Any Openreach engineers here? (or similarly experienced)
Discussion
Looks like a pole mounted electricity transformer or similar , I have one outside my house where two "feeds" join ... a "something" hole I think they call it But it's nothing to do with OPENREACH/Telecoms/Fibre.
The bottom photo is telecoms... maybe copper (possibly fibre but it doesn't look like CBT) ... The wires coming from the top are to premises but the thick cable coming up the pole is probably from underground cable . The pole is there because the premises are fed overhead, easier and people don't like having their driveways dug up for ducting
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Before Digital voice OPENREACH used to install hybrid cable which was copper with a fibre also in the cable , but stopped about 5 years ago
The bottom photo is telecoms... maybe copper (possibly fibre but it doesn't look like CBT) ... The wires coming from the top are to premises but the thick cable coming up the pole is probably from underground cable . The pole is there because the premises are fed overhead, easier and people don't like having their driveways dug up for ducting
.Before Digital voice OPENREACH used to install hybrid cable which was copper with a fibre also in the cable , but stopped about 5 years ago
Edited by The Three D Mucketeer on Tuesday 16th June 13:22
The issue I'm having is that mine is the mid-terrace of a block of 3 cottages. The pole across the road from our houses, is the second one pictured above, that currently sends a cable to each of my neighbours to the top of their roof apex..
Because our block of houses is set lower than the level of the road, Openreach have said they wouldn't be able to run a cable straight across the road to my roof (gutter height) as the cable wouldn't be high enough over the road - fair enough. So their suggestion was to run it across to either of the neighbour's roofs, roughly where the current cables attach, then run it down their apex, under their guttering, to my house.
Neither neighbour is particularly fond of this idea, understandably, and one has had bad experiences previously with contractors doing connecting works and making a mess of their brickwork.
The first pole, pictured above, is adjacent to our houses, a few metres into a lane that runs down alongside the cottages. In theory, a cable would be able to run diagonally from that pole to my house, without affecting either neighbour and without the road clearance issue. But Openreach have said they can't use that pole, so I was keen to know what it's currently used for and whether they're just being difficult.
The other 'solution' they've proposed, failing either neighbour giving permission, would be to install a new pole directly in my front garden, which obviously I'd rather avoid....
Edit: Photo for clarity, might make more sense..
Red cables are existing.
Yellow is optimal, but not possible due to height over road.
Green is what Openreach have proposed, neighbours not too fond.
Blue is what I'd suggest...
Openreach's contractor visited last week to install the ONT box (internal and external), so the connection was 'ready' for them to route the cable and finish the connection.
I've only spoken with Openreach on the phone so far, them having cancelled two visits, then turning up today for a survey while I was at work.. Their line seems to very much be "everyone will be upgraded to fibre soon so it will benefit your neighbours(s) to have this work done now too", talk about X-connectors and future proofing etc... So it's hard to know whether they're trying to tag on work or upgrades for their own benefit, rather than simply do the required work to finish my install....
Because our block of houses is set lower than the level of the road, Openreach have said they wouldn't be able to run a cable straight across the road to my roof (gutter height) as the cable wouldn't be high enough over the road - fair enough. So their suggestion was to run it across to either of the neighbour's roofs, roughly where the current cables attach, then run it down their apex, under their guttering, to my house.
Neither neighbour is particularly fond of this idea, understandably, and one has had bad experiences previously with contractors doing connecting works and making a mess of their brickwork.
The first pole, pictured above, is adjacent to our houses, a few metres into a lane that runs down alongside the cottages. In theory, a cable would be able to run diagonally from that pole to my house, without affecting either neighbour and without the road clearance issue. But Openreach have said they can't use that pole, so I was keen to know what it's currently used for and whether they're just being difficult.
The other 'solution' they've proposed, failing either neighbour giving permission, would be to install a new pole directly in my front garden, which obviously I'd rather avoid....
Edit: Photo for clarity, might make more sense..
Red cables are existing.
Yellow is optimal, but not possible due to height over road.
Green is what Openreach have proposed, neighbours not too fond.
Blue is what I'd suggest...
Openreach's contractor visited last week to install the ONT box (internal and external), so the connection was 'ready' for them to route the cable and finish the connection.
I've only spoken with Openreach on the phone so far, them having cancelled two visits, then turning up today for a survey while I was at work.. Their line seems to very much be "everyone will be upgraded to fibre soon so it will benefit your neighbours(s) to have this work done now too", talk about X-connectors and future proofing etc... So it's hard to know whether they're trying to tag on work or upgrades for their own benefit, rather than simply do the required work to finish my install....
Edited by smithyithy on Tuesday 16th June 13:51
Edited by smithyithy on Tuesday 16th June 13:54
RotorRambler said:
The later picture does look like a power connection to me (the wire that appears to go between the 2 poles, that s an illusion, it s in front of it?)
Correct yeah, there's currently no connection between the 2 poles themselves.I'm just curious to know if it is actually possible to use the driveway pole as an 'in between' to get around the height issue, or whether they genuinely can't mess with it..
Edited by smithyithy on Tuesday 16th June 14:51
The first photo looks like telegraph pole with old copper telecoms connections. Openreach have not installed fibre link to it nor any fibre connection box. The 2nd photo has fibre connection end points installed your fibre line end point is there. The cable needs to be 5m above road surface. The blue route you have suggested will work but there will be a blue line from the telegraph pole to the telegraph pole with the fibre endpoints - I ended up with a similar solution as Openreach contractors put the fibre endpoints on the wrong telegraph pole for all the house wanting fibre.
AI suggests the minimum height for a telecoms cable crossing the highway is 5.9m and that the typical wooden pole has 8 to 12m above the ground. Your eave height is 4.5-5 metres? Of the linear distance between your eave and their pole how much of that is over the highway and how much is over the pavement? There will be some droop to factor in but are they being too conservative?
Mahalo said:
The first photo looks like telegraph pole with old copper telecoms connections. Openreach have not installed fibre link to it nor any fibre connection box. The 2nd photo has fibre connection end points installed your fibre line end point is there. The cable needs to be 5m above road surface. The blue route you have suggested will work but there will be a blue line from the telegraph pole to the telegraph pole with the fibre endpoints - I ended up with a similar solution as Openreach contractors put the fibre endpoints on the wrong telegraph pole for all the house wanting fibre.
Thanks. I'd be happy with the bit in bold, if they're able to do it, as it avoids any mess for my neighbours..AW10 said:
AI suggests the minimum height for a telecoms cable crossing the highway is 5.9m and that the typical wooden pole has 8 to 12m above the ground. Your eave height is 4.5-5 metres? Of the linear distance between your eave and their pole how much of that is over the highway and how much is over the pavement? There will be some droop to factor in but are they being too conservative?
I'll need to try to measure that.. It is quite a significant drop from the top of the pole opposite to my eaves height, however..smithyithy said:
The other 'solution' they've proposed, failing either neighbour giving permission, would be to install a new pole directly in my front garden, which obviously I'd rather avoid....
But one of your neighbours might more unhappy about a new pole in your garden than an unobtrusive cable under their gutter to your house.smithyithy said:
RotorRambler said:
The later picture does look like a power connection to me (the wire that appears to go between the 2 poles, that s an illusion, it s in front of it?)
Correct yeah, there's currently no connection between the 2 poles themselves.I'm just curious to know if it is actually possible to use the driveway pole as an 'in between' to get around the height issue, or whether they genuinely can't mess with it..
Edited by smithyithy on Tuesday 16th June 14:51
I would be asking how are the other houses supplied on the street .... I can't see any poles ... so I reckon they are UG ....If so look on the pavement for any BT man holes .... If they could intercept the UG duct outside your house , maybe you could go UG and forget about any poles
There needs to be an AGGregate node (underground) and CBTs for the fibre distribution on fibre optic splittters
PS Is that GREEN box electricity or BT ??? Looks a bit like a street cab .. If it is get'em to dig the road up straight into your house
Trouble is now OPENREACH planning is done in INDIA with some guy looking at GOOGLE MAPS !!!!
30 years ago we had all the Line Plant Graphics on CADAM
Edited by The Three D Mucketeer on Tuesday 16th June 17:21
Nigel_O said:
Can t the engineers use your chimney to receive the cable?
I can almost guarantee they won’t be hoping about on roof tops!This is quite the problem for them as there are probably millions of houses in a similar situation, of which they will need to find a resolution for if the big copper switch off is still happening.
Both of my neighbours currently have Virgin AFAIK, which is connected underground (presumably from the cab across the road).
A chimney connection would probably solve the height issue, but as above, they're not likely to be going up there (and to be honest I'm not sure how much I'd trust the contractor / the roof itself).
I've borrowed a cable height measurement tool from work, so I'm going to see what the current cables clearance is and try to work out what the actual height would be at the point it reaches my front wall, assuming it ran directly to the eaves.
Who'd have thought getting internet installed would be so difficult
A chimney connection would probably solve the height issue, but as above, they're not likely to be going up there (and to be honest I'm not sure how much I'd trust the contractor / the roof itself).
I've borrowed a cable height measurement tool from work, so I'm going to see what the current cables clearance is and try to work out what the actual height would be at the point it reaches my front wall, assuming it ran directly to the eaves.
Who'd have thought getting internet installed would be so difficult
119 said:
Nigel_O said:
Can t the engineers use your chimney to receive the cable?
I can almost guarantee they won t be hoping about on roof tops!This is quite the problem for them as there are probably millions of houses in a similar situation, of which they will need to find a resolution for if the big copper switch off is still happening.
When I changed to fibre a couple of years ago my old copper line came across the road to my chimney ( bungalow)
the new fibre line came from a later installed pole on my side of the road.
The engineer wouldn't even go up to take the old copper line down, he left it for me to do if I wished to.
Mrs Easty had to go and wait at the pole to pull the wire off the road while I went up and cut the wire.
Harpoon said:
When Mrs Harpoon's parents swapped to FTTP (full fibre), they needed some overhead cable work. The guys installing had to wait a little bit for somebody with a cherry picker to come from another job. Would your chimney be reachable from the road with a CP?
With a proper cherry picker it would be yes, not a smaller / back-of-the-van type.. I don't have a driveway. being in the middle, so it would have to setup on the road in front, and span the length of my garden (~6 metres) plus the height / distance up my roof..smithyithy said:
Both of my neighbours currently have Virgin AFAIK, which is connected underground (presumably from the cab across the road).
:
There you go .... use VIRGINs infrastructure duct ..... Oh sorry ... blame OFCOM for that :
And you didn't answer the question ... Why are there no poles further down the street ???
Edited by The Three D Mucketeer on Tuesday 16th June 19:45
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