In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by 4M2:

So does that mean that they never use hybrid drop cables (i.e. copper + fibre optic) from poles to premises?

I doubt any of the alt-net’s would provision copper. Why would they? If an alt-net wanted to provide voice, it would be a VoIP service through either the router or an additional box.

So, in all alt-net FTTP installations, if an end user wished to retain an active copper connection with another provider for voice and/or xDSL broadband, the original copper drop cable would be left in place and there would always be a separate fibre optic drop cable from the pole(s) to the premises?

In reply to a post by 4M2:

So, in all alt-net FTTP installations, if an end user wished to retain an active copper connection with another provider for voice and/or xDSL broadband, the original copper drop cable would be left in place and there would always be a separate fibre optic drop cable from the pole(s) to the premises?

In the same way you can have an Openreach voice/xDSL service and a Virgin Media service in the last 5 to 10 years. An AltNet FTTP is similar to Virgin Media, and not impacted by anything Openreach do. E.g. CityFibre or similar.

Edited by jchamier (Sun 21-May-23 15:35:17)

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by 4M2:

So, in all alt-net FTTP installations, if an end user wished to retain an active copper connection with another provider for voice and/or xDSL broadband, the original copper drop cable would be left in place and there would always be a separate fibre optic drop cable from the pole(s) to the premises?

In the same way you can have an Openreach voice/xDSL service and a Virgin Media service in the last 5 to 10 years. An AltNet FTTP is similar to Virgin Media, and not impacted by anything Openreach do. E.g. CityFibre or similar.

That's interesting - I can foresee that in some places and during an unknown period of time nearly every house in a street will be feed by two drop cables, possibly in most cases the copper being inactive

In reply to a post by 4M2:

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by 4M2:

So, in all alt-net FTTP installations, if an end user wished to retain an active copper connection with another provider for voice and/or xDSL broadband, the original copper drop cable would be left in place and there would always be a separate fibre optic drop cable from the pole(s) to the premises?

In the same way you can have an Openreach voice/xDSL service and a Virgin Media service in the last 5 to 10 years. An AltNet FTTP is similar to Virgin Media, and not impacted by anything Openreach do. E.g. CityFibre or similar.

That's interesting - I can foresee that in some places and during an unknown period of time nearly every house in a street will be feed by two drop cables, possibly in most cases the copper being inactive

And does it really matter if that is the case? It is probably not financially viable for it to be removed. All BT wants to do is to close down the voice based service over a copper pair. The redundant cabling could well have a future use to control services yet to be invented.

Many older houses such as ours are supplied via overhead line. The change seems to have happened about 45 years ago when ducts were installed. In my case the OR tech used the copper line to haul the fibre cable across the road and up to our gable wall, must have been around 45m. So no chance of using copper again. This method is being used to upgrade all my neighbours, this being an elderly neighbourhood in every sense of the word.

I guess rodding the duct wasn't feasible?

None do (as far as I am aware) because they don’t have the kit to provision copper based services. No exchange based voice. No FTTC.

A cut and draw technique is usually a lot easier than rodding

In reply to a post by Malwaremike:

Many older houses such as ours are supplied via overhead line. The change seems to have happened about 45 years ago when ducts were installed. In my case the OR tech used the copper line to haul the fibre cable across the road and up to our gable wall, must have been around 45m. So no chance of using copper again. This method is being used to upgrade all my neighbours, this being an elderly neighbourhood in every sense of the word.

Hi Malwaremike, I had to read this a few times so for clarity are you saying that properties newer than approx 45 years typically have ducting whereas your property is older than this meaning you have overhead?

Yes, sorry for confusion. Older houses (I stress in our area) are all overhead, newer properties since about 45 years ago began to have ducts installed during build. Hammerheads at end of street have one big Distribution Pole with spider's web of lines running to gable of each house. Our copper lines ran underground from cabinets then up to the original poles.

As I understand it OR first cleaned the ducts with copper in-situ, then installed the fibre beside the copper to the DP. As far as I have seen they use then the copper as a haul line to string the fibre replacement when required. This is the practice in my brother's area 12 miles on the far side of the city but I have no idea if it is general.

Certainly it would cause great disruption and cost a bomb to lay ducting in our old properties, many of which have overhead mains cabling as well.