What to know about fiber optic installation in Chandler
22 fiber providers hold city licenses
Chandler says 22 fiber providers hold licenses to operate in the city, and ten of them offer fiber-to-the-home service. The city's page is written for residents, so business availability is checked by address with each provider.
Availability depends on where builds have finished
The city says availability varies by neighborhood, depending on where each provider has completed construction. Two buildings on the same street can have different choices. We tell you what to ask each provider before you commit to a date.
Fiber builds are slow, phased work
Provider builds involve trenching, conduit and restoring pavement, sidewalks and landscaping in phases, and can take weeks to months in one neighborhood. Plan your move-in or switch date around the build, not around the sales promise.
Provider names are changing
Cox Business is now Spectrum Business, so a plan you remember as Cox may appear under the Spectrum name. The city's own provider list still shows Cox Communications.
Source: Cox Business
Two kinds of fiber work
The first is the provider's fiber: the line from the street to your building. The provider's crew usually builds it and owns it. They stop at a demarcation point, usually a box on the wall or in a closet.
The second is the fiber on your side. That is our work. We run cable from the demarc to your server room or main rack, and between floors, closets and buildings on your site.
Single-mode or multimode
Single-mode fiber carries a signal very far on a thin glass core and suits long runs and campus links. Multimode costs less for the cable and gear and works for shorter runs inside a building.
We pick based on distance, the equipment on both ends and what you may add later. A mismatch between fiber and optics is a common reason a new link does not light up, so we check both before ordering.
When fiber beats copper
Cat6 stops at 328 feet. Beyond that, or between two buildings, fiber is the answer. Fiber also does not carry electrical surges between buildings, which matters on a campus during a monsoon storm.
Fiber fits these jobs:
- A second building or suite on the same property.
- A long run from the main rack to a far wing or warehouse.
- A backbone between floors that will carry more as you add devices.
- A high-speed link to a server room or storage.
Termination, testing and labels
Fiber is fragile at the ends. We terminate with connectors or splice pigtails, clean every connection and test the finished link for loss. The results go in your records with a label on each cable, so the next technician can trace it.
Getting provider fiber to your rack
When your provider builds to the building, we meet their crew, choose a path from the demarc to the rack and have conduit and cabling ready. Their install is then quick.
If you dig on your own property, call Arizona 811 at least two full working days ahead. Arizona law bars excavation in a public street, alley or utility easement until underground facilities are located. The city also warns that digging does not always occur at the marked spots, and runs a construction hotline for contractor problems at 480-782-3310.
What fiber connects to
Fiber usually sits inside a wider structured data cabling job. It pairs with a backup internet link and with business WiFi that can use the speed. More at Enzo in Chandler.
