FTTP Install Concerns

[talksr]

Hi there, I am in a new build – around 3 years old, the developer never put fibre in so we have copper. I am with EE who use BT for the broadband and they keep emailing me to say I should renew to Full Fibre Max 100 which is the BT version of Full Fibre 100, just a few quid more expensive.

I really want to however, lots of people in my area have been switching to FTTP,  but I am noticing in the new estates, some questionable install methods on the part of the BT engineers.
These properties have copper underground like mine, not on the pole. There are a lot of properties with fibre installs midway up the wall on the front of the house, broken brick and no cover boxes. It just looks sloppy and security concern as my CCTV and burglar alarm run off of the broadband. No offence to the installers, maybe the installer had issues running the cable but I am seeing quite a few. Hence my post.

Can anyone see any issues with removing my existing copper cable and running a new one?

1. Here is where it all starts, the copper connection goes into the house here with front door on the right:
Outside of house

2. The other side of the wall, here you can see a box and cover plate which was installed to access and run the cable:
Wall socket 1Wall socket 2
The box is quite low to the skirting board and missing a screw hole so the screws seem to screw right into the back plate, it takes ages to put it back on and get the screws lined up. Also seems there is some kind of sealant on the part of the cable that goes further into the house towards the toilet but nothing on the outside facing hole so there is always a cold breeze coming through.

Wall Socket 3

3 From here, it seems to go behind the downstairs toilet pan in some wooden boxing, then around the downstairs toilet and into the storage cupboard where there are ethernet sockets to my upstairs bedrooms. I have drawn some lines of where I think the route must go:
Outside view of cable runInside view of cable runInside view of cable run

Lastly, this is the view of the sockets in the cupboard along from the toilet. Unfortunately, the wall behind here is a piece of plaster and then solid breeze block as I have a neighbouring house next door.  There is absolutely no sign of the copper cable in this cupboard. It seems that when it goes from the toilet through the plasterboard and into this cupboard it must be buried in the wall somewhere.
Sockets in cupboard

This is what is behind the BT socket that the router goes into. There are several phone sockets up in the bedrooms which I understand will obviously be killed off when the fibre goes in.Behind copper socket in cupboard

From my above pictures, what do you think, would this be a simple, tidy FTTP job or should I just forget it and stick with copper, and let the next person worry about it when I eventually move? 

I don't want untidy cables visible at the front of the house and don't want wall plates and cables visible all inside either. The guidance from both EE and BT say that the engineers will just pull out the copper and use the existing cable run but there are a few right angle turns and a BT consumer socket in dot & dab wall. Doesn't feel like it will be a nice tidy install to me. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I don't want to be a nightmare customer for the engineer and if it will be a nightmare, I will just leave it. 

[Keith_Beddoe]

@talksr 

EE use Openreach not BT Retail for their connection.

This is a BT Retail customer forum.

Try the EE Customer forum https://community.ee.co.uk/

Most providers use Openreach for their service.

[talksr]

Ok, thanks.

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@talksr wrote:
Ok, thanks.

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If you have any specific concerns, raise it with EE, as you are their customer.

[Starwire]

‘BT Engineers’, aka Qube Communications Bodgers don’t do FTTP Installation Work. They work directly for BT Wholesale and aren’t allowed to work on the Openreach Metallic Path/Fibre Access Network.

It’ll either be done by an Openreach Engineer and or one of their Contractors, MJ Quinn’s, Kelly’s Communications or if you’re really lucky Pickr.

You live in what Openreach call a Retrofit Site, aka house built from the year 2000 onwards. I seriously doubt, in fact I can guarantee that Internal Copper Cable from the BT66b to the NTE is not in any kind of conduit.

If and when you have FTTP Installed the Fibre EZ Bend Cable will be surface mounted, which means along skirting boards and over door frames because they’re not allowed to run the Fibre Cable under carpets. The inner Micron Core of the EZ Bend Cable is 3mm thick and has to be stapled to the skirting board.

[talksr]

Thanks very much for your detailed reply. It all makes sense to me. 👍

It looks like we will get standard Openreach guys doing it. From what I have seen it seems to be an OpenReach van doing the installs in my area. 

Bit of a pain about the new fibre cable as I don't really want that going up and over two door frames. I am glad it won't go under carpets as I had thought about doing parquet flooring.

I wonder if I could find a way of taking off the boxing around the downstairs bathroom if they could do a new run and fish it through? At least there would be no right-angle at all, just a straight run from outside, through the bathroom and straight into the cupboard. Would be neater than surface mounting and I would remove the boxing so nothing for the install man to do. 

I had read somewhere that BT do two types of FTTP install options, the standard one and then a premium one (which was £40 or so more expensive) but they could do a longer run of fibre on the more expensive one. Do you know if EE are able to purchase this on my behalf - I don't mind paying?
My other option is to have the fibre run to my lounge. I am Semi Detached so if they ran the cable round the other side of the house, it would go to my lounge. I have an ethernet cable in the lounge and plugs, which would then be able to connect me back to the cupboard where all of the other ethernet connections are. This would be a longer run, but less hassle. I note the OpenTeach FTTP chaps have done this with a neighbour opposite so it is possible, but I am not sure who their ISP is. I am assuming the install guys may have done a longer cable run on a standard FTTP install job to avoid the headache of routing it internally in the house as their house will be similar to mine in terms of layout. 

Would the box inside of the house look like this + the router?

If so, it isn't that big so something like this could go in the lounge. 

Thanks again for your help😊 - very helpful and some useful terminology🤓. 

[stevebrass]

Yep, that is the ONT you will have. Within reason the fibre optic can be run outside the house then enter at at a point acceptable to you, at which point the ONT will be put.

Best advice - have a clear idea what works best for you and let the engineer know. Tea/coffee and biscuits (chocolate ) have also known to be part of a successful installation.

[talksr]

Thanks very much!

Yes, I had though some treats might come in handy. Will do my best to update you on how it goes, though I expect it will be in several weeks depending on their own schedules as I only have one possible day each week I can be at home.

Fingers crossed it all goes to plan and thanks again for the help. 😉

[pippincp]

Forget about paying extra or an engineer fishing through a connection. Concentrate on making the install as easy as possible. If any fishing is needed do it yourself and leave a draw string, make sure it moves freely with no snags.

Openreach engineers do their best to accomodate your wishes but there may be reasons why they can's such as bend radius. Thay will discuss the options with you when they arrive as you can with them.

[Starwire]

I did FTTP Installs for years and never once had a ‘Premium Installation’ because the CP’s never ordered them.

With a Standard Installation the Installer can run up to 30m of EZ Bend Fibre Cable, 10m of which can be Internal and connect 1 device to the internet for you.

Premium allowed them to run up to 50m of cable, connect something like 4 devices and apparently setup your WIFI so that it works all over the house although Openreach Engineers always questioned Openreach/CP’s on how they were supposed to do this as they were given absolutely no tools/testers/training on how to do this. It would literally be a case of connect up the ONT/Router and hope for the best because there was no way they were moving it again afterwards.

As I mentioned though I never once had a Premium Install in all the years I used to do it as CP’s would always opt for the cheapest Installation Method to maximise their profits. It was the same with FTTC, as soon as Self Installs became an option the amount of Managed Installs dropped by over 95% overnight.