The best
fibre network for
Switzerland
Switzerland’s best fibre network is getting bigger all the time. With annual investments of around 1.7 billion, we will have connected between 75 and 80% of all Swiss households and businesses by 2030. The fibre network is to be completed in all Swiss municipalities beyond 2030. At the same time, we will, over the coming years, start gradually taking our approximately 150-year-old copper access network out of service. We want everybody to be ready to use the opportunities of tomorrow.
“By replacing the approximately 150-year-old copper network with fibre, we will save around 100 GWh of electricity per year, equivalent to the annual consumption of a city of 20,000 inhabitants.”
Gerd Niehage, Head of IT, Network & Infrastructure, on the gradual retirement of the copper network.
FTTH coverage
2023: ≈ 46%
approx. 2.5 million households
2025: ≈ 57%
approx. 3.1 million households
2030: ≈ 75 – 80%
approx. 4.1 million households
Status of Swisscom’s FTTH network expansion and target coverage (up to 10 Gbit/s Fibre to the Home). Information based on a total of 5.5 million households and businesses in Switzerland.
Test your Internet speed
Here you can find out what speed is currently available at your address. Speed data in your municipality and at your address may vary. The reason for this is explained under “Frequently Asked Questions”.
So long, copper
After around 150 years, the copper era is gradually coming to an end. While copper has already been replaced by optical fibre in the exchanges and distributors in recent years, the plan now is to gradually replace the last few metres of copper cable in the regions. Besides improving the efficiency of the network, the copper phaseout will also make the network more sustainable. By the time of its complete retirement in the 2030s, we will be able to save the same amount of energy as the annual consumption of a city of 20,000 inhabitants.
The original installation of the copper cables was an arduous task. In 1962, for example, Quinten was connected to the telephone network by a copper cable weighing 15 tonnes. PHOTOPRESS ARCHIVE KEYSTONE
FAQs on the copper phaseout
Swisscom is planning a gradual phaseout of the copper network. All affected customers will be informed in advance. This page provides key details about the plans.
Residential customers – what do I need to know about the planned copper phaseout?
When exactly can I switch to the fibre-optic network?
To make the switch, the fibre-optic network must have been rolled out to your location and you must have an installed fibre-optic socket in your home. If your home does not yet have a fibre-optic socket, Swisscom will arrange for it to be installed by a selected partner. Installation will be triggered as soon as you order a new product on the available fibre-optic network, request a switch, or Swisscom automatically transfers your existing products to the fibre-optic network.
You can check whether products are already available on your fibre-optic network on the Swisscom Checker.
What can I do if there is no information on the current rollout status in the Swisscom Checker?
This means that fibre is not yet available at your location. Information about the Swisscom fibre-optic network is usually available around 18 months before the rollout. As soon as the fibre-optic network is available in your area, Swisscom customers like yourself will be sent a letter with more information.
What do I need to do to switch my existing Swisscom products over to the fibre-optic network?
As soon as the fibre-optic network is available in your area, Swisscom customers like yourself will be sent a letter with more information. From this point on, you can switch your Swisscom products over to the fibre-optic network.
You can either apply to switch yourself in the Swisscom Customer Center or call into a Shop or call the hotline and have our employees take care of everything for you. If the switch will be triggered automatically by Swisscom with no further action is required by you for the time being.
How exactly is the fibre-optic socket installed?
If your home does not yet have a fibre-optic socket, you or, in some cases, the property owners will be contacted by a Swisscom partner to arrange an installation appointment.
Swisscom will arrange authorisation for the structural change as well as the location of the fibre-optic socket with the property owners in advance. The installation partners will need access to your home to install the fibre-optic socket. Employees of the installation partner are required to identify themselves with a Swisscom badge and complete the work in your home within 1 working day.
Once the installation is complete, Swisscom will provide you with all the necessary equipment to switch your products over to the fibre-optic network.
Are there any costs associated with switching my existing products over to the fibre-optic network?
Switching your existing Swisscom products over from copper to fibre is generally free of charge. Both the installation of the fibre-optic socket and the necessary equipment for connecting to the fibre-optic network are provided by Swisscom free of charge.
In certain cases, property owners will be charged participation costs for the fibre-optic connection in the building (in-house connection) – for example, if it is a subsequent connection.
Additional costs may be charged for optional services beyond those mentioned. A transparent quotation will be submitted for such services in advance.
Will my existing Swisscom product need adjusting for the switch to the fibre-optic network?
No, existing products/subscriptions can usually be transferred to the fibre-optic network without adjustment. However, you will have the option of switching to a faster Internet subscription on fibre with a bandwidth of up to 10 Gbit/s.
Could the copper access network be taken out of service before the fibre-optic network is available, resulting in the loss of my Internet connection?
The copper network will be phased out shortly after the fibre rollout. A sufficiently long transition period will therefore be available for the switchover.
In exceptional cases, it might not be possible to connect a location to the fibre-optic network. In such cases, Swisscom will provide alternatives (a mobile or satellite connection for example).
What is needed to migrate the current connection to fibre?
In addition to an active fibre-optic socket in your home, you will also need a fibre-compatible router. Swisscom will provide this router, together with instructions on switching.
If a fibre-compatible router is already in operation, you will be provided with a fibre-optic cable with connector.
If you already have a previously installed fibre-optic socket, Swisscom will need the number shown on the socket.
Can I opt out of switching over to the fibre-optic network if I am satisfied with my current Internet speed?
No, as soon as Swisscom announces the disconnection of the copper access network at your location, your products must be switched over to the fibre-optic network to ensure the continuation of your Swisscom services.
Even if the copper access network in your area is not yet to be disconnected, we recommend that you switch over to the fibre-optic network to enjoy its associated benefits.
I only use a fixed-line telephone, do I still have to switch over to the fibre-optic network?
Yes, you will also need to switch in this case, as Swisscom fixed network telephony is based on Internet technology and therefore requires an Internet connection. When switching a fixed-line telephone to the fibre-optic network, there will once again be no costs for installation of the fibre-optic socket and required equipment.
Additional costs may be charged for optional services beyond those mentioned. A transparent quotation will be submitted for such services in advance.
Telecommunications service providers – what do I need to know about the planned copper phaseout?
What will Swisscom’s retirement of the copper access network mean for me and my customers?
It will mean that any services currently provided on the copper network will have to be switched over to fibre.
The continuing rollout of the fibre-optic network will allow Swisscom to gradually retire the old copper network. From a financial and sustainability perspective, it makes no sense to operate two networks in parallel for the same purpose. Copper technologies are also more susceptible to interference and will soon stop being maintained by manufacturers.
When will the copper access network be switched off?
Swisscom will phase out the copper network successively, one access network at a time. This will take several years and continue into the 2030s.
How do I find out which copper lines are being cancelled and which addresses have fibre access?
Swisscom will provide more detail about the affected access networks and addresses within the first half of 2024. We are planning to update our ordering systems accordingly and provide information for each line.
How long will the migration take?
Active connections will be terminated in tranches, usually subject to a 24-month period of notice. Shorter notice periods may apply in exceptional cases. For example, if Swisscom is forced to dismantle local exchanges due to expiring leases that are not renewed.
When a copper network is phased out, are customers always guaranteed optical fibre access?
In the initial phase, Swisscom will only disconnect the copper access network at locations where customers typically already have optical fibre access. There may be individual cases in all areas where buildings are not accessible because the owner has refused a fibre connection.
Fibre network construction partners
To ensure the swift rollout of our fibre network, we have partnered with four construction firms. And, in many municipalities, we are also collaborating with local businesses such as electricity suppliers and cable network operators.
cablex is a wholly owned subsidiary of Swisscom. The company employs over 2,500 people and specialises in the construction, maintenance and operation of high-performance ICT and network infrastructure solutions. It also plans and implements forward-looking smart infrastructure projects. As a leading network infrastructure and services company, with over 20 years of experience in the market, cablex has played an important and pioneering role in shaping and developing successful network expansion in Switzerland.
cablex AG – www.cablex.ch(opens in new tab)
For 40 years, Axians has been one of Switzerland’s leading providers of planning, implementation and maintenance services for fibre optic and copper cable networks as well as modern wireless, relay and Polycom infrastructures. Axians’ comprehensive ICT solutions portfolio is tailored to meet the challenges of digital transformation. Its approximately 1’000 specialists always keep their fingers on the technological pulse and support numerous customers across the entire ICT process chain at over 20 locations in Switzerland.
Axians Schweiz AG — www.axians.ch(opens in new tab)
Circet (Schweiz) AG is the Swiss subsidiary of the Circet Group, Europe’s leading provider of design, planning, construction and maintenance services for telecommunications networks. The firm has operated in Switzerland since 2020. Its growth in Switzerland is bolstered by its foreign sister companies, such as those operating in France, Germany and the UK, where FTTH was rolled out to more than 1.8 million households in 2021.
Circet (Schweiz) AG – www.circet.ch(opens in new tab)
Multinet Communication is a leading provider of telecom wireline and wireless services. The company serves various Swiss network operators as a general contractor and offers services covering network design, contract management, engineering, implementation and operations. Multinet Communication can draw on a wealth of experience as it has played an active role in Swisscom's network operations for over 10 years.
Multinet Communication GmbH – www.multinetcom.ch(opens in new tab)
Contact for municipalities
Are you a public authority member with questions about network expansion in your municipality? Contact Swisscom, we will be happy to advise you.
Fibre optic offers at Swisscom
What technologies are used in the network expansion?
Swisscom is installing Fibre to the Home (FTTH) across Switzerland to increase fibre coverage to around 57% by the end of 2025 and to between 75 and 80% of homes and offices by the end of 2030.
Who is paying for the network expansion?
Swisscom is covering the costs of network expansion.
Network expansion on private property?
If construction work is necessary on private property (e.g. cable routing), Swisscom's construction partner will contact the owner in advance.
Different speed data between municipality and address?
The achievable speeds indicated on the network expansion map for each municipality apply primarily to residential areas. Outside of these areas, the speeds will typically be lower.
Expansion information is sometimes unavailable or changed?
The information about network expansion is automatically adjusted to the expansion status. In exceptional cases, information about an address may not be available. Should this occur, please contact us.
Is it possible to use the Swisscom network to access products from other providers?
Yes, the Swisscom network is open to all providers.
Unless otherwise specified, the speed data on this website indicates the download rate.
The status “expanded” means that the majority of the households are connected (homes and offices). Additional households may be connected at a later date.
Internet speeds within a municipality may vary due to different fibre-optic technologies or expansion areas.
Swisscom makes every effort to ensure that the availability check is correct. However, Swisscom cannot guarantee that the information provided about network expansion is up-to-date, correct or complete.
Communities as per: 1 January 2023