Telegraph Pole Replacement - New location puzzle

A quick post for my education!

Openreach have two sets of work booked locally - Yesterday they erected a new pole and next week they plan to replace a pole (according to one.network at least!) I've been keeping an eye on what's planned as hopefully this is a precursor to FTTP being deployed.

I was a little puzzled to see that the new pole has gone up a significant distance from the pole to be replaced - See this link

Old & New Location

Rather than putting a new pole next to the existing, or between two properties, it's gone up by the neighbouring property's drive.

I would think that this complicates the replacement process as a number of drop wires will need replacement (including a tie cable to another pole) and others reterminated to shorten them?

Perhaps it's an addititional pole and the old pole will be replaced in-situ next week?

Does anyone know why this approach may have been taken in this instance? As I said, I'm just puzzled - None of my business really of course!

Edited by ferretuk (Thu 04-Aug-22 10:38:56)

The distance between poles for carrying fibre is less than for copper so its possible the extra pole has been put in for that reason.

That will probably cause a few moans from the house the new pole will be outside ...

The old pole is probably pre-BT era looking at the finial on top. They move from decorative ones to plain sloping ones, then nothing.

If that pole comes down, see if you can get the finial - at one time there was a market for those as collector pieces.

One may be a carrier pole, as otherwise spans might be too low across a road ?

ferrtuk

Nice old pole, I am expecting the same for our pole, for the added reason it serves about 48 pairs. Ours has a similar ferrule on the top and has a complete ring of insulators. All the rest of the poles have had CBTs added but ours has no room. They have already added duct to two block of 3 flats to start to offload it but there is no way that they can fit enough CBT capacity to it. There are already 2 sub poles that have been added one either side with a CBT but we expect another onnthe other side of the road.

My hunch is what Zarjaz said. Additional pole for height rather than a relocation.

Looks like bungalows the other side of the road.

Thanks for the replies about this.

The old pole has been replaced today by disconnecting all the drop wires, swapping the pole in the same location and reconnecting things again.

The new pole remains unused but there is work planned for next week to add a new duct to connect it to the underground infrastrucure.

I assume that the new pole may be for FTTP and that the old/now renewed pole is (or would be) too heavily loaded to support the existing copper and additional fibre drops. I guess I'll find out as and when OR put the fibres in...

A further update (if anyone is reading my musings...)

The date for the work to put in a duct to the new pole came and went with nothing happening laat week. Today, lots of activity in the road, pulling fibre between pavement chambers and adding CBTs to the existing poles (including the one that was replaced in the post above)

The new pole in the new location looks increasingly bare in comparison to its newly equipped neighbours

Edited by ferretuk (Mon 22-Aug-22 22:23:29)

10 days on from the CBT installation and FTTP services are now available to order.

The new, unused, pole looks increasingly forlorn...

In reply to a post by ferretuk:

The new, unused, pole looks increasingly forlorn...

If it was me I would wait a month or two and if its still sitting there unused I would be contacting Openreach complaints to find out whats going on with it as if there are no plans for it to be used then they should remove it.

Already done - I filled in the form to enquire if there had been a planning mistake.

Tell em to send it up to Suffolk 😂

My serving pole is classed as a “D”’ and the Openreach surveyor who was there on Friday morning decided it need to be replaced before any more drops can be installed. To be fair it’s had a good innings, predated me!! Been in the ground since ‘66

A further 11 days on and FTTP is installed and working. The spurious pole remains unused...

I have had a reply from the pole complaint team and they agree that, on the face of it, the pole siting is a bit strange. They've referred it to the local build manager...

A final update - Confirmation received from Openreach that the pole is not required and will be removed...

In reply to a post by ferretuk:

A final update - Confirmation received from Openreach that the pole is not required and will be removed...

Happy days, all the best

Pheasant

Our pole is a D as well but dates from pre 1920, some of the local ones have Animal ferules on top so may be Victorian or pre WW1!

Totem pole 😀

The year of preservation will be carved into the pole.