building, whether any wayleave permissions are required, and how complex the internal cabling is.
Here's a realistic timeline — not the best-case scenario, but what most West Midlands businesses actually experience.
The Typical FTTP Business Installation Timeline
Order placed — Day 1
You confirm the order with Telexico. We submit to Openreach. An automated confirmation is sent within 24 hours.
Survey (if required) — Days 3–7
If FTTP infrastructure already reaches your building, no survey is needed. If a new fibre drop is required, Openreach may book a brief external survey to plan the cable route.
Wayleave (if required) — Days 7–21
If the fibre cable needs to cross third-party land (a landlord's property, a neighbouring building's wall), written permission is required. This is the most common cause of delays. In multi-tenant buildings, this is typically handled by the building owner and can take 1–3 weeks.
Installation appointment — Days 10–30
An Openreach engineer visits to install the fibre cable and Optical Network Terminal (ONT) box inside your building. The visit takes 2–4 hours.
Router configuration & live — Same day
Your router is configured and the connection is live. We test speeds and VoIP performance before leaving.
What Happens on Installation Day?
The Openreach engineer will:
- Run a fibre cable from the nearest distribution point (usually on the street or in a communal building area) to your premises
- Install a small ONT (Optical Network Terminal) box — about the size of a paperback book — on an internal wall near where the cable enters
- Connect your router to the ONT
- Test the connection and confirm speeds
You or a staff member should be present for the visit as the engineer may need access to multiple parts of the building and will need sign-off on completion.
What Can Cause Delays?
Wayleave Issues (Most Common)
If your premises shares a wall, roof or access route with another property, Openreach needs written permission from that property's owner before laying cable. In practice, this affects most businesses in multi-storey buildings, terraced commercial properties and managed offices. Wayleave typically adds 1–3 weeks. We handle this on your behalf.
No Existing Infrastructure
If your address is in an area where FTTP infrastructure hasn't yet been laid, a more significant build is required. Openreach may need to lay duct under the pavement. This is uncommon in most Birmingham and West Midlands urban areas but does occur in newer business parks and rural locations. Timeline in these cases: 6–12 weeks.
Complex Internal Cabling
Large office floors, listed buildings or premises with very thick walls may require additional internal cable runs or specialist equipment. We advise on this during the quote process.
Does the Installation Cause Any Downtime?
No — your existing broadband remains active throughout. The FTTP installation connects alongside it. There's a brief 15–20 minute period during the final switchover when we reconfigure your router, but this can be scheduled for an evening or weekend to avoid business impact.
How Far in Advance Should You Plan?
For most Birmingham and West Midlands addresses: allow 3–4 weeks from enquiry to being live. If you're in a building where wayleave is likely (multi-tenant, mixed-use), allow 5–6 weeks. If you're planning an office move, check FTTP availability and start the order before you physically move — so it's live on day one at the new premises.
Get a Full Fibre Quote for Your Business
We'll confirm availability, provide a written quote and manage the installation end to end.
Get Full Fibre Quote →Telexico Communications
Based in Wolverhampton, Telexico provides full fibre broadband, VoIP phone systems, CCTV, AI services and cyber security to businesses across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Learn more →