No OpenReach visit needed?

[CJLiz]

I'm switching to Ultrafast+ 500, and the order status said an OpenReach engineer would fit a small grey box to the outside wall of my home today, ahead of the Sky engineer's visit on the 1st July. 

Sky sent me an SMS today to say that OpenReach have completed their install, but no one has visited and there's no grey box fitted to the outside wall of my home. 

There's no fibre cable currently running into my home. BT Wholesale checker shows that FTTP is available at my address, though. So there's definitely a fibre cable in my road. 

Does this mean that OpenReach don't need to fit anything on the outside wall of my home after all? I want to avoid a situation where Sky turn up to install but there's no fibre cable leading up to my house. 

[TimmyBGood]

@CJLiz 

What does the BT Wholesale result say in the first few lines of text below the table of speeds?

[CJLiz]

@TimmyBGood 

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG premises served by 2.5 Inch plastic duct 56.

FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

As a WLR withdrawal exchange, product restrictions apply

SOADSL is not restricted at the exchange

[TimmyBGood · Accepted solution]

@CJLiz 

OK: the key bit is UG premises served by 2.5 Inch plastic duct 56.

That shows the optical cable is going to arrive underground through an existing grey plastic pipe, so you'd expect to see the end of this adjacent to the base of an external wall, typically closest to the street, with the 'grey box' (Customer Service Point) above it.

[TimmyBGood]

@CJLiz 

Something like this:

 

[Chorlty226]

My father in law has just had Sky Broadband installed, he was on copper cable. Openreach attended a week before install and put a new fibre line from the pole to a grey box on the front of his house. When the Sky engineer attended he connected to that box. So I think you need to get onto them as Sky only connect from the box on the outside of the house and not the pole bit.

[TimmyBGood]

@CJLiz @Chorlty226 

Generally speaking the grey box (CSP) is required because Openreach puts in a four core drop cable externally, and one of these cores is fusion-spliced to a pigtail to enter the building.  The CSP houses and protects the splice point.

[TimmyBGood]

In this style of CSP box, the splice point is under the yellow reinforcement sleeve on the left:

 

[CJLiz]

Thank you for all the replies. I definitely don't have anything like this on the outside of my home, and despite the SMS from Sky I haven't had an OpenReach engineer at my home today. 

I'll get in touch with Sky. 

Appreciate everyone's help. 

[gaz1882]

Hi, can i ask what the outcome of this was please? Just reading your op, and i'm in the same situation now. Engineer coming Monday, had the SMS saying first visit complete, but like you, no grey box outside my house. 

[Highlinder]

@gaz1882  Can you fill out the form in the link below and submit it. Take a screenshot hiding the private information in the top-left corner and post the screenshot to this thread so that we can tell you what might be going on.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome 

[CJLiz]

Hi Gaz, of course, and I should've added a comment earlier to explain the outcome. 

I ended up calling Sky, and they confirmed that the SMS was sent in error. The Openreach engineer visited the day after and installed the grey box. 

Incidentally, when the 2nd engineer visited to install the ONT inside my property, it didn't matter that the outside grey box wasn't close to where I wanted the cable to enter the house. They just sent a cable around the wall to the spot I wanted. So don't worry if you're not at home when they put the outside box on; you can still choose the entry point. 

[gaz1882]

Fantastic, thanks for the reply. 

[gaz1882]

Thanks, screen shots here