The short answer
CityFibre builds and runs a full fibre network (fibre-optic cable all the way into your home), but it doesn't sell broadband to households. You buy from a provider that uses its network, such as Vodafone, Zen or Sky, and that provider passes your order to CityFibre, which sends its own engineers or one of its installation partners to do the work on your provider's behalf.
On the day, the engineer runs a new fibre cable to the house (down from a telegraph pole, or underground through a duct or a narrow dug channel), fixes a small junction box to the outside wall, drills through and fits an indoor box called the ONT. ONT stands for optical network terminal: it turns the light signal into one your router can use, and the router plugs straight into it. Your provider supplies the router. CityFibre says the visit usually takes 2-3 hours from when the engineer arrives.
Most importantly, your provider owns the appointment: changes, delays, activation and router problems go to them.
Who does what: your provider, CityFibre and its installers
Three parties can be involved:
- Your provider takes your order, books the slot, sends your router and switches the service on. Your contract is with them.
- CityFibre owns the network and arranges the installation once your provider passes on your details. It says it does not manage engineer appointments directly; your provider does, and CityFibre keeps it updated.
- An installation partner may be the van that turns up. CityFibre names Kellys as one, and Kellys may contact you with appointment reminders.
CityFibre says it works with more than 30 providers, naming Sky, Vodafone, TalkTalk and Zen among them; its availability checker shows which serve your address. Our Vodafone broadband page, Zen broadband page and UK broadband providers hub cover the companies, and our guide to what an altnet is explains where independent networks like CityFibre fit.
Who to contact, at a glance
Where CityFibre's own pages send you:
Your question | Contact |
|---|---|
Changing or cancelling the appointment | Your provider, or the link in the reminder text or email |
The engineer is late or hasn't arrived | Your provider |
The installation wasn't finished, or the service isn't live | Your provider |
The router hasn't arrived or won't work | Your provider |
Damage to your property, the network build in your street or how CityFibre's team behaved | CityFibre, through the chat on its website |
A health and safety emergency at a CityFibre build site | CityFibre's emergency line, 0800 298 6267 (emergencies only) |
Source: CityFibre's installation and help pages, checked October 2026. For problems with street works outside your home, see our guide to broadband street works and damage.
Before the day
Your provider confirms the date and slot. CityFibre says the installation happens at the address linked to your order, so if you're ordering ahead of a move, check the confirmation shows the new address. Before the visit you may also get reminder messages, a route inspection in your street, or a permissions question.
Reminder messages, and how to change the date
CityFibre says texts or emails from it or your provider may let you keep, change or cancel the date. CityFibre publishes the numbers and addresses it sends these from; they are outbound only, so the numbers can't take calls and email replies aren't read. If a message looks odd, check the sender against that list or ring your provider using the contact details on its own website or your bill (see our guide to broadband scam calls and emails).
To change the date, follow the instructions in the reminder or contact your provider. If no one aged 18 or over can be home, reschedule through your provider: CityFibre needs access and an adult present.
The box at your boundary and pre-install inspections
CityFibre says it builds nothing on your property until you take a service from a provider. In most cases, it says, a small black connection box goes in the ground on your property's boundary or on a nearby utility pole; once you sign up, its installers agree a preferred route from that box to your home.
Most CityFibre installations use newly created underground ducts (buried pipes that carry the cable). Where existing ducts or overhead poles are used instead, CityFibre may arrange a pre-install inspection of your street to check the route, so the date doesn't have to change later. You usually needn't be in, and if work such as clearing a blockage is needed, nothing is done on your property until the team has spoken to you and has your permission.
Permissions: renters, wayleaves and new-build estates
- Renting. CityFibre says tenants can connect, but it needs written permission from the landlord, which it collects through its landlord process. Ask your landlord before the appointment, ideally in writing; more in our broadband for renters guide.
- Signing a wayleave. Vodafone's installation help page says that where permission is needed, for example a shared driveway or a rented or listed building, you'll need to sign a wayleave agreement to confirm you have it. A wayleave is a legal permission for network equipment to cross or sit on a property; our guide to broadband wayleaves explains when one is needed.
- New-build estates. CityFibre says it can't install on new estates until the roads (highways) have been released to the council, and suggests contacting the council to find out who owns the road. That may explain a missing date on a new estate.
Getting your home ready
CityFibre's preparation list is short:
- Two free plug sockets near where the fibre comes in, for the inside box and the router. Extension leads are fine (CityFibre recommends surge protection), and a landline service may need extra sockets.
- Someone aged 18 or over at home for the visit.
- A spot in mind for the router. It plugs into the ONT, so wherever the ONT goes is where your Wi-Fi starts.
Where the boxes can and can't go
CityFibre says the engineer agrees the best location with you where possible, but the final position depends on how the fibre enters, access, safety and nearby sockets. Zen says a new ONT needn't go where an old one was; you can ask for a more central spot, subject to cable length, wall structure and feasibility.
Two places are ruled out by CityFibre:
- A cupboard with gas and electricity meters, because the box and router need to be in an open space for Wi-Fi to reach your rooms.
- An unconverted loft or attic, which CityFibre classes as a confined space. A converted, habitable loft with permanent access and mains lighting may be possible, but isn't guaranteed.
Our guide to improving your Wi-Fi signal explains what makes a good spot.
Phones, alarms and languages
Full fibre doesn't use the old copper phone line, and CityFibre doesn't provide landlines or phone adapters: ask your provider about its digital phone service and kit. Vodafone advises checking that devices such as personal and care alarms will work with fibre. Our guide to telecare alarms and the digital landline lists the questions to ask.
If English isn't your first language, CityFibre says its engineers carry step-by-step visual guide booklets in 14 versions, including Polish, Romanian, Arabic, Bengali, Urdu and Spanish.
On the day, step by step
CityFibre describes the visit to a house like this:
- Arrival. Slots are morning (08:00-13:00) or afternoon (13:00-18:00), and the engineer can arrive any time in the window. You get texts when they're on the way and when they've arrived; if you can't see them, they may be working on the network nearby first.
- Agreeing the route. The engineer explains the work first. Depending on your street, the fibre comes overhead from the nearest telegraph pole and down the outside wall, through an existing underground duct, or, where there's no duct, through a narrow channel dug from the network to your home, which may cross grass, flowerbeds, block paving, gravel or tarmac. Vodafone says its engineers talk to you before digging through a garden or driveway.
- The outside box. A small junction box, which CityFibre compares to the size of a mini-iPad, is fixed to the outside wall to hold the fibre.
- Through the wall. A small hole is drilled and the cable threaded through; engineers confirm drilling with you first.
- The inside box. The cable is connected to the ONT inside, which is plugged into a power socket.
- Checks and tidy-up. The engineer runs tests. After underground work, CityFibre says engineers aim to leave the area as close as possible to how they found it.
Before the engineer leaves, ask which ONT lights mean it's working and whether anything still needs doing. Our wider guide to what to expect at a full fibre installation compares other networks.
What's fitted, and who owns it
Item | Where it goes | Who supplies it |
|---|---|---|
Connection box at your boundary | In the ground on your property's boundary or on a nearby utility pole (CityFibre says this is the arrangement in most cases) | CityFibre |
Junction box | Outside wall, where the fibre arrives | CityFibre |
ONT (inside connection box) | Inside, near the entry hole; needs a power socket | CityFibre |
Router | Next to the ONT; needs its own socket | Your provider |
CityFibre likens the ONT to a translator between the fibre and your devices. Our guide to the ONT and your router goes into the lights and cabling.
The fibre kit isn't yours. CityFibre says all the equipment it installs remains the property of CityFibre Holdings Ltd. To have the cable, outside box or ONT moved later, for example for building work, current subscribers ask their provider and non-subscribers contact CityFibre; don't move anything yourself.
The router your provider sends
Routers come from your provider, not CityFibre. Two examples, checked October 2026:
- Vodafone says its standard plans come with the Power Hub and its Pro 3 plans with the Ultra Hub 7 and a Super WiFi Booster; on standard plans the booster is a paid add-on. Vodafone says its equipment arrives three days before your confirmed installation date.
- Zen supplies a FRITZ!Box 7530 AX or an Amazon eero 7 depending on the package (ISPreview reported in September 2026 that the eero 7 became standard on Full Fibre 500 and 900), so check which your order lists.
Vodafone also says that in its CityFibre and Community Fibre areas, upload and download speeds are the same; our guide to download and upload speeds explains why that matters.
How long it all takes
There are two different waits: the visit itself, and the time from order to installation. The figures below are each company's own description, not a guarantee (checked October 2026):
What | Figure | Who says it |
|---|---|---|
Installation visit at a house | Usually 2-3 hours from arrival | CityFibre |
Installation visit in a flat | 1-2 hours; may be quicker than a house | CityFibre (its flat page gives both 1-2 and 2-3 hours) |
Full fibre installation visit (any network) | Up to four hours | Vodafone |
Order to installation (full fibre generally) | Most within 6-20 working days, confirmed after you order; some need two visits | Zen |
Zen's two-visit case (outside preparation first, then the ONT) applies to its full fibre installs generally, not CityFibre alone. See our guide to broadband installation lead times for the wait before go-live.
Flats and apartments
CityFibre calls blocks of flats MDUs (multi-dwelling units) and says there's no one-size-fits-all approach. If your building isn't connected yet, it may need a wayleave from the building owner or managing agent, then a building survey and the building work, before an engineer visits your flat. Your provider's earliest installation date reflects that.
Inside, the fibre comes in through an external wall or above your front door, depending on where the building's connection boxes sit. The engineer drills a discreet hole, fits a small ONT, seals and cleans up, then runs tests. The ONT and router each need a socket. See our guide to full fibre in flats for building permissions.
If the installation doesn't go to plan
CityFibre's help pages cover the common hitches (for a no-show, see the contact table above):
- The router hasn't arrived. The engineer still brings the fibre in, runs the tests and leaves everything ready for the router. Chase delivery with your provider.
- The installation finished but there's no service. Your provider may still need to activate it, or testing found a problem that CityFibre has reported to your provider. Ask your provider for the status.
- The installation couldn't be completed. CityFibre lists typical reasons: a blocked underground duct, a problem with telegraph poles, needing local-authority permission for emergency work, or needing extra equipment or a specialist team. It tells your provider, which updates you. Our guide to a blocked duct holding up full fibre explains that situation.
Compensation for missed appointments and late starts
Vodafone and Zen are among the providers signed up to Ofcom's voluntary automatic compensation scheme. ISPreview reported that from April 2026 the scheme's payments are £32.31 if an engineer misses a booked appointment and £6.46 for each day a new service is late going live after the date you were given. Raise anything missing with your provider. Our guide to automatic compensation explains the exceptions.
Switching to CityFibre, or between providers on it
Coming from Openreach or Virgin Media. You order from a provider on CityFibre and agree a date, and CityFibre's installers visit. Since 12 September 2024 this switch between separate networks is covered by Ofcom's One Touch Switch process: you contact only the new provider, your current provider must send you the switching information, including any early termination charges, and the new provider arranges the switch for the date you choose. Your old provider keeps supplying service until the new one is active, and residential customers don't pay notice-period charges beyond the switch date. (From ISPreview's report of Ofcom's process.) Vodafone and Zen both say they contact your current provider for you.
One of CityFibre's help pages and TalkTalk's cancellation page still tell you to contact your current provider yourself; ask your new provider to confirm it's handling the switch before you give notice anywhere. A new router may bring a short pause and some smart devices may need reconnecting; our guide to keeping your devices connected when you switch has the steps.
Already on CityFibre and changing provider. The fibre stays and only the service changes, so usually no engineer is needed unless the inside box must be moved or replaced. CityFibre says switches happen remotely, usually overnight. Get the new router before the switch date, plug it into the ONT on the day and leave both powered on. CityFibre says the lights on your router turn green or blue once the service is active.
TalkTalk customers on CityFibre. In August 2026 TalkTalk sold about 120,000 broadband customers to Rise Fibre; ISPreview reported on 3 August that these seemed to be customers connected via CityFibre. Rise says the move is expected between October and December 2026, and that your speed, package, router, contract term, in-contract price and phone number stay the same, though you get a new Rise account number. See our Rise Fibre page and TalkTalk page for the latest we've checked.
Moving home and later changes
- The new home already has a working CityFibre line. A 'working line takeover' may be possible if the outgoing occupants give notice to cease their service; otherwise, CityFibre says, your provider may arrange for an engineer to check the equipment once you've moved in.
- CityFibre boxes on the wall, but no broadband. CityFibre says to use its availability checker to choose a provider and order from it.
- A connection point outside, but no CityFibre connection. If your current provider can serve the property, it contacts CityFibre to arrange an installation after you move in.
- Your provider offers an upgrade. CityFibre says some providers move existing customers to CityFibre full fibre at no additional cost, with its installers acting on the provider's instructions.
For timing the order around your move date, see our guide to broadband when moving home.
Checking what's available at your address
Whether you can get CityFibre, and from whom, depends on your exact address. You can compare deals at your postcode using our partner's comparison, or go straight to our fibre broadband deals page for full fibre options. We don't install or switch anything ourselves; your order, date and any charges are agreed with the provider.
On cost, CityFibre says installation charges depend on your provider and package, and your provider confirms any charges before the appointment. Vodafone's full fibre page advertises free installation but also says an installation fee may apply, so check the installation line on your order before you confirm. For other networks, our guides to Hyperoptic installations, Community Fibre installations, toob installations and Trooli installations describe how each runs the day.
CityFibre installation FAQs
Does CityFibre or my broadband provider install CityFibre broadband?
Both play a part. You order from a provider such as Vodafone or Zen, which books the appointment and supplies the router. CityFibre's engineers or a partner such as Kellys do the physical work on your provider's behalf, so contact your provider to change or chase the date.
How long does a CityFibre installation take?
CityFibre says its engineers usually finish within 2-3 hours of arriving, and flats can be quicker. Vodafone's general page says up to four hours. Engineers can arrive any time in the morning (08:00-13:00) or afternoon (13:00-18:00) slot, so keep the whole slot free.
What equipment does CityFibre fit in my home?
A small junction box on the outside wall, about the size of a mini-iPad, and an ONT inside, which needs a power socket and turns the light signal into one your router can use. Your provider supplies the router. The CityFibre equipment stays CityFibre's property.
Will CityFibre dig up my garden or drive?
Only if the route needs it. The fibre may come overhead from a pole, through an existing duct, or through a narrow dug channel. CityFibre says the work is explained first and drilling confirmed with you; Vodafone says its engineers talk to you before digging. After underground work, CityFibre says engineers aim to leave the area as close as possible to how they found it.
Can I choose where the CityFibre box and router go?
Within limits. The engineer agrees the best spot with you where possible, but the final position depends on where the fibre enters, access, safety and nearby sockets. CityFibre won't install in a meter cupboard or an unconverted loft, and you need two free sockets nearby.
Do I need an engineer to switch to another provider on CityFibre?
Usually not. With a live CityFibre connection the fibre stays and only the service changes, and CityFibre says switches normally happen remotely overnight. You plug the new router into the existing ONT on switch day. An engineer is needed only if the inside box must be moved or replaced.
Who do I contact if my CityFibre engineer doesn't turn up?
Your broadband provider, not CityFibre: providers manage the appointments, and CityFibre says engineers may be working nearby first. If your provider is in Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme, as Vodafone and Zen are, ISPreview reported that a missed engineer appointment earns £32.31 from April 2026.
