The installation visit: what actually happens

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The visit itself is short. What delays people is the permission step before it, which nobody mentions until the technician is already at the door.

  1. Confirm with the management company that drilling or new cabling is allowed
  2. Be at home for the whole appointment window — someone over 18 must be present
  3. Clear access to the phone socket, the balcony and the electrical outlets
  4. Expect 30–60 minutes in an apartment, 1–2 hours in a house
  5. Test the connection before the technician leaves

Building permission is the step that delays everything

If the work involves drilling a hole, running cable along the outside wall, or touching shared equipment, the building owner or management company has to agree in advance.

In a rental, that means asking your 管理会社. Get it in writing if you can. Installations get cancelled at the door because the technician arrives and nobody has approved the work, and the next available slot may be weeks later.

Someone has to be home, and it has to be an adult

The appointment is given as a window, not a time — typically morning, or a two-hour afternoon block. You cannot leave a key with a neighbour; an adult resident has to be present to sign.

If you work fixed hours, ask for a Saturday slot when you book. They exist, but they fill up first.

What the technician does

In an apartment where fibre already reaches the building, the work is indoors: they find the existing socket, connect the ONU (the box that converts the fibre signal), and check the line. Thirty minutes to an hour.

In a house, or where no fibre reaches the building, there is outdoor work first — running a line from the nearest utility pole, usually through an existing conduit or a small hole near an air conditioner pipe. One to two hours.

Before they leave

Connect a device and check that it actually works. Once the technician has gone, a problem becomes a support call in Japanese and another appointment.

The router is usually a separate matter from the ONU. Some providers rent you one; some campaigns include one; sometimes you are expected to have your own. Confirm this when you order, not on the day.