With FTTP can a fibre-optic cable from a telegraph pole enter a loft and be terminated on a CSP

[jfdeeks]

With FTTP can a fibre-optic cable from a telegraph pole enter a loft and be terminated on a Customer Splice Point (CSP Box) within a 2 meter distance inside the loft?

Our current FTTC setup is as follows: We live in a chalet/dormer bungalow where the existing copper cable from the telegraph pole is attached to the fascia of a dormer window at the front of the bungalow. From there the existing copper cable from the telegraph pole passes under the tiled roof and into the loft space for under 2 meters and terminated on a Openreach Master Socket box. From this box another cable is run in the loft to another upstairs dormer room on one side of the bungalow, which is used as a study, and connects to another Openreach box into which the BT Hub is plugged.

We have had one visit from a Openreach sub-contractor recently who came to change us over to FTTP. However, I was told that the new fibre-optic cable from the telegraph pole could not be run into the loft because it does not meet fire regulations for internal use. Subsequently the Openreach sub-contractor left our home without doing the job. I had thought I had seen somewhere that the fibre-optic cable from the telegraph pole could be run into a loft space as long as the distance within the loft was less than 2 meters. Our loft also meets other requirements in as much that it is boarded and ladders are not required to enter the loft which is entered via a small door on the level from the upstairs study.

Advice on this would be appreciated, including any links with information that could be shown to the sub-contractor especially if the information showed that the fibre-optic cable from the telegraph pole could enter a loft space even if by only 2 meters which would be sufficient.

[chrisjp]

I guess the sub-contractor meant that the CSP box "doesn't meet fire regulations" for internal fitment, since they are normally mounted on an outside wall. However, I don't understand this, since it handles only fibre optic cables which are not capable (AFAIK) of starting a fire.
Could it be that the sub contractor was looking for an excuse not to do the installation, which he perceived as being more trouble than a standard installation?

[36ULW]

It’s not 2m, it’s 3m of outer sheathing that is permitted internally.

The outer sheathing on an Inside/Out Cable can be stripped back to a white 5mm micron core layer.

A Standard Install allows 10m of internal cable to be run.  Not every Engineer, DL or Contractor follows that rule though. Whether I did or not depended on the attitude of the Sub.

[iniltous]

Entering a loft needs certain requirements, power , lighting , boarded , proper staircase and handrail (so no difference to normal habitable floor of a property ) , some may  enter with some of these conditions not met , but it’s unlikely for one thing injuring themselves coukd lead to their dismissal, so you should assume refusal if all of these are not met , what’s more you have already had a refusal albeit for a slightly different reason around the amount of external cable allowed to be ran internally . There is a limit on how much external cable can be ran internally although 2m doesn’t seem much it may be too far , getting the actual distance will require someone who works for OR or a contractor to advise the current limit 

The existing master socket  location and extension cable to an extension socket are irrelevant as neither if those things are used with FTTP , if your intention is to have the powered ONT  in the loft and the router located elsewhere, then you need to provide your own Ethernet connection between these  two points so it’s possible to connect the ONT and router together (that’s assuming the loft is deemed safety accessible ) 

[iniltous]

The reason external cables generally are not ran significant distances internally isn’t the likelihood of bursting into flames due to the electrical current within (obviously fibre immune to that )it’s if they are set alight by other things smoke they can produce is unpleasant/toxic

As far as the inside out cable being stripped for upto 3M once inside , my take was the OP wanted the lead-in cable from the CBT entering into the loft space and an internal CSP rather than an external CSP and an inside out cable used from the CBT into the loft , perhaps they can clarify, but I dare say if the lead-in cable were brought down from height so a low level external CSP can fitted , running another inside out cable back up the property to dormer level  wouldn’t be unacceptable either.

[jfdeeks]

The loft in our Chalet Bungalow has power, lighting, and is mainly boarded, and has a small door in a stud wall of the upstairs study, so a ladder is not required to gain entry.

To clarify the boarded the area of the loft includes where the existing cable from the telegraph pole enters through the tiled roof, adjacent to the dormer window at the front of the chalet bungalow, to where I proposed the CSP could be located (max 1 meter distance) and also boarded right up to the stud wall and small door of the upstairs study on the side of the chalet bungalow where the ONT would be situated and where the existing BT Hub is situated.

I have attached 4 photos: -

1. Front of chalet bungalow,
2. Close up of the front dormer window of the chalet bungalow. The existing cable from the telegraph pole is currently held on the fascia at the top left corner, and passes into the loft near the fascia at the bottom left corner
3. Small door into the upstairs study, and its stud wall taken from the loft side,
4. Stud wall of the front dormer room of the chalet bungalow in the loft showing a board I have fixed to it on which the CSP could be fixed.

Subsequent to downloading these 4 photos I am now thinking the Openreach sub-contractor may be happier to do the work if the new fibre-optic cable from the telegraph pole is attached outside to the top of the front gable end wall rather than the front dormer (see the attached photos). The fibre-optic cable could then be attached to the outside of the front gable end wall below the gable overhangs and just below the soffits along the side brick faced wall on the left of the chalet bungalow and terminated on a CSP outside at low level near to the side dormer window of the upstairs study which is my preferred location for the ONT. From the CSP the internal fibre-optic cable could then return up the side wall and either passed under a tile of the main roof to the loft (or passed through a small hole drilled in the soffit to the loft. It would then only be a short distance for this cable to pass through a stud wall in the loft to the study. Are there likely to be any problems with this?

[licquorice]

I've no idea why folks keep asking these sorts of questions on a BT customer to customer forum.

Firstly, it is nothing to do with BT

Secondly, it is up to the Openreach technician and customer to agree a solution on the day.

Thirdly, any advice given here will be simply an opinion, nothing more.

[iniltous]

As stated , no one can guarantee anything , its up to the installer, you may claim what you want is reasonable but its not your call   , you say a small door , if that’s a hatch rather than a regular sized door you should presume the installer will not enter via that into the loft  , and if they do it’s a bonus .
You obviously could have the ONT in a place that isn’t likely to be refused , so ground floor ,so the route is  cable from pole to property , down wall to low level , CSP fitted externally and inside out cable into ground floor location for the ONT , this is a standard typical installation, you then run your own Ethernet cable from here into the loft if that’s  where you require the router .

TBH you already been advised by an installer on the first visit  that they won’t enter the loft space , you should either have a second option you will accept or don’t reorder as that just wastes everyone’s time including your own