Housing Associations and Councils
Fast, reliable broadband connectivity (known as the 4th utility) is the No 1 priority for local authorities serious about digital inclusion. It provides the power to transform lives, create opportunities and can prevent social isolation. So don’t be slow to implement full-fibre broadband to ensure your residents don’t miss out.
Doing more for our communities
WightFibre is a local Island company dedicated to serving our Island community. With our Because We Care ethos we strive to ensure the power of connectivity benefits our customers and our community.
Our Gigabit Island project is all about giving the Island the digital infrastructure it needs to enjoy better technology and improve access. The good news is that all the costs for delivering the network to your residents will be met by WightFibre and it won’t cost you a single penny.
How we connect your buildings
Once we’ve decided to connect your area to the network, we’ll make initial contact and set up a meeting. We’ll let you know about the great benefits of being part of our network. At this stage all we need is your stock-list of premises so we’ll be able to give you an idea of which ones we can digitally enable with our full-fibre technology. Then there are just a few more things we need to consider:
1. Most of our construction activity happens on public highways. On private land, we need permission from the owner of the land or property to allow us to lay fibre optic cables and install a network access point. This permission has to be in writing and takes the form of an access agreement called a Wayleave. Download our wayleave here.
2. Once the Wayleave agreement has been signed, we’ll work with you to agree plans for the build activity. We’ll let you know before we start work on your premises and a friendly WightFibre representative will be on hand to answer any questions. We will work with you to ensure there is minimal inconvenience and disruption.
3. Cabling and Construction. The great news is that for construction and cabling we don’t need access to residents’ homes. When everything is ready for the network to be installed, we will lay fibre optic cables in a narrow trench under the roads and pavements up to a small access point on the boundary between the highway and the front of the property. A multi-dwelling property or apartment block will require a bespoke cabling plan pre-agreed between yourselves and a build engineer. All construction is carried out by qualified, insured civil contractors and is usually complete within a few days.
4. There’s no obligation for your residents to choose services with WightFibre but they now can if they wish to do so. We’ll let residents know about the great services and offers we can provide from our ultrafast widely available optical fibre network.
5. Once your residents have chosen the services that suit them, we will agree an installation date. On the agreed date, our friendly Engineers will get you up and running. They will lay a cable from the joint near the property and lay a cable from the footpath to the property via a route agreed with the tenant. Equipment is installed on both the outside and inside of your property at a location agreed with the tenant.
Want to know more? Learn more about how we can work with Property Managers and private landlords. Call our Commercial Team at
01983 24 1000, Commercial@wightfibre.com.
FAQs Housing Associations
Are there any costs involved for us or our residents?
No. If we come and carry out the work it won’t cost you a penny – all the costs are met by us. Similarly, if we find that we’re unable to come, you won’t be charged.
What’s in it for our residents?
WightFibre’s new full-fibre network boasts the Island’s fastest broadband by far, with high download and high upload speeds available – perfect for serious streaming, gaming and downloading.
Will residents be informed before work is carried out?
Yes – minimising disruption to tenants and residents in the area is very important to us, so we always stay in regular contact with them throughout the build process.
Should I be concerned about the data protection of my residents when sharing our portfolio?
We take data protection very seriously. We don’t require specific customer information from you at any point and are more than happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement to assure your confidence in us.
What happens if the outside of the properties are refurbished?
We understand that buildings require maintenance and refurbishment from time to time. All we ask is that you let us know if you plan to carry out any work which could have a negative effect on our apparatus.
Will the aesthetics of the properties be compromised by the work carried out?
If we decide to build, we will work with you to ensure that there is minimal impact to the aesthetics of the properties and we will fully re-instate any surface that is disrupted as part of this work, should we cause any.
Can you include developments we are planning to build in the future?
Of course. Just head to the New Build area of our website for more information, where you can submit details of the development.
What is a pre-wire?
A pre-wire would normally be carried out on a block of flats. It involves cabling into the individual premises that lead back to an individual lockbox in the building.
Pre-wiring a property allows all cabling to be done at once, meaning tenants can gain faster access to our services without the need for additional cables to be installed in communal areas.
