How does Fibe installation work if you're a renter?

[Gloomy]

Hi! I recently moved and decided to go with Bell for my new apartment. I'm am not tech savvy. I chose the 1.5Gbps plan after talking to the rep about my concerns with installation as it's an older building. There are only two RJ45 jacks on the wall. No coaxial. He reassured me that installation would be possible and that the tech they send would take care of everything on installation day. Upon further research I've realized that this is a fiber line. I live on the top floor of a house split into apartments and am very confused about how this installation will work...I need to know if it will involve any drilling, if they will need access to the downstairs apartment and all that it will entail because if it's a more heavy duty set up I will need approval from my landlord or I will need to cancel and find another internet solution. 

[AlexS · Accepted solution]

You should go straight to your building’s management to verify instead.

[BellPatricia · Accepted solution]

Hi there @Gloomy. Welcome to the Bell Community, and thanks for your post. We're excited to work with you 🙂

Wherever possible, the Bell technician will re-use existing in-home wiring. It may be necessary to replace outside wires and cabling, including attaching wires or enclosures to the house, and any new in-home wiring will be run along the baseboards and may be visible.

Rest assured, once the technician arrives and takes a closer look at the location, they will be able to give more precise information regarding all of the work they need to complete.

As @AlexS suggested, if you do not own the property please obtain authorization ahead of time from the landlord to install new wiring, including drilling if needed, and arrange for access to the internal wiring closets (utilities room).

For a bit more information you can also check out Getting started with Bell Internet

Let the Community know how everything goes, and if you have any further questions.

- Patricia

[slotte]

I was planning on switching from Rogers to Bell for their internet. Everything was going great, the technician came by, set things up, and then handed me the equipment to do the rest of the setup on my own.
I have read this is how things are done now, which is a little bit of a letdown since there are areas that can be missed if the technician does not enter the house to test everything. I get it, limiting the amount technicians who have to enter the households can limit the number of stressful situations they have to encounter and can mean lifting some of the burden. On the flip side, this also means Bell can push more work and those timelines get shorter, which results in more errors. I used to work as a technician years ago, and I know my way around slams, OPIs, third-party installs, etc. I know what it was like and so I hope this plan of having techs not doing installations goes to their wellbeing because it did not help with my setup.
Case in point: The technician set up everything in the apartment, made sure there was internet in the network box by the front of my place, and made sure I knew what I needed to do. He also said he needed to be careful so as not to charge me $150 for the installation. I said fine, I know how to install a modem, no worries. He left, and I set up the modem and tested the WIFI: it worked, it worked well. Better than Rogers. Here’s the kicker: I use the landline and ethernet cords for almost everything so when I went to test the jack on the wall, there was no internet.
See I know how this works, I used to do installs, and it used to be part of the job for the tech to TEST EVERY JACK! Now I was hoping because I live in a fibre-to-home apartment that the jacks would all be connected to the slams inside the network box at the front door, but I was wrong. I should've asked him to test, instead, I asked him if it should work, and he said yes. I am kicking myself, but I will forgive myself if I forget my 10-year-old training at that moment.
So here is the issue, the jacks don't work, or at least there is no internet going to them. I am sad to see that a step like testing the jacks was missed because it would classify as an install and cost me $150. So now it's going to cost Bell more time and more money to have someone come out and redo this setup because they did not want to waive the $150 install fee which was always free not that long ago. It’s either it gets fixed, or I return the modem ASAP.
The only other option here is if someone in the community can think of something I missed. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day.

I will try to explain everything as simply as possible. Bell provided fiber service to your apartment building when it was newly built. The building owner/  contractor arranged to have all wiring, jacks, cables, utility panels, installed and connected to a common point in your apartment & also within a common electrical / mechanical room for the building.

Bell did not wire the building. It has not been in the wiring business for many, many years. The building owner or home owner is ultimately responsible for provisioning inside wiring, jacks, etc. Bell will do this work for the customer / owner for a a one time flat fee.

Bell does have a number of flat rate one time service fees for Bell Internet, Home phone, Bell TV. installations. I have included the web link below.

What are Bell's current one-time fees?

Each of the jacks located in your unit must be tested, & connected to the specific service you wish for it to be used on. If you wish to use wired connections vs. wireless, then you will need to decide on which service is using which jack & this must be connected to the corresponding device; (computer, receiver, home phone.) at the communications panel & ultimately via a telephone or ethernet cable to the rear of the modem.

All of the wiring, jacks, & communications connection within the building were completed by owner of the building contractor. The jacks installed can be used for varying functions: Home telephone, Ethernet for cable internet, Fibe TV or  Fibe Internet, etc. They are connected in a separate panel that houses all communication services, E.g. fiber & cable TV.

I would suggest that you contact Bell Customer Service and arrange to have a technician return. There will be a service fee to complete this work. Without the proper tools, test equipment, cords, cables, connectors, etc. it is next to impossible for you to complete this on your own. 

Thank you for reaching out to the forum.

Take care.