The short version
Most retail fit-out checklists cover the counter, lighting and signage in detail, then list “internet, phones and 5G failover” on one line. That line hides several separate jobs with different lead times. The internet is the one most likely to hold up opening day.
What works: qualify and order the internet the week the lease is signed. Get cabling in before the walls, bulkheads and joinery close. Keep the POS and staff network apart from customer Wi-Fi. Test failover with a real EFTPOS transaction before the first customer walks in.
The franchise fitout checklist says install 5G failover. What does that mean?
It means the store needs a second internet connection that runs over the mobile network, and a router that switches to it automatically when the main service fails. If the NBN or fibre service drops on a Saturday, EFTPOS, the POS and any cloud phones keep working on 5G until the fixed line comes back. Nobody in the store has to touch anything.
In practice that is three pieces of work:
- A business 5G service. A data SIM on a business plan, which reaches the internet by a different path from the fixed service.
- A gateway that supports failover. It watches the primary connection and moves traffic across within seconds when it fails, then moves it back.
- Usable signal where the equipment sits. Shops at the back of a centre or below ground can have poor coverage. Test it at the comms cabinet, not at the front door. An external antenna or a different carrier can fix a weak spot.
Franchisors ask for it because a store that cannot take cards cannot trade. Some EFTPOS terminals have their own mobile fallback, so ask your payment provider how yours behaves. The POS, stock system and phones still need the store’s internet. Business internet failover covers the design in more depth.
What are the best business broadband choices for retail stores with point-of-sale systems?
For most shops, a business-grade NBN or fibre service as the primary, with 5G failover behind it. POS and EFTPOS traffic is light. What matters is that the service stays up and that faults get fixed quickly, so business support terms are worth more than a faster plan.
Options depend on the exact address. Two tenancies in the same strip can have different services available, and a shopping centre may already have fibre in the building or may need a new lead-in with its own approvals. Qualify the address before signing and order the week you sign. NBN business fibre vs Enterprise Ethernet vs 5G compares the service types.
Pop-up shops and short-term locations. A fixed service may not arrive before a short lease ends, and its contract may outlast the shop. A business 5G service as the primary connection is often the practical choice here, once signal has been tested inside the space. Check the contract length and whether the hardware can move with you to the next site.
Are 5G business internet services reliable enough for POS systems?
As a backup, yes, for most stores. POS and EFTPOS use little bandwidth, so a modest 5G signal will carry them. As the only connection for a permanent store, it depends on the site. Mobile performance changes with coverage, building materials and how busy the local tower is, and a centre on a Saturday is a busy tower.
Our view: use 5G as the primary only when the fixed service has not arrived yet or the store is temporary, and test it at the busiest trading time before relying on it. A permanent store should have a fixed service with 5G behind it.
In-store Wi-Fi options for retail customers and staff
Run separate networks, and do the separation on the gateway and switches. Two Wi-Fi names on the same network is not separation.
| Network | Who uses it | What it should reach |
|---|---|---|
| POS and payments | Registers, EFTPOS, receipt printers | The internet and the POS and payment providers |
| Staff | Staff devices, back office, handheld scanners | Business systems and printers |
| Devices | Cameras, door controllers, music, digital signage | Their own management systems |
| Customer Wi-Fi | Shoppers | The internet only, with a bandwidth limit |
Card payments fall under PCI DSS, which applies to businesses that store, process or transmit cardholder data or could affect the security of that environment. Your payment provider or acquirer can tell you what applies to your store. Keeping payment devices on their own network is good practice either way.
Wire the registers, EFTPOS bases and back-office PC where you can, and keep Wi-Fi for handhelds and customers. In a centre, store Wi-Fi competes with the centre’s own and every neighbouring store, so placement and channel planning matter more than the number of access points.
Retail fit-out data cabling: what to plan for
Count the points before the shopfitter locks the joinery drawings. A typical store needs cabling to:
- each register and EFTPOS position at the counter, plus a spare
- the back office desk and printer
- each ceiling access point
- each camera
- each door with a reader or electric lock
- networked signage, menu boards or music, if the store has them
- a small comms cabinet with power, ventilation and a secure spot out of the customer area
The counter is where rework usually happens. Outlets end up behind a drawer or on the wrong side of a panel because the joinery was drawn before anyone placed the POS hardware. Give the shopfitter the outlet positions and get them marked on the drawings.
Data cabling that connects to the telecommunications network is work for an ACMA registered cabler. Ask for every run to be tested and labelled, with as-built documentation at handover. On our retail fit-out cabling jobs in Melbourne and across Victoria, that comes standard. Office data cabling fit-outs covers the cabling side in more detail.
Shop fit-out CCTV, door access and phones
CCTV. Agree camera positions with the shopfitter early: the counter, the entry, the stockroom and any back door. IP cameras use the same cabling and switching as the rest of the network, so they belong in the same cabling plan. Businesses covered by the Privacy Act must tell people their image may be captured and keep the footage secure, and state surveillance laws also apply. Check what applies to your business before signage and retention are set. How many security cameras does a business need helps with positions.
Door access. Stockrooms, staff entries and back-of-house doors are the usual candidates. Locking hardware and fire egress requirements are most of the work, and the shopfitter needs to know before doors are ordered. UniFi Access door entry explains what each door involves.
Phones. Most stores need a number and a handset at the counter, sometimes a cordless in the stockroom. A cloud phone system runs over the store’s internet, which is one more reason the failover matters. If the alarm is monitored, ask the alarm provider how it will connect.
Timing the comms against the shopfitter and the shopping centre
The shopfitter’s programme drives everything, and comms has to fit inside it. Shopping centres add their own layer. Many have a tenancy fit-out guide covering contractor inductions, insurance, work permits, after-hours works and how cabling reaches the tenancy. Ask centre management for it early. It can decide when trades are allowed on site and which pathway the internet service takes into the store.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before signing the lease | Qualify the address for internet. Ask the centre or landlord for their fit-out requirements |
| The week the lease is signed | Order the fixed internet service and the 5G service |
| Design stage | Mark data points, access points, cameras, doors and the comms cabinet on the shopfitter’s drawings |
| Before walls, bulkheads and joinery close | Run and terminate the cabling |
| After ceilings and joinery are in | Fit access points, cameras, readers and the gateway |
| Before opening | Pull the fixed service and run a real EFTPOS sale on 5G. Test calls and camera recording |
| Handover | Collect test results, labels, as-built drawings and the admin logins |
Centre rules often push disruptive work outside trading hours, and we do after-hours and weekend installs. Internet lead times for a new tenancy explains why the internet order sits at the top of the list.
Helpful starting points
For the communications side of a shop fit-out or franchise store opening in Melbourne or regional Victoria, start with retail fit-outs. We work to the shopfitter’s programme and the centre’s rules. If the internet is the open question, go to business internet. For cabling on its own, see data and fibre cabling, and for cameras, security systems and cameras. If the group opens stores regularly, rolling out networks across a retail chain covers building every store the same way.