FTTP cable vs branches and wind?

Had a new install on the 17th October which involved a new fttp cable being installed from telegraph pole to my property. One of the 2 lads was up the pole and other on the floor pulling the cable and shaking it through branches so it goes directly through said tree branches but other than wifi issues the Internet had being fine up until the 16th November when the ONT box started showing a orange light.

Provider sent out an engineer yesterday (17th November) who come and done some tests and said it was the cable at fault due to the branches damaging it but he couldn't fix it as it was a 2 man job so left and now being told no one will be out until next week but it got me curious.

Are the fttp cables really that weak? Yes we have had some mild wind but not 70mph winds and with it being a new cable how can it not last even a month 🤔

When they come on Monday I will be potentially suggesting going underground if it really is that fragile but haven't looked into it coming underground. I am assuming it is pretty much how virgin do it

Thin flexible branches brushing against the cable are not a problem, however if the whole tree above the main trunk sways sufficiently or something large leans onto or falls onto the cable it is not intended to support significant weight on top the tension from its own length.

I believe fibre cable that is expected to be pulled on or drawn off a reel under tension or suspended at heights is supposed to be a loose jacket type where the inner glass fibre can move independently of the outer jacket that can tolerate the installation process.

However if some thicker branches have tugged sufficiently on it to damage the fibre termination ends or introduce sharp kinks then the installation was at fault as I would expect they should have suggested some targeted pruning.

Edited by prlzx (Sat 18-Nov-23 03:03:09)

They do seem to be more fragile, a couple of people at work have been saying they have had broken fibre. My Fibre is hanging in mid-air, I hope it survives the high winds we have up here. Maybe they should have strapped it to the copper cable to give it some support, but then that belongs to Openreach so I presume they can't do it.

Hope they sort it soon for you

Cable to my nabour goes through couple of our trees, I believe I've posted before about him coming around saying the trees needing cutting down due to loss of internet, turned out it was a problem underground some miles away which took out the village.

I'm sorry to hear that. Openreach were out servicing a neighbour, and as I had an install of FTTP via AAISP coming up I 'requested' they swing the line from a new pole in readiness for the grey box/ONT install, not from the old pole that ran through trees.They agreed! and I cannot thank the team enough for being flexible.

My old FTTC copper that ran through the trees would drop every time it rained, then sync again. While pairing this with a 5G modem provided adequate service, the failovers took a toll on Zoom calls and online gaming. The comment from the Openreach engineer was that "those branches would be worse for fibre" than copper but it took the happenstance of being there the same time as they were doing other work and their agreement, otherwise I fear that I may have been in the same boat as you. Most of the trunking is underground but the house distribution goes up the pole and through the air I guess? VM and the multitude of predecessors had the unenviable task of digging up entire streets in the 90s to lay the final connection into each house and I wept when I saw they used ... coaxial.

When they come on Monday I will be potentially suggesting going underground

A re route through UG ducting will be at your cost. I have an inkling it might cost a deal more than you wish to pay.

See what the engineer finds, it might just be a high light reading, and the cause be anywhere between you and the splitter (maybe even beyond)

Thankyou everyone.

I shall see what they do on Monday, the tree/hedge is in someone's front garden about 4 doors up. I haven't got a clue who lives there as recently moved in myself but I can of course ask about trimming it but as these generally grow yearly I don't want to become that guy who has to knock round every time they grow and ask to either prune myself or if they would.

Surprised to hear that there could be a cost involved with underground. When I joined they said they do both and online it doesn't say nothing about costs all it says is:

"Using manholes and external pipework, our engineers run a cable from the nearest telecoms junction box to your home. They may need to drill a small, 10mm hole in your wall to get the fibre into your house.
Underground installs do not normally involve any excavation work - unless we discover some kind of blockage in the pipework. This is very rare - in the vast majority of cases your installation will be completed on the day."

Surprised to hear that there could be a cost involved with underground.

If your service is currently provided overhead, and you wish it provided underground, then you will likely have to contribute towards those costs.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Surprised to hear that there could be a cost involved with underground.

If your service is currently provided overhead, and you wish it provided underground, then you will likely have to contribute towards those costs.

I don't care what way it enters my property, whatever way works and is able to provide the services. If the company offer underground and chose to go overground then that was their decision not mine and now it has failed within a month of it being installed, this suggests it may not have being the best option to use.

I haven't even looked at where the next telegraph pole is, it may be better option also

In reply to a post by Turtletom:

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Surprised to hear that there could be a cost involved with underground.

If your service is currently provided overhead, and you wish it provided underground, then you will likely have to contribute towards those costs.

I don't care what way it enters my property, whatever way works and is able to provide the services. If the company offer underground and chose to go overground then that was their decision not mine and now it has failed within a month of it being installed, this suggests it may not have being the best option to use.

I haven't even looked at where the next telegraph pole is, it may be better option also

When the original network was installed in your street it was/is overhead, you do not get a choice in this. If you want your property to be fed underground, then you'll have to pay for that, it is not up to the company/provider to rearrange their network to suit your preference. They will however provide you with a brand new underground duct to your property and provide your service that way if you wish to pay for that, but that isn't going to cost £50 or so.