Virgin - will they use an existing duct

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Would Virgin Media use an existing duct to pull a cable to my house from the road? As per the attached picture I know exactly where my BT duct runs under the garden, shown by the blue line.

I could dig near the front fence and break into the duct, get a draw wire in place and have the whole thing ready for the Virgin Engineers before they arrive.

I've read so many nightmare story's, I'm not letting Virgin loose on my block paving!

I know some may suggest the duct belongs to BT however I do see how it can as it is on my property and BT have no right of access to it. I imaging the duct was installed by the house builder.

Think this would be a good way of getting fibre duct pulled though?

I did write a long reply but little point in labouring the point - no chance.

Ah right, I was getting excited about FTTP, but not excited enough to let them dig up my drive in a 2 hour time slot!

Only other option is to have it installed to my garage, I already have a couple of cat6 cables between the garage and the house.

No we wont touch it. If it is grey duct then definitely not, even less so if it has cable in it already.

They wont dig block paving either, the engineers will try an above ground route instead and just run a cable along walls instead.

Hi Weesteev,

Couple of questions:

I assume virgin would have no issues installing the service to the garage if I requested it?

Is there any mechanism for discussing an installation before an order is place, ie would they do a site visit?

I've seen some of the 'above ground' cabling on the internet, cables just tossed into hedge bottoms and the like.

I suppose another option would be to get the install done crudely above ground and then pull it through the underground duct myself when they have gone. I've actually opened up the duct by mistake when planting a tree so I know it is clear inside.

I suppose another option would be to get the install done crudely above ground and then pull it through the underground duct myself when they have gone. I've actually opened up the duct by mistake when planting a tree so I know it is clear inside.

This is what I would personally do. That said I have had engineers in the past who ran cabling under the floorboards, very reluctantly I must say. I had the boards up for building work already.

Based on your current setup (ie. cat6 to garage) I assume you would be looking at using your own router and wireless equipment.

If your only have Broadband from Virign, I would say a good setup could be to run the Virign cable to the garage, have the hub they supply set in modem mode and then either have a router in the garage and supply the house via the cat6 you mention

or if you have multiple cat6 lines to the garage, have the modem in the garage feeding a router in the house and then have the other cat6 link to the garage connected to router in the house to supply LAN to garage also.

Though I personally would do as mentioned already, have them leave the cable laid freely up the garden/drive to the house and then pull it through duct myself.... however it depends on the cabling they install.....

If it is FTTP, then re-routing the cable could be harder as it might not be easy to terminate yourself...

In this case I think terminating the modem at the garage and then connect house via cat6 I think this is the best solution...

Could I ask what service you currently have supplied via the BT line? and also how do the cat6 cables get from garage to house?

No issues installing to garage, as long as you have power there

Above ground is one of the favoured options for installers when there is block paving... hard to get a good finish with it!

I like your last suggestion But obviously couldn't condone it! Haha