FTTP install and front steps

[rhomb]

Hi

Currently have FTTC and am switching ISP. 

Had to order FTTP because there is a stop-sell on my exchange and the BTW checker says there is a duct to my property. 

An (openreach?) engineer came to visit and said a different type of engineer needs to visit because the cable is ‘cemented in with the front door steps’. He couldn’t answer much more. 

Can anyone give more info?
Who will come and any idea how exactly they could sort it? 
Will there be damage or cosmetic damage? 
Do I have the right to insist on FTTC if so?

Thanks!

 

[iniltous]

If you are changing provider and FTTP is required to take service from this new ISP (this is a common situation , having to take FTTP ) but who is that new ISP ?, if it’s not BT then clearly your question although about Openreach , is for the new ISP , BT are not interchangeable terms, if you are leaving BT , then it’s nothing to do with BT , and all your questions relate to the new service not your old BT service .

[rhomb]

The new ISP is BT. 

[iniltous]

If you have  a ducted feed but part of it is inaccessible because some steps were built after the duct was provided, and some of the duct is under the step and inaccessible, the solution is to intercept the duct before the step and lay some new duct from the interception point to the house wall , obviously without knowing the exact situation, like is the area paved or lawned  , and where the duct runs in relation to the different surface types , ( if there are different surfaces) then it’s impossible to know what cosmetic damage may result, but excavation almost certainly needs to be done to get FTTP if the construction of step has effectively stopped  the duct being used as it is.

As far as staying on FTTC , that’s possible but not with a new provider, you would cancel your FTTP and stay with your current provider , possibly on an out of contract basis , because renewing with them , much like a new provider will need FTTP to be fitted .

You could probably remain as you are (paying whatever the existing ISP charges ) and letting your current contract continue for quite a while , it would be like you never ordered anything , but you would need to also reject any offer your existing ISP made to upgrade to FTTP , so basically they would  have you hostage paying whatever they ask as moving or renewing means FTTP .

[rhomb]

Thanks. Who pays to do all this construction work to a reasonable standard? I’m guessing not me since I don’t have a choice realistically? 

The area is paved as in the photo. The house and duct were newly built 20 years ago and nothing has been changed since. The duct wouldn’t have been designed to come up randomly in front of the front doors would it? so I would assume the duct ends directly under where the grey box is but wasn’t continued high enough. It may be if the one stone slab is removed the duct will be exposed and can be made to continue up through the slab?

[WSH]

@rhomb   It will be a while before the rest of us can see the photo.  Pictures go into quarantine initially until a moderator releases it.  Only yourself, the moderators and the Community Leaders can see it in the meantime.

[imjolly]

is that your phone cable entering your home to right of front door - grey cover?

[iniltous]

It doesn’t really matter if the duct ends at ground level under the step and the cable is not enclosed for the height of the step or the duct continues from ground level for the height of the step so in affect the duct is the same height as the step  , the assumption is the duct is now unusable in its entirety from the footpath to the house wall at the top of the step  , so as stated , at some point , the duct (before it reaches the step) is exposed and a new section joined onto it that runs to the house wall away from the step (possibly the left hand side of the door below the carriage light )  , so the optical cable hits  the house wall in a different location to the copper cable , there is no reason the optical cable ingress has to be where the copper cable enters the house .

As far as who pays for this , Openreach do , although there is a limit to these costs , in a situation like yours this is simply normal business, it’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary and the possible few hundred ££ in costs are simply absorbed as the cost of supplying service, if it were a few thousand ££ it’s a different matter .
It’s entirely possible, that should you continue your order journey the ‘gang’ of civils workers before starting the excavation to expose the duct before the step will attempt (with your permission) disassembling the step (to a certain extent) or making further efforts to use the existing duct , as clearly they would prefer to make the existing duct in its entirety usable rather than installing new portion of duct …the point is you need to be aware of , is excavation is the likely outcome, so if  the possibility of excavation is unacceptable, cancel now to save everyone involved time and effort (including yours), reinstatement can be virtually imperceptible in some surfaces , not so much in others (block paving is relatively forgiving as blocks can be taken up and put back down ) something like imprinted concrete can’t be reinstated without some ‘scars’ …grass is the easiest as it soon grows back but that seems to be unlikely looking at your photo.

[rhomb]

Thanks, I will wait till I have an actual proposal for the necessary works before deciding whether to proceed or cancel. 

[iniltous]

The point is you won’t get a proposal until the civils gang turn up expecting to expose the existing duct somewhere in your ‘garden’ , you now know what’s involved and what to expect , so continuing with your order and then cancelling when they say ‘we need to dig to expose the duct’  seems a little entitled, obviously at this point you will have some input , if a range of options are available, but ultimately you should assume excavation somewhere on your property is most likely,  after-all you can hardly state when they turn up   ‘I didn’t realise that would be necessary’ as you do know it likely to be necessary , but ultimately it’s your choice .