FTTP - Overhead cable termination

[pippincp]

The earlier overhead cable was 2x copper pair, CBT is a strand of glass fibre in a protective sleeve.

[Starwire2000]

CBT Fibre Cable has an outer Black Sheathing. When it is brought into the house this layer has to be stripped off, which then reveals a second insulated white layer.

Under that it then has a Kevlar Yarn Protective Layer and then under that another white insulated layer.

The reason the External Black Layer is taken off is because like all external cabling it has things in it that protect it from UV Rays to stop it breaking down. These release toxic fumes when on fire so can’t be Internal. Although it’s nothing to worry about as every household has dozens of appliances that would release toxic fumes when on fire.

[pippincp]

Thanks for the clarification @Starwire2000

[OldGoat]

How can I persuade Openreach / contractors to run the cable in my roof space?

• My 'phone service is on overhead cable
• My existing service cables run through my loft and down to the NTE5 - where the fibre  would be terminated
• The route is straight withonly one shallow bend 
• I have provided trunking / conduit to contain the cable and nothign else
• I'm happy to run the cable "under instruction" from the installer (he can view the process from the safety of the loft hatch...)
• The loft space is fully boarded where the current cable runs

To run the cable externally would require a lot of effort  on the contractors' part  with a dificult entry to the house proper and 4 or 5 sharp bends.

I've noticed a recent thread on here stating that the cable route asked for was "not negotiable" which smacks  of bully boy tactics from the sub contractor - hence my proactive plan...

Yor thoughts and suggestions Lady and Gentlemen, please..

(I posed the question earlier, but it probably got lost in the rest of my waffle....)

[pippincp]

I assume you've used electrical trunking and the odd 90 degree bend. If that's the case it cannot be used as the bend radius is too acute for fibre.

Minimum bend radius.

[Starwire2000]

Openreach don’t use Contractors for Customer Installation Tasks on FTTP.

They do use them for Step 1 Build on Legacy FTTP but that doesn’t apply to you.

Also have you actually had an Openreach Engineer come round yet to install it, how do you know they will refuse to use the trucking you have in place?

Or are you just making assumptions?

[OldGoat]

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@Starwire2000wrote:
Openreach don’t use Contractors for Customer Installation Tasks on FTTP.

They do use them for Step 1 Build on Legacy FTTP but that doesn’t apply to you.

Also have you actually had an Openreach Engineer come round yet to install it, how do you know they will refuse to use the trucking you have in place?

Or are you just making assumptions? - Yes!. Some threads on here stated that OR would not run cables in the roof space, and then went on to talk about noxious fumes. There is little information around - so I'm posing a worst case scenario.

Alternative routes are (IMHO) quite impracticable. Min eis quick and easy as everything will be in place!! 

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[Starwire2000]

Here’s some advice for an old man. No one on this Internet forum can say whether the Installation Engineer will or won’t use your preferred method.

You’re best off booking the appointment and when the Engineer comes round discuss it with him or her and they'll either say yes or no.

Openreach Engineers can work in loft spaces, they don’t even have to be borded, they can walk on the rafters as long as they can be seen.

Ultimately it is the Engineers decision, if he or she deems it an unsafe work environment for whatever reason then that’s their decision. Will they then allow you to do the work, I don’t know, pippincp doesn’t know, joe what’s his face doesn’t know, my mum doesn’t know and the Mods don’t know either.

In ref to the UV Protected sheathing on the Fibre Cable. This is stripped back and removed when it enters the house. The CBT Fibre Cable still has an insulated layer under that followed by a Kevlar Yarn Layer and then a further insulated layer.

[OldGoat]

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@Starwire2000wrote:
Here’s some advice for an old man. No one on this Internet forum can say whether the Installation Engineer will or won’t use your preferred method.

You’re best off booking the appointment and when the Engineer comes round discuss it with him or her and they'll either say yes or no.

Openreach Engineers can work in loft spaces, they don’t even have to be borded, they can walk on the rafters as long as they can be seen.

Ultimately it is the Engineers decision, if he or she deems it an unsafe work environment for whatever reason then that’s their decision. Will they then allow you to do the work, I don’t know, pippincp doesn’t know, joe what’s his face doesn’t know, my mum doesn’t know and the Mods don’t know either.

In ref to the UV Protected sheathing on the Fibre Cable. This is stripped back and removed when it enters the house. The CBT Fibre Cable still has an insulated layer under that followed by a Kevlar Yarn Layer and then a further insulated layer.

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Thank you, that's a very measured  and informative response!

I was and am concerned to make the installation as easy and practicalbe as possible for the installer - which as it happens (should be) my route.

It's disappointing that there's no 'code of practice' available to the consumer so that he can pre-plan. I suppose that most installations are in urban areas with smaller cable runs and simpler house layouts, so there's little need for OR to provide documemtation to cover every possible scenario

I was horrified to see Youtube videos of some truly awful cable runs along skirting boards and badly fixed - because everything is down to time rather than the customer's convenience. A recent YT video showed that another consumer wanted a loft run - but that was rejected by the installer in favour of a quicker but messier route along a wall.

It's up to me to make my route simpler and quicker and 'sell' the idea to the installation team. Hence the trunking and I'll take some photos of the route and facilities to help that objective

Time will tell

Thanks again 

[OldGoat]

Thanks - My Wonderful Plan will have only one gradual bend on a very large radius, though I might leave a few £2 coins to make it worthwhile (haha)....
That's what I like about my scheme - pretty well a straight run apart from its descent into the real world.
(The alternative route around the outside of the house and in through the brickworks has at last six!)

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@pippincpwrote:

I assume you've used electrical trunking and the odd 90 degree bend. If that's the case it cannot be used as the bend radius is too acute for fibre.

Minimum bend radius.

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