FTTP Install - Practical details of install

I am considering getting BT FTTP. I live in a detached house, currently the phone line comes up in the middle of the house under the stairs, I have had low level cupboards with a bench top installed there and the NTE5 is in behind one of the cupboards, the cupboard has no back on it and there is a power socket there. Can BT put the ONT there or must it be on an external wall?

There is tarmac all around the front of my house, will they dig it up to install the fibre-optic cable?

I know this is going to be subjective but will they take reasonable care when installing this or is it simply a matter of the easiest option for them?

Thanks

Just had mine installed yesterday so can add a little info.

My Fibre came from a pole overhead and was cabled round my house exactly where I wanted it.

The engineer then added a Customer Service Point on the outside of my house.

The cable was then brought through a small hole into the house and placed very near (my choice) where the hole was.

The ONT (Optical Network Terminal) is then fixed to the wall as near as possible to a mains socket and all made very tidy and looks very neat.

If yours is fed underground (I don't know that) then you will be looking at further work to which I have no knowledge.

Hope I helped a little.

It doesn't need to be on an external wall.

The fibre feed usually follows the same path as the copper feed.
So fibre will likely appear from the same underground duct as the copper does now (if there is ducting).
If your current copper feed is buried directly in the ground they may need to dig in the garden.

They can often run the fibre round the external of your property.
They can run it along skirting boards internally.
If you install ducting inside your house with a draw string they usually let you use that to get the feed wherever is appropriate for you.

Basically they are quite flexible (within reason).

With the current deployment method involving splicing it's easier if you keep any requests to ground level.

From your description if the current feed appears under the stairs through a duct and it is unblocked then this would be the easiest way to get the fibre in to your property.

The preferred deployment method is to get fibre to an external wall and fit a slice point on the wall, then run fibre from the splice point to the ONT.
I'm not sure what approach they take where the copper feed appears inside a property.
They may take the fibre the same route as the current feed and not install a splice point or they may use an internal splice point.

When the OpenReach engineer installed my FTTP connection, he kept the old copper in place, stripped-off the copper from the fibre cable and then drilled a new hole to push the fibre cable through the property. I wasn’t bothered by this approach as I know that my exchange will switch off the copper connection in 2025 so old copper can be removed without disturbing the fibre cable.

The most important factor to the install is the engineer who carries out the work. OpenReach’s own engineers are brilliant. They will listen to where you want the cable fitted etc and will carry out the work. It is the third-party contracted fitters and I am looking at you, Kelly Communications, who are literally a bunch of cowboys. Only interested in what is easiest for them to install the FTTP connection.

If you have a third-party contractor turn up, do not immediately accept their response if they mention that they can’t run the cable around the house the way you want it run (within reason). I would immediately push-back and ask to speak to their line manager and failing that make a complaint to OpenReach, who will then send out one of their own engineers.

Good luck.

In reply to a post by PS123:

If you have a third-party contractor turn up, do not immediately accept their response if they mention that they can’t run the cable around the house the way you want it run (within reason). I would immediately push-back and ask to speak to their line manager and failing that make a complaint to OpenReach, who will then send out one of their own engineers.

Good luck.

For typical brick and mortar construction they might be willing to clip the cables around as doesn't take too long. However, they will not want to entertain pebble dash, rendered or tile finishes as there is a big risk of making a right mess.

In reply to a post by gary333:

However, they will not want to entertain pebble dash, rendered or tile finishes as there is a big risk of making a right mess.

The Kelly Communications engineer that installed my CityFibre FTTP was very polite and accommodating, and the rendering on the outside of the property did not phase him. The fibre was spanned from a different pole than my copper landline, and it was neatly fixed in place and clipped to the rendering with no bother.

Kelly Comm's engineer turned up today to install my BT 300 full fibre in my bungalow, was late anyway and his attitude was appalling, refused point blank to install the ONS in my integral porch where I have had a double socket fitted and shelf for modem as per BT instructions, it is high up on the wall above door height but was informed this was ok as long as there is a suitable shelf for the modem to sit and the space for ONS and an outside wall to the front. Insisted he wanted to put it in my front room (bedroom) I said no way. Obvious at that point he didn't want to do the job. I asked for him explain why it cant go in the porch, he wasn't interested and called his manager, who asked to speak to me, I asked him why the install could not put in the porch and he got all shirty told me not tell his engineers how do their job and to stop being aggressive, he then told his man to leave and get on with his other jobs. I stood there asking what's happening and the guy just walked away got in his van and drove off, I was just aghast. Called BT to complain and they were appalled and logged complaint with BT Openreach and Kelly Comms.
Upshot is that I will now have to wait until March as they have stopped all Fibre installs due to lockdown.

Sorry to hear that, surprised he wasn't able to explain why your preferred location was a no-no. Maybe he didn't have a reason other than laziness.

Apparently BT have cancelled all Fibre installs but Kelly Comms still continue to turned up to jobs assigned to them, probably don't get paid if they don't. I know Kelly have a bad rep for paying rubbish wages to their engineers and they get paid by jobs done (or not). Anyway nothing I can do about it now, asked BT not to send any Kelly Comms in future, will wait for my new appointment in March.

Sadly a different engineer on the day and the outcome may have been very different. Fingers crossed you have more luck in March

Out of interest, does the DSL Checker show your property as a 1 or 2 Stage install process?

Edited by deleted (Thu 07-Jan-21 16:03:25)

1 stage installf from pole right outside, that's what makes it even more infuriating.

Edited by deleted (Thu 07-Jan-21 16:01:02)

Do you think the height of the socket is an issue? Do you know if the ONS has to at a certain height? Or a limit as to how high it can be installed? No info on BT website it just says access to double socket and near to outside wall.

In reply to a post by MarkC64:

Do you think the height of the socket is an issue? Do you know if the ONS has to at a certain height? Or a limit as to how high it can be installed? No info on BT website it just says access to double socket and near to outside wall.

I personally don't know and don't want to speculate, there are members on here who would know for sure so hopefully one of them will respond.

In reply to a post by MarkC64:

Do you think the height of the socket is an issue? Do you know if the ONS has to at a certain height? Or a limit as to how high it can be installed? No info on BT website it just says access to double socket and near to outside wall.

A photo would be helpful of the front of the property, without that it is pretty much impossible to see if there are any reasons as to why they wouldn't fit the ONT in your porch. If the location you wanted the ONT fitted was not on an outside wall, then that might well be your issue. As a general rule right now, Openreach will not run any internal cable. They will want to drill through the external wall, fit the ONT there and walk out of the property, and so doing minimum work within the property, keeping yourself and the engineer safe from possible COVID etc. I know people might say, but it is only a meter or so, chances are they may well just refuse right now.

My advice will be to anyone who wants to have the ONT fitted in a certain location, lofts, upstairs rooms, cupboards etc, right now expect that not to happen, and expect to have to wait for things to calm down later on in the year with the virus before you get what you want. If you get lucky when someone turns up, then good for you, but be prepared for refusal at the present time.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i0k9h7zyav2gdk1/IMG_0437.j...See attached photo link,
Red line would be the run of the incoming line running under the roof line and coming in through top of wall at door height and into the porch. The ONS would sit on the wall inside at just above door height next to the newly installed double socket, with the Hub on a shelf on side wall. No need to come inside the house as the inner porch door would be closed. No internal cable, simple as you can get but the Kelly engineer wanted to go into the front bay which is our bedroom. He just point blank refused to do anything else, the rest is history as they say. Hopefully the next engineer will be a bit more understanding but will have to wait until 11 March now.

Edited by deleted (Fri 08-Jan-21 21:27:40)

That route isn’t practical, the line would need to go to ground level first externally so the CSP (customer splice point) to be fitted and external drop cable spliced to the internal feed to go into the house. It is a grey wall mounted box with one cable going in and one cable going out.

Did you make sure he didn't think by porch you meant that overhang? Did you show him there is an inner porch. Which I think I'd call a vestibule if small or a hall if large.

To me that looks like a front door, and porches are external to that.

I can't really see that general route as being much of an issue, as long as there are no pipes or mains cables anywhere near the light you have by the front door.

As pointed out though, the cable would need to go into a CSP at ground level first, and then into the porch as you indicated. It won't run into the house without one of these. They are square grey boxes about 5 or 6 inches and about one inch deep.

So you'd be ok with it coming down the front of the house, but when you get to the corner you can come down vertically there to the CSP and back up again at the same point to continue your suggested route, or you could have the CSP by your front door, and drop down to it there. There is also nothing stopping you from over painting the cables afterwards if you wish to make them less noticeable, as they will be black and are roughly about the same size as existing copper phone cables.

You will need to discuss the actual route with the engineer when he comes, but expect something along the lines i've suggested there. The CSP (grey box) needs to be at ground level as the fibres are spiced in it, this can't practically be done at height.

Hope that helps.

In reply to a post by unknown101:

That route isn’t practical, the line would need to go to ground level first externally so the CSP (customer splice point) to be fitted and external drop cable spliced to the internal feed to go into the house. It is a grey wall mounted box with one cable going in and one cable going out.

They aren't fitting CSP's everywhere.
That looks perfectly fine for a single drop connectorised cable.

It's the installers job to work out the route.
Mark only insisted on the ONT position.
There's nothing stopping a CSP at ground level and then the fibre entering the porch.

The installer was just lazy and insisted on the line entering the property where the drop cable is anchored, which is apparently a bedroom.

That's got Kellys written all over it.

Thanks for the replies, the engineer came into the porch/vestibule and hall so was aware of the layout of the property, he just wanted to do it his way, quickly and be gone, he was already late, he admitted he had three more to do that day. Once I said that it was no go in the front bedroom, he wasn't interested, wouldn't give any explanation as to why, got arsey took some photos and called his manager.etc.

There are no power cables that would affect drilling of a hole at the top left corner above the outside light and the vestibule is wider by about 15cm inside than the outside wall so plenty of room.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zevzf5ycpsf1ytv/dsc_0157.j...

My neighbour two doors down had his FFTP installed in his office at the back of his house just before in Nov, no issues just routed it down the side of the house and in on the side. So I presumed my location would be no problem. Seems it is typical of Kellys engineers get paid rubbish basic money and then per job, so quick and easy is better.

Brownfield = CSP required.

If this isn’t being done, then the install isn’t being done properly.

In reply to a post by unknown101:

Brownfield = CSP required.

If this isn’t being done, then the install isn’t being done properly.

Training is area specific.

No inside out training on this patch at all. Engineer hasn't even heard of it.
No CSP's.
Connectorised cables still being used in my street last week.

Many other examples of the same in other areas.

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

Training is area specific.

No inside out training on this patch at all. Engineer hasn't even heard of it.
No CSP's.
Connectorised cables still being used in my street last week.

Many other examples of the same in other areas.

We have heard on this forum for probably a year now that CSP's is the correct way for engineers to install fttp and several good reasons have been given (PITA outer cable stripping, high number of field kit SC APC failing) although its not clear if engineers in some areas who are spliced trained are still not using them. I personally would like to see both options continue to be available in all areas, for my specific install a CSP really wouldn't make sense.

In reply to a post by dect:

We have heard on this forum for probably a year now that CSP's is the correct way for engineers to install fttp

We heard about a year ago that OpenReach had started using CSP's again with the inside out method, yes that is correct.
It actually started in June 2019.

OpenReach stagger their training across their many training centres in the UK.
We had a pandemic nearly a year ago that put a halt to many planned changes.

Comments like this are just wrong...

That route isn’t practical, the line would need to go to ground level first externally so the CSP...

And another wrote

As pointed out though, the cable would need to go into a CSP at ground level first,

On their patch that might be the case.
It isn't the case everywhere.

Inside out was trialled in a concept trial (very early) on a couple patches in June 2019.

https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/updates/briefi...

The trial didn't even officially launch until February 2020, a month before the pandemic.
It was extended to some other areas.

https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/updates/briefi...

My install in August on a brownfield site used no CSP.
I've seen about a dozen installs done in my street the exact same way as recent as 2 weeks ago.
The engineers here haven't heard of it. That's both the new hires and a couple long term guys.

AFAIK it's still a trial deployment.
There has been no OpenReach briefings to say the trial is complete.

I see no problem advising people they may or may not need a CSP depending on the area they are in and if OpenReach are using the inside out method on their patch.

Insisting on every post that a CSP is needed is foolish, particularly with the number of posts we still see that have no CSP installed at all, including brownfield sites.

Edited by j0hn83 (Sun 10-Jan-21 11:58:07)

Thanks for your post

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

Comments like this are just wrong...

That route isn’t practical, the line would need to go to ground level first externally so the CSP...

And another wrote

As pointed out though, the cable would need to go into a CSP at ground level first,

Lots of posters (including myself) are guilty of repeating what they have read on this forum and/or other forums, I think reading members posts/opinions and reading facts are very different and we need to remember that in the same way as street gossip seems to become fact if repeated too many times

In reply to a post by TheInstaller:

I can't really see that general route as being much of an issue, as long as there are no pipes or mains cables anywhere near the light you have by the front door.

As pointed out though, the cable would need to go into a CSP at ground level first, and then into the porch as you indicated. It won't run into the house without one of these. They are square grey boxes about 5 or 6 inches and about one inch deep.

So you'd be ok with it coming down the front of the house, but when you get to the corner you can come down vertically there to the CSP and back up again at the same point to continue your suggested route, or you could have the CSP by your front door, and drop down to it there. There is also nothing stopping you from over painting the cables afterwards if you wish to make them less noticeable, as they will be black and are roughly about the same size as existing copper phone cables.

You will need to discuss the actual route with the engineer when he comes, but expect something along the lines i've suggested there. The CSP (grey box) needs to be at ground level as the fibres are spiced in it, this can't practically be done at height.

Hope that helps.

The engineer came in to the porch/vestibule and hall and looked into the front bedroom he saw the layout, he simply didn't want the extra work of routing it to my porch/ vestibule, lazy and ignorant wanted a quick job and go. Once he knew it couldn’t go into the bedroom he wasn't interested in any other solution.

OPENREACH don't seem to be fitting CSP’s here, neighbour has a connectorised cable straight from pole routed to his house and in through wall to internal ONS. I am no expert but maybe there is limiting length of the connectorised cable and beyond this there will be a requirement for a CSP. I have asked for a survey before they come back in March so there is a plan before the engineer turns up.

In reply to a post by unknown101:

Brownfield = CSP required.

If this isn’t being done, then the install isn’t being done properly.

When I was installed by Kelly (after they'd terrorised the neighbourhood leaving ladders unattended in the wind) they installed my FTTP with an internal CSP at 3rd level (essentially loft) taking OH line straight through the wall into small 'white' CSP and then out of the side into the ONT.

Bit more of a can do attitude with my guys though it seems.

MarkC64, how did this install turn out in March?

It was postponed for a week and then cancelled at last minute due to COVID regs, now going ahead on 13th April. Did manage to get £125 compensation from BT for all the messing around. £25 for each missed instal and £50 for the issues around the first appointment. Will update once it gets installed, only taken them nearly 6 months since ordering.

I got an engineer who told me he couldn't install the fibre where i wanted it because you can't bend the fibre cable 90 degrees around corners. It was kelly comms engineer. Is this true?

In reply to a post by sajid1971:

I got an engineer who told me he couldn't install the fibre where i wanted it because you can't bend the fibre cable 90 degrees around corners. It was kelly comms engineer. Is this true?

Yes, a fibre cable can not be bent as sharply as a domestic telephone cable. The cable will have a minimum bend radius, maybe round the top of a champagne cork.

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

round the top of a champagne cork.

I have an imagine of Openreach engineers having champagne corks in their tool boxes just in case

In reply to a post by dect:

I have an imagine of Openreach engineers having champagne corks in their tool boxes just in case

I believe a £2 coin is the rule of thumb for bend radius these days. A champagne cork might be slightly smaller - unless, of course, Openreach are issuing jeroboam-size bottles.

That's safe it it is a day or so since it left the bottle. Very unsafe if you provide it to them out of the bottle as well as the full bottle.

If they like champagne, the unopened bottle might help results to your requirements, as long as it isn't dropped whilst curving the fibre. Particularly if you are standing underneath.

Around the top of a champagne cork?
If that's the nearest comparison you can come up with, then I suspect you shouldn't be fraternising with ordinary folk

So correct me if I'm wrong but a way of getting around not being able to have the ONT box installed along side my preferred smarthub location is to have the ONT box installed next to the external wall and run a patch cable from the ONT to the smarthub (approx 8 metres)?
Do you know if its a standard cat5e/6/7 patch lead?

Don't run a patch lead.

Install an RJ45 socket at each location and ordinary Cat5e between them. Can be riuted as you need and hidden from view quite easily. Then a short patch lead at each end

A patch lead can also be hidden. I'm thinking of running a flat patch lead which can easily be hidden under carpet

Do what you want but don't complain when it fails.

Flat patch lead will NEVER meet Car5e (or above) spec, it will be susceptible to noise and crosstalk. Under a carpet, it will ssoon be damaged and fail.

Always considered flat patch leads a big no-no

Flat patch lead will NEVER meet Car5e (or above) spec, it will be susceptible to noise and crosstalk. Under a carpet, it will ssoon be damaged and fail.

What the man said ..

Hi, I am new to this site/ forum and came hear specifically hoping to get an answer to this. I have just ordered BT FTTP as I live on a remote farm and they seem to be the only provider who could do this giving me a decent set up and speed etc.

However my question is how they will run anything to my premises as it is very remote and the box which anything was originally ran from I e. The old phone line is a long long way from the property on the other side of the farm and everything will have been routed underground originally?

Any thoughts or suggestions.... thanks

If you can order BT FTTP then Openreach must have installed FTTP network infrastructure (e.g Fibre cables and connection blocks) near to your remote farm for you to be able to order it.

If you enter your address on the BT Checker Here what does its say half way down on the line that starts Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-

If the current line comes underground via ducting then the fibre will likely take the same route.

The fact you have been able to make an FTTP order with BT means OpenReach already have the fibre Distribution Point (known as a CBT) in place at your nearest telegraph pole or underground chamber.
At this point you don't need to do anything except pick where you would like your ONT to go.

OpenReach will come out and survey the property to decide how they are getting the fibre from the CBT to your property.
You shouldn't need to do anything.

If you enter your address in to the BT Broadband Availability Checker sometimes it tells you the method they will use, sometimes not.

Enter your address here: https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Look for the part that says

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:

If your property has already been surveyed the next sentence may tell you what they are going to do.

Edit: dect beat me to it. Follow their advice.

Edited by j0hn83 (Fri 16-Jul-21 17:35:55)

My FTTP install process says 1 Stage, the pole has the fibre connection block (?) fitted to it, but AFAIK no fibre cable has yet been strung between my roof and the pole.

Whilst I have an engineer install date next week I was told that another engineer may come round before that to do a survey, but that they wouldn't need to come in so I have not been told a date for that.

Which engineer will string the cable between my roof and the pole? If the first 'survey' visit is where they connect pole to roof then will they just do that without knocking? I don't want it to come to the same bit of roof as the current copper one as it has a long convoluted journey inside to get to a power socket, I have a much easier/shorter route for it in mind.

The installing engineer (on the appointment date you’ve been given) should be the one to run in the overhead fibre.

The earlier non-appointed task will be to check for issues, like line of site (are there trees in the way) are there joint user or D poles involved. They also ought to be checking your allocated port on the CBT (fibre DP block on the pole) has a good light reading to it, ready for service. These visits *sometimes* put the fibre span up, and fit the CSP to make life easier for the final install.

If you REALLY don’t want it spanned to your existing dropwire fixing in your absence, why not leave a polite note attached to your door ?

Thanks!

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

These visits *sometimes* put the fibre span up, and fit the CSP to make life easier for the final install.

Ah, that's what I'm worried about. My ISP (TalkTalk) can't tell me anything about the earlier non-appointment. Is there any way to find out via OpenReach?

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

If you REALLY don’t want it spanned to your existing dropwire fixing in your absence, why not leave a polite note attached to your door ?

I don't think I nor the second engineer want it at the existing fixing. It loops around the hall along a picture rail through cupboards, existing cable was painted years ago, the only mains socket is in a central/visible place. Would be nicer to hide the ONT + cabling behind the telly where there are mains and cat6 waiting, by an outside wall facing the pole.

The note may be the best option I don't know if they'd get as far as the front door as they're not coming in and it's somewhat hidden by a storm porch - but I could stick it on a window by the current fix point...

I have yet to have my FTTP installed. I am currently on FTTC and very pleased with it.

However, we have to move on.

My question relates to the drop wire from the pole to the house which currently goes through trees which grown up around it.

I would like the drop wire for the fibre to go to a different part of the house - no trees.

Will Openreach install a second drop wire whilst leaving the first active? Both will pass over my neighbour's garden with the new one going closer to their house.

My install followed the original copper cable into my premises which suited me fine but the guy who did the install said he could feed it to any corner or wall on my house.
Of course different engineers / installers may have a different attitude to the decent bloke who installed mine.

Tea and biscuits works a treat.

I'm in Exeter and last week I had FTTP installed. There is a metal post outside the property which the Openreach engineer is unable to climb so a BT cherry picker was called in. It dropped the fibre line from the top of the pole to the bottom where the engineer could stretch it to the house where the cherry picker was used once again to drop the line from above to my flat which is on the ground floor. The whole exercise took a couple of hours because the cherry picker was already in the neighbourhood.
All in all, an impressive installation and I'm please with the speeds I'm getting. https://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/16300488116...

I started this thread over a year and a half ago - and promptly decided that there were too many unknowns in how Fibre would be installed into my property.

I have kept an eye on it since and have decided to bite the bullet, initially it was VM who got me interested but I have discovered that they will not (can not) use existing telephone infrastructure, specifically an underground telephone duct whereas Openreach will. I'm currently with Plusnet on FTTC and they just sent me an email to tell me that FTTP is now available (I guess it is not a lie!!!) but they also TOLD me, I don't need a landline, I then got into a silly argument where he again TOLD me that I had already had fibre run into my house - not great when I wanted to talk about the details of how it would be installed!

I have now placed an order with BT but only on the condition that I can halt it if I am not happy about the installation when it finally happens.

The BT Broadband Availability Checker for my phone number says - Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG Feed with no anticipated issues.

I am in Northern Ireland and I believe here it is common for an undergound duct to be run into the house, coming up at some suitable point. I think that is the case for me and it runs under the front door and comes up under the stairs into the existing BT Master Socket.

Assuming that is the case, will the engineer :-

1, Break into the duct outside the front door, run the fibre to there and install a CSP, drill into the wall and run fibre to an ONT and then a patch lead to the HUB?

or

2, Run the fibre along the duct to the BT Master Socket and simply fit an ONT there in place of the Master Socket (or beside it), and then again a further patch lead to the HUB?


I see that there are different approaches taken in different parts of the country but if an unblocked duct is already there all the way to inside the property and it is is convenient to use - it just makes sense to me.

If you have an existing duct that comes up under your stairs I would expect Openreach to pull the fibre cable all the way through the duct and fit a CSP and ONT under the stairs.

Be prepared the duct may not go all the way to the under stairs cupboard and may be partly direct in ground as has be seen in Northern Ireland in the past.

Ahh! Thanks for the warning.

If the duct is all the way through and no obstructions, then CSP and ONT where te existing master is. Mine comes to teh eaves, then through a loft to the CSP & ONT - no external drop down &c.

Is the CSP a small box, similar in size as a BT Master socket?

There are, I believe, slightly different versions. The one here is about 150mm sq and 30mm deep.

In reply to a post by MHC:

There are, I believe, slightly different versions. The one here is about 150mm sq and 30mm deep.

Another type is 100mm high, 160mm wide and 30mm deep which I believe is made by OFS

Great, Thanks

Just trying to plan where to locate them

If you want to see what the (OFS) white internal CSP looks like, here’s a link to a current eBay listing with some good photos.

If they do locate the CSP internally then it’s likely going to be one of those.

I am not sure that you get any choice re the siting on the CSP. I was told that it had to be located close to the copper wire entry point. That said, the fibre was run from the road using the existing duct. The installer was very happy to discuss the position of the ONT.

It depends massively on the local property and connection circumstances…and let’s face it who you get on the day and your mutual agreement! 😉

The basis is that the point at which the external grade cable transitions to an internal grade cable must be as close as possible at the point at which external grade cable enters the interior space of a property - that is big no, no is running black cable inside a premises for OH&S reasons. Also the CSP must be located where it’s safe and practical for the engineer to splice the fibre, now and in future if ever the internal connection needed to be moved or re-spliced.

As such there’s some degree of practical latitude in agreeing a siting position for all these things, bounded of course by what is realistic / practical in said setup/situation.

I didn't quite get that right, there is a location at the Master Socket that (in my opinion) would be ideal, easy access, not in the way, easy access to power - providing they are reasonable sized boxes, which I now know they are.

That being said, I have a row of kitchen cabinets along the wall under the stairs and one of them has no back, the one at the Master Socket. Their is a double power socket on the wall. It isn't a tight confined area, yes it is a bit enclosed but I think it'll be fine.

IF it can't go there I am really not sure where else it can go.