Make sure you are ready for the switch to fibre
As part of our work to get Guernsey ‘Fibre Ready’, our Head of Consumer Mike Fawkner-Corbett headed to the monthly meeting of the networking club, B48, to talk to businesses about the simple steps they can take to get ready for their broadband and landlines to be switched to fibre.
A significant part of customers being able to access and maximise their Sure fibre connection as soon as it is installed is ensuring they have the right helpful tips to get their broadband set up to be ‘Fibre Ready’.
So, what do you need to do to be ‘Fibre Ready’?
While the set-up for the switch to fibre is done by engineers, making minor changes to the devices you use in your home and your router set-up can help maximise your Wi-Fi
- Update the software on all your devices
- If you’ve got devices that are static and regularly used (TVs, games consoles) we recommend having them connected via cable rather than Wi-Fi
- Get rid of any old devices that you no longer use, or disconnect them from your Wi-Fi
- If your router is more than 2 years old, we recommend replacing it, if you have a larger property, or areas where your Wi-Fi doesn’t reach our Mesh Wi-Fi extenders could help with this
- Choose a central and open space for your router to make the best of the fibre connection
- Let the fibre engineers know if you have a Lifeline heath alarm or any set-top boxes like Sky Q, and they will give you guidance on how to connect them
- Plan and set aside two mornings or afternoons to be available so engineers can install your fibre network
- Make sure you have a spare double plug socket on the wall near the router
“By the end of 2026 all islanders will have switched from their existing broadband and landline. Some of the network that serves islanders today has been in place for many decades.
“It’s been great to chat to people about how fibre can benefit them, and their response reflects how eager islanders are to get connected to fibre and access the fastest network in the Channel Islands.”
Mike also outlined the process for connection. “You can keep up to date with whether your property is fibre-ready using our postcode checker. After you arrange your fibre installation, which can be done in minutes on our website, it usually takes about 5 days for the team to come for a pre-installation visit and another 5 days to get the installation complete – all completely free of charge.”