Can't access phone line into property

[Mrsgardner]

Want to get ultrafast broadband however worried that this will not be practical. Apologies for the long post and details but want to provide a clear picture...so please read all the post and bear with me! 

Where we believe the existing phone line (underground) enters the property next the front door (based on looking at our neighbours properties) we have a brick extension porch built which means a brick wall covers the entry point curtesy of the previous owners. We think this wall probably covers the entry point....e.g. they did not move the cable they just bricked over it! 

Externally there has then been concrete and block paving near this brick wall where we think the line probably runs under so we can't check.

Internally next to the original front door where you would think the main white box would be is nothing.

The one single white box in the property (which looks too new to be the original) is in a completely different room. The line serving this box does not come through the wall or floor. It is a long line coming from the direction of the front door.

Tracing the line back it is tacked behind skirting boards then disappears into an internal wall which is back towards the direction where we assume the line enters the property i.e the front door...but where the line goes between this internal wall and the underground chamber is a mystery! We tried pulling the line gently to see if it gave any clues as to where it went e.g under the floor,  but it is well and truly stuck in this internal wall. The line itself is newer cable so we think there must be a join somewhere to the original cable into the property... which we think is probably in this internal wall hence why it won't be pulled. However after this cable disappears into the internal wall there is no evidence of where the line is hidden and which route it takes to get outside the property.

 Obviously it is all there cause our phone and broadband works! But we are reluctant to hack a hole in the internal wall or pull up the wood flooring to see if we can find the cable entering the property etc.

Is this going to be a problem when getting  new ultrafast broadband??? Or can they do it without identifying the entry point and without touching the internal cable??? 

[licquorice]

If by Ultrafast you mean G.Fast, then no change to your current wiring is required.

If you mean full fibre (FTTP) then your current wiring is entirely irrelevant as a new fibre cable will be installed to a mutually agreed location within your property.

[pippincp]

The existing line is immaterial for FTTP, what would ne necessary though is for Openrach to identify the existing duct (don't worry they have the tech for that) then dig down externally to access it if fed underground. Any removal of block paving (about six to eight will be reinstated afterwards. They are very good at that.

It may delay your instal for the civils team to come out.

[Mrsgardner]

Thanks I mean FTTP.. how can they run a new cable if they can't see where the cable comes from the underground chamber to the property...there us absolutely no evidence of where this is???

[Mrsgardner]

Thsnks. I think there will be concrete foundation's and internal flooring built on top of the existing duct....extension goes out by about 3ft from the original house wall where the entry point would have been. So could they get to it before the properties new external wall i.e under the block paving and simply locate the new entry point and cable on the new external wall? 

And assume I can just then ignore the old internal cable?

Problem is we are with Talktalk and speaking to them is a complete nightmare. No one could even understand what i was talking about never mind give advice. They want to charge me £130 for someone to come out to have a look first (which i assume will be Openreach).  It would be so much easier if I could speak to an Openreach Engineer! 

[pippincp · Accepted solution]

Yes, they will be able to locate the path of the ducting outside the property.

As you are a TalkTalk customer any further info you should seek from the TalkTalk forums.

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/ 

[licquorice]

@Mrsgardner you're overthinking this, Openreach cope with these things day in day out, they will sort it out.

[Mrsgardner]

I love that.... you're probably right! 🤣

[iniltous]

Are you simply thinking ahead to when Openreach FTTP will be available , or is it available now ?

Before the FTTP network is built , the area is surveyed, if neighbouring property’s are of a similar design have obvious points on the external wall where the existing copper service appears and yours doesn’t , then you should ( if it’s done properly) find your address would be classified something like  ‘ underground service congested duct’ and the neighbours who haven’t covered there  duct will show underground no issues.

If you order service , provided the ISP you chose does the correct thing, you are not given an appointment for service, as such , but one for a pre install survey , on this bespoke survey OR would explain how  ‘service delivery’ intend to resolve the congested duct issue , it may involve excavation where the existing duct is thought to be , normally this in your garden , obviously this could be ‘complicated’ if the duct isn’t under your lawn but a driveway of some description , once it’s been intercepted, a new section added to the external wall , the remainder of the install is just a regular UG install.

Once you know the what’s required, you may  reconsider if the upheaval is worth it , but if you do still proceed , then you would have to give permission for the work to take place ( known as a PTD , permission to dig ) .

If your ISP takes your order and says it’s a normal install  , they have messed up , if they just give you a regular appointment obviously you won’t get service on that day , so don’t arrange for the existing service to be ceased on that date, but you should see an OR representative about how to get the new optical cable to the building