Blue glass fiber strands near your house. What are those?

Have you suddenly seen a blue little sprout sticking out of the ground at your front door or on the sidewalk in front of your house? Don't worry, that's not a mistake. Those blue sprouts are part of the fiber optic network. They indicate where the fiber optic cable is located that will soon connect your home to super-fast and reliable internet. But why is the cable sticking out? And do you need to do anything about it?

We asked Jeroen Dangremond, manager customer operations at Open Dutch Fiber. He explains what the fiber optic cable exactly is, why it is there, and what happens next.

What are glass fiber strands? 

The blue strands on the street are not litter. It is a piece of the fiber optic cable. We intentionally let them stick out a little above the ground. This way we know exactly where the cable is located. "The strand is actually a marker," explains Jeroen. "This way we can quickly see where the cable needs to enter the house. It is a fixed part of the preparation."

The fiber is temporary and serves a purpose. It means that we are preparing your home for fiber optic installation.

Do you live in a rural area and haven't spotted any fiber optic cables yet? Read more about it here: I'm here to help. Please provide me with the text you would like me to translate into English.Fiber optic in rural areas. 

Do you have to do something with it?

No, you don't have to do anything with the little straw yourself. It's not dangerous and you can just leave it there. It's sturdy enough to stay in place until the connection is completed.

"Some people think it was left behind by accident, but that's not the case," says Jeroen. "It's part of the process. When the technician comes by, we will finish it neatly."

You do not need to be at home for the installation of the fiber optic cable. This is done outside, on the sidewalk or in the garden. When it's your home's turn for fiber optic installation, a technician will come by. They will pull the cable from the fiber optic point into your home. This usually happens through the crawl space to the meter cupboard. Sometimes we do this through a garden borehole: we drill under the garden so that we can lay the cable without causing any damage. If another location is more convenient, we will discuss it together. After that, we will neatly close everything off and you won't see the fiber optic point anymore.

Curious about how the fiber optic connection is installed? Read more about it in the article: Please provide the text that you would like me to translate into English.Fiber optic installation at home: do it yourself or have it done?  

When will the little sprout be removed? 

The blue fiber will disappear automatically once the connection is ready. Then the cable will be neatly buried in the ground and your home will be connected to the fiber optic network of Open Dutch Fiber.

"We always ensure a neat finish," says Jeroen. "The temporary straw will be gone as soon as everything is finished."

Do the postcode check.

Do you want to know if your home is eligible for fiber optic from Open Dutch Fiber?postcodecheck You can quickly and easily see if your address is already on the schedule. You will immediately see if the installation has already started, or if we will contact you soon. This way, you know exactly what to expect.