Residential New Construction and Trailer Guidelines

Below are the property and structure requirements for Firefly Fiber Broadband service(s). If you have any questions about these requirements, please contact our customer service team at 833-473-3591. Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. 

Fiber broadband service for a new residential structure:

• The property must have a 911 address.
• There must be electric service to the location, and an electric meter mounted on the side of the structure.
• Construction of the structure must be completed at the property.
• The Certificate of Occupancy must be on file.

Fiber broadband service for a trailer home, tiny home (or other residence with no electric meter):

• The property must have a 911 address.
• Structure must be sitting on a permanent foundation (not sitting on wheels).
• There must be electric service to the location.
• The trailer cannot be moved at any time once the service drop is installed.
• The fiber service drop will be built to the electric meter location. Any structure built to
  mount the electric meter base must provide 16”x16” space on either side of the meter
  to mount the NID (Network Interface Device or Fiber box).
• The customer must supply a 1 ¼” conduit with pull string and sweeping 90-degree bends
  from the NID, located at the meter location, into the structure. The conduit must be
  buried underground from the NID to the structure. Firefly will install fiber cable from
  the NID through the conduit, into the structure and install the equipment required to
  connect to the internet. A 120-volt receptacle must be available inside the structure to
  power this equipment.

Other technical information

Conduit:

In most cases, we do not recommend that customers run conduit. There are too many variables with the length and drop design and it is an expense the customer does not need to incur. Underground fiber drops are typically placed with a small walk-behind plow that buries the drops 12-18 inches deep.

However, exceptions to the “no conduit” recommendation are any locations where the service will be placed under a paved or concrete driveway, patio, or future deck/porch. A 1 ¼” conduit with pull string and sweeping 90-degree bends should be installed with both ends turned up to be visible above ground. If conduit is installed to the building, it should be turned up 2-3 feet to the right or left of the meter base and should extend at least 2 feet above the final grade.

New construction specifications:

New construction customers should coordinate with their electric provider to determine the route for electric service and the location of the electric meter. Customers should register for fiber broadband service on the Firefly website at Firefly Broadband (fireflyva.com) and provide the 911 address where the service it to be installed. The fiber service will typically be installed along the same route as electric service and the NID (Network Interface Device or Fiber box) will be installed next to the meter.

The fiber service drop will not typically be built at the same time the trench is open for electric service; usually the fiber is placed after the electric service. The Firefly service drops follow the electrical lines, if those are aerial then the fiber drop will also be aerial. Underground fiber drops are typically done with a small walk-behind plow that buries the drops 12-18 inches deep.

Firefly does not charge for the initial drop construction for drops under 2,500 ft. and will install all necessary materials for the fiber service to the home. If a drop is over 2,500 ft., an aid in construction fee may apply for the additional footage.