New Line Installation?

So I'm currently a customer of Virgin Media's "Superfast Coaxial Broadband"

FTTC has been available to me for 2-3 years but been hoping Virgin would sort utilisation and the many other issues in Crawley out but with around 4-5 weeks left for them to do many many tasks I have little faith they will pull through.

One of the reasons for not switching yet is that my property like many ni the area does not have any form of Openreach line installed and the closest that the Openreach network is the top of my "concrete" drive!

I've seen some of my neighbours (who needed new lines) have had new lines installed and it looks like Openreach or their contractors have cut into the public pathways from the underground chambers (pits) to the customers premises where it has either been buried under soil beds, lawns, drives and some places with a wall up to the house they have just brought the cable above ground at the end of the drive and clipped it along the wall.

Now I have a planned spot for here I want a master socket and the modem and also a planned route for the cable to come from the street to the NTE but I have a couple of questions!

1# is Openreach known to work closely with the customer when planning the route and assuring they don't make a mess of the customers premises when carrying out work?
2# Does Openreach bury this cable straight in the ground or will they install a duct from the underground chamber in the street to the rise point (by the front door) ?

As mentioned above I have Virgin currently and I'm still fighting with them about my drop cable from the street cab being "shodelly" installed and me and my neighbour are very disappointed with the long length of bright green corrugated tubing running through the bush all the way to the houses.

Regards.

Does Openreach bury this cable straight in the ground or will they install a duct from the underground chamber in the street to the rise point (by the front door) ?

It will be through a duct. *Unless* the survey officer sees good reason for it to be delivered by armoured direct in ground cable {most unlikely}

is Openreach known to work closely with the customer when planning the route and assuring they don't make a mess of the customers premises when carrying out work?

Yes, they will take your opinions in to consideration, unless of course your planned route is impractical. They will always be looking for the easiest/shortest route, and will always try and use 'soft' digging wherever possible.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Yes, they will take your opinions in to consideration, unless of course your planned route is impractical. They will always be looking for the easiest/shortest route, and will always try and use 'soft' digging wherever possible.

Well my route involve mostly soft digging by their is a run across the front of the property of about 2-3 metres that will requires cutting, digging and then tarmac or concrete mix to fill it back in.

Will add a picture shortly with quick arrow plan!

Bear in mind they'll be looking for a straight-ish duct route from the point in the pavement closest to the nearest footway box to the point where the external feed will terminate.

http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/contactus/conne... will offer some guides to how they do the ducting etc

Usually a developer sorts this all out in advance, but sounds like yours plumped for VM instead.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Bear in mind they'll be looking for a straight-ish duct route from the point in the pavement closest to the nearest footway box to the point where the external feed will terminate.

This is my proposed route, all the kerbside chamber is virtual at the end of the drive by the bush!

http://tinypic.com/r/2zqr1p0/8

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/contactus/conne... will offer some guides to how they do the ducting etc

Usually a developer sorts this all out in advance, but sounds like yours plumped for VM instead.

Thanks for that, very useful information!

Though it's only my opinion ...... I'd say no. Are you stood in a porch to take the photo ? If so, then the UG feed would more likely be suggested to come up by the plant pot, less duct (this being the expensive bit) then the installer runs external cable from here to wherever.

Or maybe across the drive, straight down to far point of the left hand side wall. Less duct again.

Your other posts seem to imply there is no existing Openreach infrastructure in the property, is this right ? Looking at the age, I'd say 1980's or before, there MUST be an existing feed somewhere, direct in ground cable coming up within the property most likely.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Though it's only my opinion ...... I'd say no. Are you stood in a porch to take the photo ? If so, then the UG feed would more likely be suggested to come up by the plant pot, less duct (this being the expensive bit) then the installer runs external cable from here to wherever.

Can't not my property next doors, they aren't happy about the Virgin stuff being their, also don't dance wires running all over the place looking a mess.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Or maybe across the drive, straight down to far point of the left hand side wall. Less duct again.

Not possible due to drainage!

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Your other posts seem to imply there is no existing Openreach infrastructure in the property, is this right ? Looking at the age, I'd say 1980's or before, there MUST be an existing feed somewhere, direct in ground cable coming up within the property most likely.

Nope!, unfortunately only properties that had a phone service got a line installed, most properties round here have the same issue, my neighbour has his at the front of the house and I've looked in the same place in my house but theirs nothing.

How easily could a cable run inside the drainage channel across the "carport"?

Can't not my property next doors, they aren't happy about the Virgin stuff being their ....

What have the neighbours got to do with it as the pot is on your land and the external cable could go up your carport post, or surely the side of next door, then across the carport to yours?

Edited by RobertoS (Thu 08-Jan-15 15:36:51)

probably quite easy but I wouldn't recommend it and half the drive is falling apart and I will be pressuring the landlord this year to sort it.

Also I've already located the backbox for the master NTE and also drilled a pilot hole in the wall, I want it to be a nice clean job, no damage and no reasons for any accidental damage after install..

They can lift the slabs and see what they can do their if they like but I think my way of doing it will be the most cost affective and also a lot less messy.

ALSO

The wall I plan for the external NTE to mounted to is my Office (Converted Garage) where my main router is located.

When the plant pot was mentioned, I was under the impression that the person meant for it to be mounted on the wall as the Virgin Media Omni Box currently is and then run another cable around the house,

but for the same reason as last (drive falling apart) its no recommended than cables go into the drainage channel.

Edited by mlmclaren (Thu 08-Jan-15 15:45:04)

Also see my edit .

but I think my way of doing it will be the most cost affective and also a lot less messy.

Ah, but that is just your opinion .........

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Ah, but that is just your opinion .........

That's right and that is what matters (In a perfect world)

The fact is that the wall to the right can not have anything fixed to it and the cable that currently is has got to be removed, the wall to the left is the easiest to get to as their is decking across the front of the house and under than is yet more concrete.

I say its cheaper for Openreach to run around the edge to that wall as down the right hand side of the drive is soft ground and then there's only 2-3 metres of concrete to chase to the wall on the left and then refill.

Surely it will cost more for Openreach to chase the public foot way across the top of the drive and the chase all the way down to the property.

If they don't want to pay for an extra 3 metres of ducting then that's pathetic.

.Openreach surveyor visited this morning, agreed that my way of doing it would be the most convenient for me and also the cheapest for them...

For once me and a telecoms employee agree on something, he also said that it would be buried about 18 inches underground which is pretty deep...

Now just hope its done soon, Virgin is becoming even more of a pain in the [censored].

Well done. Let's hope no-one overrules him. You had also better make sure you are on site when it's done!

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 23-Jan-15 00:11:54)

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Well done. Let's hope no-one overrules him. You had also better make sure you are on site when it's done!

Well I hope he isn't as it won't go ahead otherwise, Oh I will defiantly be on site and the whole thing will be in High Def anyway due to CCTV system.

Edited by mlmclaren (Fri 23-Jan-15 12:16:25)

A very appropriate auto-alteration to your typing there methinks .