FTTP and UG Congested Duct

[Bulstrode09]

Finally BT can provide full fibre in my street and I am being offered an upgrade on my existing contract at the same price.  Before committing myself I've been looking at what might be involved and noticed that the BT availability checker shows my house as having a "UG congested duct".  In fact I can see that at the point at which the current copper cable arrives at the house the duct isn't visible, just the cable itself.  It comes up in a flowerbed and I've dug down around 5-6 inches and still no sign of the ducting, just cable.   At the pavement end of the garden is the BT toby box and between the two is a brick paved driveway, which I definitely don't want dug up.

I've checked other properties in the street on the broadband checker (none of which have upgraded yet) and they are all shown as having a "UG congested duct".

So my question is, has anyone else experienced a similar situation and how was it resolved?  And If I place the upgrade order can I ask for a survey before installation proceeds and cancel if their solution (e.g. digging) isn't acceptable?

Thanks in advance

[36ULW · Accepted solution]

Sounds like your existing Copper Cable is D.I.G. Direct in Ground.

As there is a Toby Box then yes, it’ll require a Dig to get Fibre to your house.

As it’s a D.I.G site when/if you order FTTP Openreach would send an Engineer to mark it up for a dig and raise the relevant A55. 

When the Engineer gets you to sign the Permissions to Dig Form select the option that you want to be home when they do the dig so that you can speak to the Civils Crew and agree a suitable place to put the new Duct.

[Bulstrode09]

Thanks for the reply and it seems like it could well be Direct in Ground. That being so, why would they still identify it as UG congested duct in the broadband checker? Is that normal?

[WSH]

My entire street has been the same "congested ducts" since Openreach FTTP became available on 1st Nov.

That was two years behind City Fibre and as they now have access to OR ducts, I suspect it is a reference to the fact that other provider’s cables might be in the way in the main ducts.

[36ULW]

When the Clerk of Works Surveys a PON they list the SNN, Serving Network Node of each property.

Here’s a list of some of the ones I remember;

Overhead Clear Line of Sight

Overhead Trees in on Route

Underground Proven Clear

Direct in Ground

And there’s prob almost a dozen more.

When submitting SNN’s on the Survey System the use called Orion instead of individually entering each one, which can take time if there’s 120+ NAD Keys on the PON they’ll usually just pick the most applicable one and, ‘Select All’.

50 times out of 100 I’d ignore what it says. In your case clearly they know there is no Duct, be it Proven Clear or Congested otherwise they never would’ve put a Toby Box in.

[Bulstrode09]

Thanks for the replies.  Looks like a new duct across the front garden is needed.