Full fibre connectivity in commercial buildings is no longer a nice-to-have, but a non-negotiable. Building tenants and users expect superfast speeds as standard.
In fact, it is now considered a core utility: you could argue that not having high-speed internet is akin to not having heating or water. 72% of tenants say that poorly-connected offices will soon become obsolete.
This poses a problem for building managers in the UK. Many of our commercial spaces were built before the internet was even conceived, let alone gigabit-speed connectivity. A huge amount of spaces still have copper infrastructure which no longer meets user requirements.
The solution? A full fibre retrofit.
The elephant in the room? Cost.
What a commercial full fibre retrofit involves
Cabling, access to external infrastructure and wayleave permissions can all make retrofitting fibre more challenging compared to simply installing it as part of a newer build. The process usually follows these steps:
- Technical site survey
- The existing infrastructure will be assessed. Any legacy infrastructure, such a copper cabling, will need to be replaced by new fibre ducting.
- A decision will also be made on the connectivity type – it will ideally be fibre to the premises (FTTP), where a fiber line runs into each tenant room.
- If a building is particularly old, then structural and engineering work may be required.
- This could involve core drilling to create new holes in walls and floors, through which the fibre cabling is routed where no ducting currently exists.
- Wayleaves and permissions
- A wayleave agreement grants permission to engineers to access, maintain and install fibre cabling across a private area.
- Obtaining these is typically the biggest obstacle when it comes to retrofitting an older building. It can require liaising with multiple owners, with legal and cost ramifications.
- An experienced full fibre network specialist will be your best chance of expediting this potentially lengthy and complex process.
- Cable installation
- The fibre cabling is routed from the street or external change cabinet to the building. This can be done through digging, ducting and poles.
- Inside the building, the cabling is run through any existing risers, ducts and false ceilings (if they exist!). It is then led to a distribution point – such as a splitter – on each floor.
- This process may necessitate a range of upgrade work, such as optical network units or patch panels.
- Tenant access and internet service providers (ISPs)
- Each tenant space will have an optical network terminal (ONTs). These convert the fibre signals into electrical signals that devices can use, connecting the fibre line to routers, switches and firewalls.
- Then, you decide who delivers over this new infrastructure. Popular options include a shared fibre backbone (tenants choose from a list of ISPs), building-wide managed Wi-Fi (popular for co-working spaces) and dedicated leased lines (for enterprise-grade tenants).
How much does it cost to retrofit fibre in a commercial building?
Retrofitting a commercial building with full fibre can range from around £2,000 to upwards of £10,000 per tenant space.
This is just a ballpark estimate – older commercial buildings come in all shapes and sizes, making it challenging to be any more specific.
In order of importance, the most important drivers of cost are:
- Internal cabling and building layout: The harder it is to run fibre internally, the higher the cost. Some buildings have complicated floor plans, difficult access routes and thicker walls – heritage, listed or structurally sensitive properties can even require special installation methods or non-invasive cable routing.
- Access to external network infrastructure: If your building is some distance from the nearest external fibre cabinet or exchange, then civil engineering works may be required – like trenching or new ducting. This can ramp up costs significantly.
- Number of units served: Every tenant space requires its own fibre drop, termination and potentially a dedicated service. This means more cabling, more ONTs and more coordination.
- Wayleave and permissions: As we mentioned, securing wayleave and legal access can become legally tricky in some older buildings. You may need to negotiate with landlords, managing agents or other leaseholders.
Buildings that have existing ducts and easy internal access typically result in a more straightforward retrofit process (and therefore a much lower cost).
Older buildings with no existing ducting and difficult access can require extensive civil works (such as drilling, digging and risers), resulting in a cost at the higher end of the spectrum.
Your next step should be to register your site with our expert team for an assessment.
The bigger picture: the return on investment of full fibre
Thinking more holistically, ask whether not having full fibre connectivity is a price you can afford.
Retrofitting fibre might be better framed as a long-term investment in the marketability of your building. A modern full fibre solution can also slash maintenance costs, saving money in the long run.
A more premium proposition
Studies have even shown how a high-quality broadband connection increases the value of buildings. Not only this, but a survey of over 2,000 business leaders in the UK and US found 77% are considering moving their commercial building in the next five years.
Perhaps most pertinently, 94% say they would pay more for a robust and reliable connection – and around a fifth would be willing to pay an extra 5–10% in rent.
Connectivity is not only king for retaining tenants, but allows you to market your space at a premium price point for new users.
Operational reliability and reduced ongoing maintenance
Legacy systems can be incredibly costly to maintain – in fact, copper-based infrastructure is actually going to be switched off in January 2027.
By contrast, a full-fibre capability – especially one supported by a professional provider with a service aftercare program – claws back savings in the long run and gives peace of mind that someone is always on hand with any issues that do arise.
A retrofit also helps you to eliminate network duplication – ‘overbuild’ – where multiple operators deploy their infrastructure at a location. This has become a ubiquitous problem for many commercial buildings, where managers find themselves paying multiple providers to keep their connectivity show on the road.
Building users will certainly appreciate fewer maintenance teams getting in the way, too. As we explored in another article, poor connectivity has hidden costs and downtime can impact your bottom line.
Start your connectivity transformation with Optinet
65% of commercial landlords in the UK have already taken steps to improve the digital connectivity of their buildings. Have you?
With connectivity a modern-day dealbreaker, the cost of retrofitting fibre may well be a small price to pay. 80% of decision-makers won’t consider signing a building lease without checking the connectivity – 60% won’t even view the premises without that information to hand.
Since 2016, we have connected over 200 buildings and 2,750 offices – including some of UK’s most prestigious organisations and locations – with an average deployment time of only 48 hours.
While every project is different, we bring a unique understanding of the challenges faced by building landlords, owners, developers and management teams. We offer fibre upgrade solutions tailored around your specific requirements and building.
For a crystal clear estimate of how much it might cost to future-proof your building, register your site with our team today.