FTTP installation questions

[MVOwner]

Hi All,

A few installation questions here Id appreciate help on.

I am awaiting FTTP installation for BT Broadband.

Can someone please confirm:-

1.  Is the existing copper wire from the telegraph pole ever kept in place?

2. Is the existing copper wire from the telegraph pole ever used as a wire to secure the new fibre wire?

3. Is the external box absolutely required or can they run the new fibre wire from the telegraph pole directly into the property without the external box.

4.  Do they ever 'pull through' the new fibre wire using the existing copper wire where the existing copper wire runs under the floor (in trunking but with bends)

5.  If they fit a new clamp on the external of my house near a fascia do they prefer to fit the clamp to brick or a fascia?

6.  How large is the drill bit for the hole through the wall?

I would like help with these so I can plan for the installation.

Thanks

MVOwner

[pippincp]

1. At this time, yes

2. No

3. Normally, yes

4. No

5. Fascia but will be to one of the roof trusses through the fascia.

6. 6mm

[ptrduffy]

Hi @MVOwner,

@pippincphas covered all the direct questions, I just wanted to offer an additional point related to 4 - if you would like the fibre to come under the floor in trunking, my experience is that the OR contractors will do this happily if you install the trunking and a draw string in advance of thsi visit.  This helped me get the ONT in an internal cupboard where I wanted it.

[MVOwner]

Many thanks for your decent considered responses.

On the subject of a drawstring, I wasn't perhaps providing sufficient detail in my original post.  The conduit that is in place has 3 x 90 degree corners between the outside wall and the BT and currently has the BT copper in place and without any spare room so I believe this would make getting a draw string down their pretty much impossible. I was hoping perhaps the OR engineer may consider using the BT copper as the draw string.

[licquorice]

Bear in mind any answers given on the forum are pure conjecture, what happens depends entirely on the willingness or not of the engineer on the day.

[MVOwner]

Absolutely I understand it can be down to the mood of the installer on the day (perhaps I'll make them a tea)!!)

I am now considering the cable that runs between the external Openreach box and the internal Openreach box.

I understand that this cable is terminated in the external Openreach box and then passes through the wall construction where it passes through a decorative plastic plate and then plugs into the internal Openreach box.  I think a cable exiting the wall through a decorative plastic plate can look sloppy IMHO.

Instead of the cable passing through a decorative plastic plate and directly into the Openreach box, I am considering predrilling the hole through the wall construction myself in advance of the visit to make life nice and simple for the installer.  The hole would be drilled from the internal side to the external side and is likely on the internal side to start in the rear of a single gang backbox which is currently installed in the wall.  The backbox has no functionality and has a euro plate arrangement.  The plate has a blank 50 x 25mm euro front plate. 

If I was to want a super neat installation I could remove the blank euro front plate and insert a female to female fibre optic plate.  I could then have a fibre optic patch cable from the front plate to the internal Openreach box.  I am struggling though to identify the type of female to female fibre optic plate that would replace the existing blank 50 x 25mm euro front plate and was wondering whether it is one of these:-

White Lc-Lc Fibre Euro Module. 25X50mm. | EuroNetwork

[iniltous]

You cannot provide your own  ‘patch’ on the optical side of the OR connection, the cable the installer provides has a SC/APC plug ( so the LC connector you show would be if no use anyway ) and that SC/APC plugs directly into the ONT , as Openreach are responsible for that , they are not going to use something you provide that they then would have to become responsible for , if it failed or was responsible for a high loss , you presumably would expect OR to resolve the issue ,  even if that were to isolate the issue to that device you provided.

You wanting  to make the installation as neat as possible is understandable, but you need to understand that if your requirements become too time consuming , impractical or impracticable , especially if it’s a contractor, they will simply walk away, there almost certainly will be some cable visible unless you provide ‘trunking’ as containment for the cable which is no less impactful visually anyway.

Your suggestion to ‘pull’ an internal optical cable using the copper cable as a draw rope through three 90 degree bends is not likely to be considered.

[MVOwner]

OK many thanks, so I understand that up to the internal box is not my responsibility or something that is easy to influence.

So I can drill the hole through the wall and fit my own type of decorative blanking in advance can you confirm if the plug on the cable between the internal and external boxes has the plug fitted on site?  I believe at least one end of the cable through the wall is supplied bare and terminated on site due to the small size of the drill bit

[iniltous]

The cable between the ONT and CSP ( available in several pre-made lengths) has the SC/APC plug pre fitted , the obvious installation method is to install the internal side first and pass the non plug side of the cable from inside to out ,  obviously the installer using the most appropriate cable length to reduce waste ,  the cable is then cut to the appropriate length before splicing in the CSP to the external optical cable .

[MVOwner]

Many thanks and I would appreciate confirmation of the approximate diameter of the internal grade cable, I assume it is circa 6mm but would appreciate confirmation of this.