Telent Cab Installation

I originally asked this on the Cab thread, but Admin closed that down just after I posted meaning no-one was able to reply to my question!

Does anyone have experience of Telent working practices when installing cabs in a town?

There are about 18 cabs on the rollout document to be done around Epping. Telnet was busy installing several around town in the week after New Year and I have spotted 8 in-situ. However the workers now seem to have disappeared.

My cab hasn't appeared next to the PCP yet even though there is a (now faded) paint mark up on the pavement where it should be going.

So I'm naturally concerned that there are issues preventing installation of my cab. It is still on the line checker as 31st March RFS however. Do Telent tend to just disappear off a job like this mid-way through, or are they really not coming back?

They tend to descend for a week, work on three of four cabs and then come back some weeks later for another week. However, once the cab is in there is still the issue of power (which isn't Telent) and the fibre itself. Your cab, power and fibre can come in any order (usually, fibre and cab tend to come around the same time).

Another reason is that Carillion Telent are performing less installs as sub-contractors for BT Openreach and may be replaced by other sub-contractors.

Morrison are carrying out the works to install the majority of new cabs in parts of Kent (Dover, Thanet and parts of the Canterbury District - Whitstable).

In reply to a post by Justo:

They tend to descend for a week, work on three of four cabs and then come back some weeks later for another week. However, once the cab is in there is still the issue of power (which isn't Telent) and the fibre itself. Your cab, power and fibre can come in any order (usually, fibre and cab tend to come around the same time).

Many thanks Justo. So maybe I shouldn't get too paranoid just yet! I was fully aware of the additional need for power and fibre connections, but the appearance of the cab is fairly definite proof that it's going to happen (although I appreciate there are posts on here of people with cabs that have been waiting months for power).

It's annoying when you know you should be getting FTTC, and everywhere else in town seems to have got a cab installed already (although I'm fairly certain there are a few missing elsewhere).

Walking back from work each day I keep my fingers crossed to see road cones when I turn the corner, but I keep getting disappointed!

In reply to a post by Yaz:

Another reason is that Carillion Telent are performing less installs as sub-contractors for BT Openreach and may be replaced by other sub-contractors.

Morrison are carrying out the works to install the majority of new cabs in parts of Kent (Dover, Thanet and parts of the Canterbury District - Whitstable).

Surely they get contracted on an exchange area basis to tie in with the rollout programme?

Would be a nightmare to PM and audit the installation works any other way - the record of who did what would be more trouble than it was worth. Also there surely wouldn't be many efficiencies to get different contractors into the same area to do a few cabs each - once you get the staff there they may as well blast away and get the whole exchange area done.

Edited by deleted (Thu 19-Jan-12 21:10:21)

Oh no, this looks bad

Just had the idea of search the council planning applications. There were 11 for DSLAMs in Epping. Despite what is shown on the leaked document:

8 were approved (1 of which was superceded, meaning only 7 have been approved for install)
3 were refused
And none of the above were my Cab (#8).

So this suggests that the leaked list is either wrong and BT have removed my cab from the rollout, or they just haven't gotten around to applying yet (which doesn't seem right - why would they not apply at the same time as all of the other ones??)

This ties up with what I have observed. My cab was supposed to be on a pavement so definitely needed permission I think I have spotted two cabs which are not on the planning list, but they are both well away from the public pavement.

Bet it's the blocked ducts down the hill due to all the gasworks. Knew I was right to be suspicious. Grrr!

******************** PANIC OVER! ******************

It was lodged under a different description - 'Electronic Communications Apparatus for BT Openreach' and didn't mention DSLAM unlike the others which is why it didn't come up on my search.

It was approved in October

It's a different prfile cabinet than the others (a 'F01H200' rather than a Huawei) so maybe that's the reason for the delay?

Edited by deleted (Thu 19-Jan-12 22:15:08)

Yes, a new cabinet going in means you will be getting FTTC at some point, alas in my case it's been over six months since that happened and no power still.

I don't know how Openreach contract out the rollouts.

I have first-hand experience (past, present and more to come) of the Streetworks actions of Carillion, Morrison and the other two sub-contractors (Owen Mullen and Bearsted if I remember correctly) and it's been a nightmare anyway.

I can't really say much more to be honest.

Was driving around today so thought I would do an audit (sad I know!).

Of the 15 cabs left in the rollout here (after removing the 3 that didn't get planning permission), 11 have been installed, and there are 4 remaining to be installed.

However, thanks to the wonderful Elgin site referenced on another post here I can see that 'BT' (i.e. Carillion Telent) are coming back in February to finish the job

My cab does seem to be a month behind the other though which have power works scheduled for February.

You know that you can setup a search in ELGIN by plotting an area and it will alert you to works within.

I work within Streetworks and use ELGIN side by side with our main system (from which it takes its data from). It�s pretty useful for keeping an eye on the overall area just as long as the information is correct when submitted by the relevant utility to the local highway authority.

To round this off, Telent came back this week and installed the missing cab at the end of my road.... and it's a huge one (unlike the small ones I have seen elsewhere around town), so this could explain why it was done at a different time.

And Elgin was exactly accurate - it stated work starting on 1/2/12 & work started on that day.

Strange that they have installed it right on the edge of the kerb whereas the PCP 2m away is against the boundary wall of the adjoining property. In the location it's in I can imagine it getting hit by cars, especially as commuters park a few feet away with their wheels on the kerb.

Ihe only reason I can suppose is the presence of an LV cable running to the PCP shown on the planning permission plan, which would have gotten in the way of the excavation. But the risk of getting hit by cars would surely have justified the expense of moving that, especially as they have to tap it anyway to power the cab.

It would help if they put a refective strip on the side of the cabinet - dark green on a poorly lit street isn't exactly good to warn drivers of its presence!

Edited by deleted (Sat 04-Feb-12 00:16:01)

I've wondered about this when I've seen cabinets positioned right by the kerb.

I guess it must be a choice of last resort.

I don't know if there is an outright policy on where cabs are to be placed. Different organisations have different thoughts on where they should go (plus there are many variables to each site that there is no easy one rule for all sites).

In general, it's my opinion, that cab's (and other such street furniture) are best off at the back of the footway. If there are underground services beneath the surface then it may be that costs to move that may be far greater than moving the cab.

I've had several experiences where major streetworks projects have been changed at the last minute as other major services have been 'discovered' while works were in progress (and not properly located at planning stages).

In addition to the above, I have had to deal with several enquiries from members of the public who are not happy with the fact that a cab has turn up outside of there house (no matter where it is on the highway land).

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

I've wondered about this when I've seen cabinets positioned right by the kerb.

I guess it must be a choice of last resort.

Seems likely. For one of the cabinets near me, they started digging at the back of the pavement but hit some old, unused ntl ducting. They filled in the hole and about 2 months later came back to install a cabinet at the kerb edge instead.