BT FTTP new poles

Has anyone noticed in areas with fttp if they renewed most of the poles (unless they are fairly new anyway) as part of the rollout. As well renewing all the drop wires, running fibre up the poleas fitting the fttp equipment to the top of poles.

In our area they did not replace any of the poles. They just ran the fibre up the existing poles to the new manifold that they installed at the top. Or in some cases have just left the fibre rolled up at the bottom of the pole.

Were the poles in your area in reasonable condition?

They do not look as if they are going to fall down soon if that is what you mean. I have no idea how long that they have been there.

No, the existing poles will be used.

Not directly affecting you, I have just been over at Spean Bridge near Fort William.

OPENREACH is installing fibre in relatively new ducts and manholes heading up the glen to SB etc. The manholes appear to be at about 100 metre intervals.

In contrast further up the glen towards Ardverikie Estate (TV Monarch of the Glen), there are some ancient phone poles, still with the cross-bars and insulators; but no wires.

The latter have been replaced by multi-way cable, just below the lower cross-bar; and at one pole, the supporting wire "clip" round the pole looks as though it is eating in to that pole, with the short higher section leaning over towards a precarious angle, when it will probably fall off.

The multi-way cable seems to be relatively recent, as I can't detect it in the Google Street View shots of July 2011.

In our village they used existing poles, and put in a few new ones here and there. They also straightened some of the more "drunken" poles

The Aerial Cable (you call it multi-way) will only be 20 or possibly 50 pairs (most likely is 20). Anything more than that would have been put underground during the big project they did in the 70s and 80s to move most of the overhead network underground.

Agreed that it is probably 20 way, as the maximum amount of cross-bars was three, each with four insulators, so 6 lines apparently.

Thinking of the days when the poles would be festooned with the bare wires; and the jangling when any made contact in severe winds etc!

In reply to a post by eckiedoo:

I have just been over at Spean Bridge near Fort William.

wow, that brings back some memories. I had a bit of a holiday romance some years ago with a girl who worked in a local shop (londis store I think), right on the junction at Spean Bridge. Ah memories!

Lovely part of the world.

Edited by aquiss (Wed 24-Sep-14 15:18:41)