This topic

Fibre-optic cable colour?

Leo584 — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 17:08:24 GMT

Regarding an imminent installation, can I request that my new duct-routed FTTP fibre-optic cable has a brown sheath?

This is necessary in order that it matches the house bricks better.

I’m aware that this is the default colour for installations performed by City Fibre.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

licquorice — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 17:20:09 GMT

This is a customer to customer BT forum and has no connection with Openreach who perform the installation.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

Leo584 — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 17:28:05 GMT

I see. Do you know how I can progress this enquiry, please?

I need to contact Openreach in north Wales.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

licquorice — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 17:35:31 GMT

You can't contact Openreach directly, they are not customer facing. You will need to contact your provider (who I assume is BT as you are posting on a BT forum) but I very much doubt whether they will be able to influence the colour of cable used.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

iniltous — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 17:46:03 GMT

No you can’t , the external Openreach plastics are gray ( the duct cover , CSP etc ) and the cable used is black , it has a removable outer jacket so that when its passed inside the property, the outer jacket removed it’s white inner jacket is visible inside the property, if this is unacceptable, better to cancel your order than waste the installers time .

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

36ULW — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:12:22 GMT

Prior or using Inside/Out Cable, which only comes in Black Openreach used EZ Bend for their BFT Fibre, which came in Black, White and Brown.

Openreach do actually still stock these cables but chances of your Installer having it on their van stock, especially if it’s a Contractor is almost zero.

In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve got a Brown Lead In still in the garage. Kept some spares for repair/maintenance purposes when I finally got FTTP, which I still haven’t. 😒

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

Leo584 — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:17:04 GMT

Thanks for your reply iniltous.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

Leo584 — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:23:25 GMT

Thanks for your reply 36ULW.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

Leo584 — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:27:41 GMT

Thanks for your input licquorice.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

36ULW — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:44:31 GMT

As I said, don’t hold your breath thinking the Installer will have one.

I can virtually guarantee if the Installer is DL there’s a 0.001% chance they’ll have one or know where one is.

If it’s a Contractor there’s a 0.000% chance they’ll have one or even knew they existed.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

Crimliar — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 19:50:37 GMT

The cable they use is roughly 5mm in diameter, if you can get some sleeving that'll go over that, then most installers wouldn't have a problem in using that over their cable. If they do, you can always do it later by splitting the sleeve and then securing it in place in a non-damaging manner.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

36ULW — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 05:31:07 GMT

The inner Micron Core Layer isn’t resistant to UV Rays, hence the outer Black Sheathing for the outside.

If you strip it down to the Inner Core and expose that on the outside it’ll soon breakdown and you’ll then have an unsightly broken cable with Kevlar Yarn hanging all over the place, which if a dog or cat decides tastes nice that’ll be a very expensive visit to the Vet to have it detangled from their intestines.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

Crimliar — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 06:47:00 GMT

If you get the correct diameter 5mm (and larger) is available, so you don't need (and shouldn't anyway) strip that outer sheath. Putting the brown sheath over the top of the complete existing cable will not cause any damage. All I'm suggesting is adding an extra layer, not removing anything!

*You'd need to order the sleeve online, as it's not available from the common DIY stores.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

gg30340 — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:53:09 GMT

How do you propose the extra sheath by applied?

Is it pushing it on as the installer is running it off the reel and trying to feed it to where he needs the fibre to go or is it after he has fed and clipped it to where it is meant to go?

Either way I doubt the installer will be prepared to agree to the process as it will obviously add time onto his install

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

chrisjp — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 13:51:00 GMT

You could of course just paint the cable once the installation has been completed. A water based paint is probably best to use and I have done this successfully with co-ax TV aerial cable where I, paradoxically, didn't like the standard brown colour

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

Crimliar — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:16:04 GMT

@chrisjp Any paint that doesn't chemically bond (ie you can peel it off if need be) is good. I've seen this done to great effect on granite built houses, even with a different colour to blend in with the mortar, and you can hide the clips too!

@gg30340 Sleveeving comes in multiple sizes and types. Some is semi-rigid, you can split it and clip it over the cable. Other sleeving can be much thinner, you literally just drop it over the cable, and it's so thin it'll still fit in the existing clips the OR engineers use - its literally a 5 second job to drop it on, as you only need it on the visible part. It really is that simple an ask, that if an engineer won't do it for you, then you are probably the problem!

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

36ULW — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:16:48 GMT

Oh, so you meant remove the black sheathing and then replace it with a brown?!?!

Yeah, when I was on Tools if an EU asked me that I’d tell em to knock themselves out and do it themselves long after I’ve gone.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

Crimliar — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 18:30:18 GMT

No, just get some sleeving that will go over the top, you can and must/should leave the original sheath in place!

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

36ULW — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 15:56:35 GMT

We used to have a saying for that, ‘Over Engineering a Problem that Doesn’t Exist’.

Re: Fibre-optic cable colour?

Crimliar — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 23:15:24 GMT

@36ULW trying to help @Leo584 with a request about masking the cable, so it looks neat and tidy. That cable with the black outer can look out of place if it has to run any distance! I've done the same with ethernet and cable to satellite dishes when the only option was to run it around the outside of a building with entry and exit points in window frames (not at my own property).