Congratulations, I was wrong.... do you want a blue Peter badge? Why do you need to reply to me 3 times with the same picture.

In reply to a post by jabuzzard:

http://small.buzzard.me.uk/stuff/20170822_092449.jpg

LOL the main PCP could do with a lick of paint

In reply to a post by jabuzzard:

While the original extension may well have been a standard PCP extension, the cabinet is now sporting a G.Fast pod too. So my hypothesis that a full cabinet might need a PCP extension before it can get a G.Fast pod is correct.

As proof of the pudding I present a photo of the cabinet 42 from Glasgow Bridgeton sporting it's PCP extension and G.Fast pod.

I await the apologies from all those who said I was blowing smoke.

I�m completely confused. What�s your point exactly? That every cabinet would have PCP extension prior to getting G.Fast? Or that it just might?

If there�s enough space inside the PCP for the G.Fast tie pairs then no extension is required. Or have I misunderstood?

In reply to a post by Icaras:

I�m completely confused. What�s your point exactly? That every cabinet would have PCP extension prior to getting G.Fast? Or that it just might?

If there�s enough space inside the PCP for the G.Fast tie pairs then no extension is required. Or have I misunderstood?

I hypothesized that a full cabinet might need a PCP expansion in order for a G.Fast pod to be fitted. I was told this was rubbish the tie pairs where in the G.Fast pod. My point was that this is pretty much definitive proof that I was correct. So don't be surprised if in one of the G.Fast areas you see a PCP expansion going in for it to be followed by a G.Fast pod a few weeks later.

It is also relevant that there has been a flurry of activity around cabinets out of Glasgow Bridgeton, such as PCP expansion and what looked like resurfacing work around the cabinet among other things. Clearly you can't in all instances just rock up to a cabinet and bolt a G.Fast pod on.

Another point of note is that it seems to take pretty much a whole day to add the pod to the cabinet.

What do you mean the �tie pairs are in the G.Fast pod�?

They�re tie pairs, their very nature means they go from one place to another. They go from the PCP to the G.Fast pod and vice versa. There�s a few people who keep insisting that extensions are needed to cabinets for G.Fast. Those of us who work in these cabinets every day keep telling you that tie pairs are just crammed in wherever they will fit! Whether that�s to the left or the right of existing pairs. If the cabinet is completely full, then sure, a PCP extension is fitted.

You may very well see an extension go on a few weeks before a G.Fast pod. The existing cabinet could have had FTTC for a few years, possibly have two FTTC twins even by now. It�s not surprising that a lot of copper cabinets are getting full with all the tie pairs required for FTTC.

So a PCP extension is not done as a matter of course and is only done when there�s no more physical space in the cabinet for more VDSL2 or G.Fast tie pairs! Money isn�t just thrown away doing cabinet extensions for a laugh.

I do wonder one thing. A weird thing, though...

Why do the wiring extensions seem to get a base (ie an adjustment to the tarmac or concrete base), and appear to be free-standing? While the G.Fast pods appear to be cantilevered in mid-air, with a triangular-shaped brace, but no base?

Stand off cabinets require more duct space to the nearest joint box for the extra copper pairs hence the civils work required and new tarmac. The G Fast pods were designed for minimal civils hence why they've been bolted onto existing cabinets with a hole into existing cabinet to feed tie pairs and combined power / fibre cable to the FTTC DSLAM. This keeps costs down and can be rolled out quickly.

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

I do wonder one thing. A weird thing, though...

Why do the wiring extensions seem to get a base (ie an adjustment to the tarmac or concrete base), and appear to be free-standing? While the G.Fast pods appear to be cantilevered in mid-air, with a triangular-shaped brace, but no base?

Answer is in the post above mine. It�s all wired via the existing PCP so the hybrid cable to the FTTC DSLAM from the G.Fast pod just uses one of the ducts in the copper PCP.

DSLAM extensions are the same, cantilevered. They�re generally used when the DSLAM size chosen is wrong, so they add a pod on the side of the DSLAM to add more ports. You don�t see many though.

Edited by deleted (Thu 24-Aug-17 21:49:09)