Opening a new branch: the telecom, network and IT checklist
The lease is signed, the opening is six weeks away, and the fibre connection takes twelve. Here is the order in which things need to be set in motion.
The fibre connection is the only item whose lead time cannot be made up: order it as soon as the lease is signed, before anything else. Next come the cabling and the rack, which must be installed before the partition walls go up, then the network and telephony, and finally the workstations. Planning a temporary 4G/5G connection lets you open even if the fibre slips.
Opening a site hinges on one thing nobody controls: the connection lead time. Everything else can be organised. That one, you have to wait for. This is why it must be the first action after the lease is signed, even before ordering the furniture.
As soon as the lease is signed
- Run the eligibility check at the exact address, including the street number and building. Eligibility confirmed at the neighbouring number proves nothing.
- Order the connection. If civil engineering works are needed, the lead time can double.
- Plan a temporary 4G/5G connection. It lets you open on the planned date even if the fibre slips, and will later serve as a backup link.
- Check where the operator's entry point is located in the premises: it determines where the rack can go.
Before the partition walls go up
- Network cabling: every workstation, every printer, every access point and every camera needs its own socket. Running cables afterwards costs ten times as much.
- The patch rack: a ventilated, lockable space with a dedicated, backed-up power supply. Not a broom cupboard.
- Wi-Fi access points: their position is decided on the floor plan, based on the planned partitions, not once the furniture is in place.
- Video surveillance and access control, if planned: their cables run through the same ducts.
Connecting the site to the rest of the company
An isolated branch is only useful if it sees the same data as head office. The link between sites is prepared at the same time as the connection.
- A secure interconnection to head office or to hosted applications.
- An addressing plan consistent with the other sites, otherwise conflicts will appear the first time files are shared.
- Monitoring of the site from day one: knowing a branch is cut off before the people working there call.
Telephony and numbers
Decide early whether the new site will have its own number or be integrated into the existing switchboard. Both options are defensible, but the choice has consequences for call routing and for sales communication.
If existing numbers need to be ported, the process takes several weeks and should be scheduled outside peak periods.
Opening week
- Workstations prepared and tested in advance, not unboxed on the morning of the opening.
- Accounts and permissions created, then tested with a real login from the site.
- Printing and scanning checked: this is the service that most often fails on day one.
- A named person on site for the first few hours, with the support numbers to hand.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should I allow to connect a new branch to fibre?
- The lead time varies widely depending on the address and on whether civil engineering works are needed. It is the least controllable item in the project, which is why the order should be placed as soon as the lease is signed, with a temporary 4G/5G connection planned so you can open on the planned date.
- When should the network cabling be installed?
- Before the partition walls and suspended ceilings go in. Cabling added afterwards means reopening partitions, at a cost and with a delay out of all proportion to cabling installed at the right stage of the works.
- Does each branch need its own phone number?
- It depends on your sales positioning. A local number reassures customers nearby, while a single number simplifies routing and communication. The choice is made before ordering, because it determines how the switchboard is configured.
Next step
Published 25 August 2026 · Équipe Skill Group, Conseil & pilotage
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