Fibre through existing domestic cable duct?

[SteveWest]

OpenReach will be installing my full fibre broadband this week. I've realised that I've got an old cable duct running from a place that would be good for placing the ONT modem, and it goes to a wall box outside the house. Does anyone know if OpenReach would be able to pull the fibre through this duct or is the installation process strictly a drill-a-hole-in-the-wall job.

Thanks for any insight.

[Crimliar]

Provided it's suitable and not more work for them, they'll use it if you ask.

[SteveWest]

OK. Thanks. I didn’t know if the fibre ‘cable’ could be pulled as well as poked through things. At the moment there is an old (now unused) coax cable in the duct. Is it best to leave it there or would it be more helpful if I used the old cable to pull in a length of thin rope or thick string?

[pippincp]

Openreach cannot use another providers duct even if it is no longer in use.

[SteveWest]

Does this rule about other providers’ ducts apply even if the duct belongs to the house? I would have thought that if I own the duct and ask them to use it there shouldn’t be a problem. In fact I think the coax was originally installed by BT or their predecessor.

But if those are the rules they’re following…

[Crimliar]

About 50% of my neighbours have their fibre fed into the house using ducts that were put in place when the houses were built (one duct that has been used by Openreach, Sky, and VM) - ie they came with the house.  The other 50% of us have fallen foul of builders not understanding that such ducting needs a certain corner radius and not have insulating foam leaking into it at the joins.

[SteveWest]

I'm guessing that it will probably come down to how helpful the engineer is prepared to be on the day. I don't know what the corner radius is but the coaxial cable seems to move fairly freely so I'd think it was OK.

[pippincp]

If the duct was supplied by the builders of the house then it isn't another provider as in Communication company.

[SteveWest]

@pippincp Yes, I don't see why putting the cable through my duct is any different than putting it through my wall. Anyway, I'll try and make things as easy as possible for the engineer and hope they will go along with that. 

[ptrduffy]

I would suggest using the coax to pull through a draw string - that way the installer doesn't need to worry about whether the coax is in use or not.

My experience was the installer was more than happy to use a pre-installed conduit and draw string as it made his job easier (and I got to have the ONT where I wanted it).