In reply to a post by BatBoy:

Where is your evidence that there is a 6 week lead time for power?

The talk of 6 weeks didn't come from an SLA of what *ought* to happen. In this instance it came from an Openreach report (in Finchampstead) where the reports of individual cabinets talked of 6, 8 and 10 week leadtimes for the power.

Take a look at my post (earlier in this thread) here. It has a link to the Finchampstead report, elsewhere on the forum.

More important than what the actual *leadtime* is, is what Openreach's *attitude* is. The 6 week leadtimes are simply stated at such. Longer leadtimes are marked as being chased with management. *That* suggests that a 6 week leadtime is the accepted norm.

http://www.northernpowergrid.com/page/guide_prices_a...

Some info, 17 days for the quotation, 25 days guarantee with a £10 per day late penalty, which if charging £700 to £1,570 and worried they might miss am sure a few days are built into the pricing, i.e. profit margin if it works out, but if a week or two late they won't really lose money.

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

The talk of 6 weeks didn't come from an SLA of what *ought* to happen. In this instance it came from an Openreach report (in Finchampstead) where the reports of individual cabinets talked of 6, 8 and 10 week leadtimes for the power.

So the claim made by bob_s2 that

In reply to a post by Bob_s2:

Because thats the Utilities companies SLA. THey need six weeks notice

is actually just an assumption he has made by scanning a few posts?

Why am I not surprised that no such SLA exists ?!

Streetworks. It is not really possible to give a link as diferent power utility companies have different SLA's. Typically the SLA is between 4 and 8 weeks to provide power so BT should build that into their schedule and arrange for power to be connected soon after the cabinet is installed. Exactly when depends on how BT work. If the first thing they want is power it would be logical to order it for a day or two after the cabinet goes in. I think you need about 48 hours for the cement to go off unless they use fast setting variety

Usually with large scale projects the Utility companies would give you a programe manager contact so that they can ensure both parties are working to the same dates and any minor slippages by either party can be dealt with. No point in the power company coming out if the cabinet is not there.

In reply to a post by Bob_s2:

If BT do that then they need to plug into their programe a 6 week lead time for power as if they do not place the order for power onto the Utlity company until the cabinet is in place they will have to wait for up to sixs weeks for power(SLA)

Your description of the consequence is exactly right.

However, your statement of BT's "need" is only correct if you assume that BT favour absolute speed of deployment over the budget for it.

If BT *did* order power 6 weeks earlier (and I agree that they *could*), they would be gambling that the cabinet actually got installed. If something delayed the cabinet install, then the power install would not be able to go ahead.

As we know that delays are inevitable to different aspects of the rollout, we could expect that this would cause administrative hassles between BT and the power companies - slots would be being cancelled regularly, and new slots requested (with, presumably, a new 6 week leadtime). That presumably has knock-on impacts to the streetworks, which are (supposedly) being coordinated, so we don't get traffic jams.

That kind of overhead adds to the costs, and certainly adds to the overload of the power companies & highways departments.

My belief, therefore, is that it is a deliberate choice by BT (and possibly requested by the power companies and/or councils) to wait until cabinet is installed until ordering power.

Yes, this adds 6 weeks leadtime. But it also helps ensure the project runs to budget.

THe normal way of doing things would be to schedule the power connection in line with the Cabinet install so power would go in say a day after the Cabinet install rather than BT waiting to instal the cabinet and then ordering power.

It is only normal if you need it that way - if time is the absolutely most important factor. Clearly BT don't need it that way - which suggests other factors are in play here. I suggest budget is one.

That auomatically builds in a 6 week delay and also costs BT money as the kit is sitting there not earning its keep yet they will be billed for it.

Yes - it does make for an automatic delay for power. However, it only turns that into a a 6 week delay if power is the critical path, and if there is no other cause for delay in going to RFS.

As seen in the report, the duct blockages cause some delays in parallel, while every cabinet must wait for the exchange work to also be complete.

In the big picture, the 6 week delay of a cabinet is not a big thing. In fact a 6 week delay of *every* cabinet would still only have an impact of 6 weeks, over the entire 4 years.

In reply to a post by Bob_s2:

so BT should build that into their schedule and arrange for power to be connected soon after the cabinet is installed

Why should they? What gain do they get?

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

Would the meter be inside the cabinet? Or in some ground inspection pit?

If the former, then it still means that the tails (before cabinet installation) would be unmetered.

I just found a post suggesting that the meter is in the cabinet, and remotely-readable: cabinet power supply

As you point out - the correctly sealed termination, into a meter, inside the cabinet - seems to me to make it impossible to install power until the cabinet is physically present.

Combined with the attitudes seen in that report, I'm comfortable in believing that BT don't order power until the cabinet is *actually* in place.

The meter company fuse assy (with 100AMP FUSE) Are fitted to the cabs in the factory , infact the whole thing is supplied in pre built complete form, so only required connecting up to fibre,ptsn and 240v mains power, the meter set up is the same as a normal domestic mains supply ,The dslam part is only 12v backup batteries are 12v each x4 the cabs even if running with the max 288 lines in use, still don't draw much current
Carrilion who do the ground work and fit the cabs also are now connecting mains power where there is already an existing supply usually this will be the 240 v phase that supplies illuminated street furniture , It's when they install a cab and there is no such cable to tap into

In reply to a post by Bob_s2:

Streetworks. It is not really possible to give a link as diferent power utility companies have different SLA's. Typically the SLA is between 4 and 8 weeks

So now you're confirming that the "6 week SLA" is just a figment of your fertile imagination.

I suspect that everything else you post is the same.

Are you suggesting that BT have so little confidence in their program that they are not prepared to ask for Power until the cabinet appears in the street? Nornmal approach with this sort of thing is Project Manage A liases with project manage B to ensure everything is running to schedule and if not to take action to ensure it is bought back into schedule. With major projects you can usually flex and juggle the schedule slightly so if Cabinet A is not ready the power company does cabinet B

I would say it would cost BT more to not schedule the power as one the cabinet is installed it is a billing event and BT get invoiced for it. Normal payment terms are 90 days fromm invoice


Project Managers are paid quite well to deal with these sort of headaches

It is not a figment. I am giving typical SLA's. There are dozens of utility companies and their SLA's will all vary slightly