Remove old copper cable?

[DWDKHN]

Hi, I’m getting FTTP installed on Friday. The current BT cable serving my house comes through an underground conduit and then through the wall into my house.

Given that BT is discontinuing the old copper service (forgive me if my terminology isn’t right but hopefully you know what I mean) am I safe to cut the old cable where it comes out of the ground once I’m happy with the new FTTP service?

Why am I asking? Because the old cable runs up a prominent part of the front of my house. It’s a little ugly.

Many thanks.

[gg30340]

If you get FTTP there is no requirement to keep the old copper cable. If you are also getting a landline phone it will be Digital Voice and that works via the fibre cable so again no need for the copper cable.

Technically the copper cable up to your master socket is the property of Openreach however I doubt they will care or even know if you cut it and remove it.

[iniltous]

Who are you getting FTTP from ?, if it’s Openreach based FTTP , then once OR FTTP is in although cutting the copper cable is not usual, it’s not going to be noticed by anyone, if the new FTTP is from another network provider and not Openreach , you could take the view it’s your property so you can do whatever you like with anything connected to your property , but if you or another occupant ( say if you moved out for example) used an Openreach provider before Openreach FTTP was availableso delivered over the copper cable , then clearly the service won’t work because you have cut the copper cable.
FYI , the OR cable isn’t your property so strictly speaking you should not damage it but it is your house and no one will ever check  , so apart from the potential situation quoted , with a service ordered over that copper cable, basically it’s up to you .

[jrgb]

There is another less obvious benefit to removing the cable, beyond the aesthetics. Left there, it's a potential route in for lightning impulses picked up on the route from the exchange. With it removed, that risk is gone  as pure fibre (i.e. not the hybrid/fibre drop wire) doesn't conduct. So, I'd get rid of it. I breathed a big sigh of relief at home when my copper was replaced with fibre.