Community Fibre Installation - Do they use existing Virgin?

Hello

I am looking for have Community Fibre broadband installed. The property was built in 1998 with BT and Virgin cables built in.

This meant they connected the broadband outside but no wiring was required inside so no unsightly cables. Does anyone know how Community Fibre do their installation?

Will they be able to use the existing virgin or BT line or at least pull the cable through the old BT box?

Thanks in advance.

They will not use any existing cabling, Virgin, BT or anybody else There will be a new fibre connection brought into the property.

Do you know if they can feed the cable through where the existing cabling goes? I.e. pull it through the walls to where the existing BT socket and cabling comes out?

Or do they only run the cable along the skirting board or under the carpet?

It depends.
If they have paid Openreach for duct access (called PIA, Physical Infrastructure Access) and most of the the local installs are being done via these ducts then yes they can and will use them. Some providers will use the existing duct up to the wall then install their own box on the wall outside.

If they haven't paid for this access and are doing their own digging then they won't be allowed to use the existing duct.

Have a look around the local area. Others who have Community Fibre might be able to tell you for definite.

Community Fibre use DIA where it exists. I think what is being asked here though is whether there's a way of CF getting their cables from where the BT duct pops up on the outside of the house through to wherever the current BT master socket is (assuming it's not just on the other side of the wall from the duct leaving the ground), and the answer is no. In the very unlikely situation you have conduits installed in your walls they could use these to pull their fibre through, but that's just not something that exists in UK housing stock.

I think the OP is enquiring about the internal part of the install, saying can they drag the fibre through wall voids using existing copper route to do so.

My answer would be, no.

If the OP wants hidden cabling, best bet would be to run their own cat5 to where they want the router to be.

Yep dragging fibre in though voids and cavities with no containment, usually results in an unhappy ending. Even if it all looks ok from the outside.

In reply to a post by blueplant:

Do you know if they can feed the cable through where the existing cabling goes? I.e. pull it through the walls to where the existing BT socket and cabling comes out?

Or do they only run the cable along the skirting board or under the carpet?

I was asked where I wanted it, they will install it anywhere (within reason) I myself had them install it near where BT's ONT + BBU, that way it's all centralised in one area making it easier for me to do my internal wiring.

Just ask the engineers when they arrive before they start the install if they can install it where you want, they might say sure, I could have had mine installed down my ally way out of sight.

Paul

No, they use their own cables like others have said.
The same experience I can say of my own. They installed the cables in my building. They were white cables that had CommunityFibre printed on the cables and they were tucked neatly under a cupboard against the walls in my passage floor area and were traveling on top through some existing metal cable trunking.

They have not completed the works yet in my building and the service hasn't yet gone live, it's been 20 months since they last worked so I can't comment on how the installation will go through when they install inside my property. Though I do know that they will feed fibre cables into each flats individually and will install a separate Community Fibre ONT socket somewhere in your property of your choice.

Here's a 2 minute Youtube video https://youtu.be/4BVYzRxv0KA on how Community Fibre install their cables.