Latest on FTTP?

[#1]

Thanks. I’ve also looked at the ‘what to expect’ video. I can now see why I was confused. Neighbours who’ve moved to FTTP were told they couldn’t keep their phone line and the old stuff in the house was removed. Everything on the wall outside was changed as the fibre used the existing ducting. Although I guess the copper is still in the ducting to and under the road as @barnyandpippa says it wouldn’t be worth removing.

[#2]

@dgp 

It may depend on whether you have an overhead or underground feed for your phone line.

Mine is underground. When they were installing the local network they checked all house ducts (where they could) and left a draw rope in for the FTTP install. On the day, a fibre optical cable was pulled through and the necessary work done inside the house. The copper cable was left alone.

With overhead feeds it was my understanding that the current copper line was replaced with a hybrid fibre/copper line. At the house the cooper part was re-connected to the Master socket and the fibre was installed separately. This may now have changed with OpenReach now starting to withdraw copper circuits.

New builds may have no copper line at all.

Brian

[#3]

With overhead feeds it was my understanding that the current copper line was replaced with a hybrid fibre/copper line. At the house the cooper part was re-connected to the Master socket and the fibre was installed separately. 

That was still the case in May.

[#4]

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@bmc wrote:

With overhead feeds it was my understanding that the current copper line was replaced with a hybrid fibre/copper line. At the house the cooper part was re-connected to the Master socket and the fibre was installed separately. This may now have changed with OpenReach now starting to withdraw copper circuits.

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@bmc 

Mine is overhead and I've got two separate feeds from the same pole.  Although my install was done using the original '2 stage' ('blown fibre') method, I suspect various factors come into play whether the original cable is (was) replaced with a hybrid fibre/copper cable.

In my case I very much doubt whether the 1st. stage installer from 'M J Quinn' even had any hybrid on his van, as before he could do my install he wasn't even sure if the reel of fibre only cable he'd brought had enough length remaining on it, so we had to pull it down the length of the front lawn and back to make sure he had the necessary approx 35 metres!

Another perhaps less common reason to replace 2 cables with 1 might be because the pole is carrying it's maximum load cable-wise (although mine is far from that).

But as you say, things are done differently now.

[#5]

On our estate, all the cables are underground, so never thought about over head cables, but that makes sense. I have sadly looked at the fibre cable composite (trying to work out what I need to do for when I get my install to keep things tidy) according to my research it’s a fibre core, insulation, sleeve, a steel wire for strength wrapped in another sleeve. On the outside there are two copper wires joined to the fibre.

[#6]

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@RRM wrote:

 On the outside there are two copper wires joined to the fibre.

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And there's another case for not having a single cable; as you say, there's only a single copper pair, so if someone has more than one landline in the premises, the original drop-wire is likely to be left in place.

[#7]

@RRM 

When I had my install done a new hole was drilled in the wall - a bit like a satallite cable. Inside it's connected to a Optical Network Terminater (ONT) so you barely see the fibre cable itself. The protective sheath is stripped back inside the house.

However, when two of my neighbours had installs done a new ONT had been introduced and the fibre came in via the existing phone entry point. Even newer ones are in use now (ours have battery back up units).

The ONT needs to be within a metre of a power supply. The router gets connected via ethernet cable so can be where ever you want (and are happy to run cable!).

Brian

[#8]

Thanks.

My setup (master socket, UPS, router, network switch etc) are all in the loft. Ideally I want the fibre to run to the loft through trunking i will prepare to where I want it terminated, hence my research in to the cable. Not sure if Openreach will install where I want it though.

Have to wait and see when they get their act together and finish the fibre install on our estate.

R

[#9]

I think the battery backup is required when the phone comes over fibre so that you don’t lose it in a power cut. 

Mine is internet only with the phone over copper so wasn’t fitted with backup. 

[#10]

My ONT is in the middle of the house because that was the easiest place for me to run Cat6 back to. I ran a string so the the installer could pull the optical cable in. He was delighted that it was such an easy install. I’ve had 2 FTTP installations done and in both cases they were happy to run cable to wherever I wanted the ONT. 

From memory, the standard connectorised tail is 20m so that is the max distance from the ONT to the Customer Splice Point which is where the cable from the network is jointed on to the tail and is usually where the network reaches the house. If you are creating a cable route, remember that the cable has to be pulled from the ONT back towards the CSP because there is a connector on the ONT end. 

[#11]

@barnyandpippa 

When I had my FTTP installed battery back units were normal. My BBU is a separate unit to the ONT but my neighbours got an inclusinve units. The current ONT's do not have BBU's.

The question about power for phone lines when supplied over fibre optic cable has not really been answered as yet.

Brian

[#12]

@RRM 

I had a one stage install where the cable was pre-connected at one end and fused within the house at the other. From memory there were 3 cable lengths - 35, 75 and 105 meters. The underground chamber for my house is in the neighbours garden - about 3 meters from where her ONT is installed.

As the router is connected by ethernet cable you could always run that up to the loft.

You're unlucky to be on a UC feed given your requirements. If it had been OH then the OpenReach engineer would be both trained to work at hight and have the required equipment with them to do so.

Brian

[#13]

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@RRM wrote:
Thanks.

My setup (master socket, UPS, router, network switch etc) are all in the loft. Ideally I want the fibre to run to the loft through trunking i will prepare to where I want it terminated, hence my research in to the cable. Not sure if Openreach will install where I want it though.

Have to wait and see when they get their act together and finish the fibre install on our estate.

R

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A FTTP install is often a compromise between the desirable and the possible. A good engineer will work with you to put the ONT where you want (if possible).

The problem with preparing trunking in advance is you cannot guarentee OR can bring the fibre in to where you want it. Your starting point is where the current phone line comes out of the ground. I'm not entirely sure of what the current process is. In my install (as mentioned elsewhere) one cable was run from the Distribution Point.

However, I've seen frequent comments regarding Customer Premise Equipment (CPE - a box on the outside wall). If one gets installed then this becomes your starting point. I'm assuming the CPE gets installed by the local network team leaving the engineer on the day to bring the cable inside.

The current ONT is not much bigger than a phone socket.

Just for information this is the chamber serving my house. The DP is daisy chained round the street and is the final one in the circuit so there is no outgoing connection. You can see the blue draw ropes left in place for the house installs.

Brian

[#14]

So is there any progress at all on Plusnet Fibre to Premises ?   Any news at all ?

[#15]

Also interested to know on the FTTP situation with Plusnet... I have heard they (Openreach) are 'about to' start to provide infrastructure to my area, so will obviously want to take advantage when the time comes!