The short version
Start by identifying the provider, the proposed route through the property and the people who can approve the work. A site survey establishes what is available, what needs to be built and how the connection can reach tenants.
The central distinction is simple: fiber near the building, fiber inside the building and active service in a tenant’s suite are different stages. [1]
01 / Existing facilities
Understand what is already available
A building’s connectivity status should answer a practical question: what would have to happen before the next tenant could use the service?
| Current condition | What still needs to be established |
|---|---|
| The provider has fiber nearby | A feasible route into the property, access, construction scope and timing. |
| The provider has fiber inside the building | A usable path to the requested floor or suite and the work needed for that tenant. |
| A tenant has active service | Whether another tenant’s location and requirements can be served, and on what schedule. |
An existing connection is useful evidence, but each proposed tenant connection still needs its own assessment. [1]
02 / Plan ahead
Can we start before a tenant orders?
Yes. Stealth can plan and build a fiber entrance and riser before an individual tenant places a service order. The survey establishes the proposed work, costs and schedule; tenant services can be planned separately. [2]
For an owner, the useful planning question is: What infrastructure should we prepare now, and what work should wait until a tenant’s requirements are known?
Discuss anticipated occupancy, likely service locations and future expansion with the provider. Ask the designer to explain which provisions would make later additions easier and what they would cost.
03 / Site survey
What should the survey establish?
Walk the proposed route with the provider and someone who understands the building’s facilities.
The review should cover the entrance from outside, communications space, the vertical pathway between floors—often called the riser—and the route into tenant premises. Existing pathways need inspection for suitability and available space. [1]
At the tenant end, identify the proposed handoff: the point where the provider presents service to the customer’s equipment. That point can be in a different location from the building entrance. Confirm equipment space and any required power or environmental provisions. [3]
Where street work is involved, the project may require NYC Department of Transportation permits. Ask who coordinates the applicable approvals and how they affect the schedule. [4]
Request a written survey outcome that distinguishes:
- What has been verified.
- What work is proposed.
- Which approvals or access arrangements remain outstanding.
- What decisions are needed from the property team.
- When the provider can confirm the next milestone.
This gives management something concrete to review and share with the people responsible for the project.
04 / Project scope
Agree on responsibilities before work begins
Building management, the provider, contractors and the tenant’s IT team may each handle different parts of the work. Put the responsibilities in the project scope. [3]
| Area | Questions to settle |
|---|---|
| Approvals and access | Who authorizes the work, supplies required documents and opens each room or pathway? |
| Site preparation | Who provides any required space, power, supports or other preparation? |
| Construction and restoration | Who performs the work, restores affected surfaces and handles required sealing or firestopping? |
| Tenant connection | Where does provider responsibility end, and who connects the tenant’s equipment? |
| Ongoing operation | Who owns and maintains each component, approves changes and responds when access is needed for repairs? |
Cable support, protection of penetrations, testing and documentation belong in installation planning. The responsible professionals should determine the requirements for the actual design. [5]
For occupied buildings, also agree on work windows, tenant notifications and how any expected interruption will be managed.
05 / Costs and timing
Separate building costs from tenant service charges
Ask for the proposal to distinguish two scopes:
Building infrastructure: The entrance, riser and other agreed construction or preparation.
Tenant service: Each business’s selected Internet service, installation and handoff.
Stealth confirms property construction costs after a survey. Tenant service pricing and installation charges are considered separately. The written proposal should identify what is included, who pays and how additional work is approved. [2]
Apply the same distinction to scheduling. Ask when the building infrastructure will be ready and what remains before an individual tenant can be connected. A new entrance project and a service installation using existing facilities involve different work. [2]
06 / Service design
Consider capacity and resilience separately
A common building pathway does not, by itself, tell you whether tenants share Internet bandwidth. Dedicated and shared service describe how capacity is provided over the relevant part of the network. Ask the provider to explain the service design and its commitments. [6]
Physical resilience is another question. Two providers may use the same entrance, riser or equipment room. If tenants need independent connections, ask which sections of the proposed routes are separate, where they converge and what remains unverified. Raise this during planning, when alternatives can be considered. [7]
07 / Leasing information
Give leasing teams a precise answer
Make descriptions such as “fiber ready” specific. Maintain a short, dated record of:
- Which providers have verified facilities in the building.
- Which floors or suites have been assessed.
- What work remains for a new tenant connection.
- Who can confirm current availability and timing.
For example, a leasing note could say:
Provider fiber is installed in the building. Service to a prospective tenant’s suite requires confirmation of the floor pathway, selected service and installation schedule.
Use that wording only when those facts have been verified.
Keep the technical records needed to support those answers. Agreed route documentation, cable labels and test results help with maintenance and future changes. Ask what documentation the property team will receive and who keeps it current. [5]
08 / Prepare for the survey
What should we prepare before contacting a provider?
Gather what is available:
- Property details: Address, alternate entrances and any related buildings.
- Contacts: Property manager, building engineer and the person authorized to approve work.
- Existing facilities: Known fiber entrances, communications rooms and riser access.
- Available records: Relevant plans or photographs.
- Tenant needs: Known bandwidth requirements, occupied floors and anticipated move-in dates.
- Building procedures: Work hours, access arrangements and required contractor documentation.
Incomplete records are a reason to identify questions for the survey. Note what is known and what still needs inspection.
Stealth can review a single building or a portfolio and establish the proposed scope for each location. Discuss your building with Stealth to begin planning the survey. [2]
For more on entry and riser projects, see fiber for property owners and managers.
Sources
References
- [1] Stealth Communications — Fiber construction and building access
Entrances, internal pathways and address-specific installation requirements.
- [2] Stealth Communications — Fiber for NYC commercial buildings
Entry and riser projects, planning before tenant orders, construction costs and portfolio inquiries.
- [3] Stealth Communications — What happens during a fiber installation?
Survey preparation, access, handoffs and division of responsibilities.
- [4] NYC311 — Street construction permits
DOT permit categories, including street openings for data communications work.
Return to citation: A - [5] Fiber Optic Association — Guide to Fiber Optic Installation
Installation planning, support structures, firestopping, testing and documentation.
- [6] Stealth Communications — Dedicated vs. shared Internet
Capacity commitments and the boundaries of dedicated and shared service.
Return to citation: A - [7] Stealth Communications — Internet redundancy
Shared physical risks, building entrances, internal pathways and verification of independence.
Return to citation: A