What are the steps involved in Openreach new connections and installation for business broadband?

When arranging a new business broadband connection that uses the Openreach network, the process typically follows a clear set of stages: survey and availability checks, order placement, engineering work, activation and testing. First, your location is checked to confirm which Openreach services are available (such as FTTP, FTTC or SoGEA) and whether any additional construction work is required. Once the order is placed through your chosen communications provider, Openreach schedules an engineer visit if needed, and any wayleaves, access permissions or internal cabling requirements are agreed in advance. This early planning phase is crucial to avoid delays, particularly for multi-site premises, new builds or offices with complex internal layouts.

On the agreed installation date, an Openreach engineer attends site to complete external and internal work: running cables from the street network, fitting the master socket or fibre termination point, and testing line quality. Where fibre is provided, this may involve routing fibre from a nearby pole or underground chamber and installing an Optical Network Termination (ONT) inside the premises. Once the physical connection is in place, the service is activated, configured and tested for speed, stability and resilience. Your provider then connects and configures your router, phone system or other equipment, confirms performance against the agreed specification, and hands over documentation and support details so you know how to request changes or report faults in future.