Redundant overhead BT copper line

[kanesh]

In my area, the BT telephone service is supplied via overhead cables from the posts. Over the years, most of residents in my street have moved either to Virgin Media (underground fibre) or to BT FTTP (overhead fibre to premises) service. By the way, we don’t have BT FTTC service in my area.

Since BT did not remove the original overhead copper line when installing the FTTP lines, several properties in my street have two BT overhead cables. There are about 25 overhead lines from each post and whole street is congested with overhead BT cables. I am wondering when BT plan to remove the redundant overhead copper lines to the premises which have already been upgraded FTTP lines or moved to Virgin Media.

[iniltous · Accepted solution]

This is a BT Consumer forum, the dropwires from telegraph poles to houses irrespective of them being used or not are not ‘BT’s responsibility but Openreach, but it’s unlikely they would ever have a policy of removing what you consider to be redundant dropwires, OR wouldn’t consider them redundant, just currently unused

[Starwire]

People with FTTP will still have their Phone Service via the Copper Line so some will need two drop wires. The new Connectorised Fibre Hybrid D/W has a Copper Pair in it, looks like a double coax cable but most Openreach Engineers won’t use it as the insulation is so thin it Loops out easily when they clamp it at the Pole or house end. Once the PSTN is switched off and everyone is moved onto VoIP then they can recover the Copper only drop wires then but that could be years off yet. A date of 2025 has been set but realistically it’ll probably be more like 2030.