OpenReach upgrade to FTTP and collapsed ducts

[Anonymous]

Our street is due to be upgraded to FTTP (Fibre-To-The-Premises) in the next few months by OpenReach. We currently have FTTC (average about 62mb down).

However, our house is a row of five house with a very large (20m+) wide block pave driveway set back from the pavement. 

A while back, Virgin media did a survey of our property as we were planning to move to them and have their 300mb+ fibre installed as it is available in our area too. During their survey however, they found the duct to our house from the pavement, which runs under the 20m driveway, had collapsed and was blocked. They said it wasn't financially viable for them to install it for us as the remedial work work involve digging up the drive, replacing/unblocking the duct and relaying the paved drive.

Anyway - fast forward to now.

OpenReach are starting to survey our area and apparently they upgrade properties to FTTP by running the new fibre cable along the existing ducts to the properties.

Obviously, when they come to do this, they will find our duct is blocked/collapsed.

What I'd like to know (if possible) is:

1. Do OpenReach use other methods to connect properties to FTTP in situations like this?

2. Will they dig up our block pave driveway to replace the ducts/unblock them? 

3. If they do, will they make things "good" again (i.e. replace the section of block pave driveway) and will they foot the bill for this?

Thanks.

[cookiemonsteruk]

@Anonymous 

If you enter your full postal address below and post the table and notes below it we would be in a better position to advise

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

[cookiemonsteruk]

@Anonymous 

PS remove your address from the image

[gurinder81]

Kind of sounds similar to mine. I live on a small private lane with underground copper cable (and now underground FTTP). The FTTP cable follows the same route as the copper cable but when it came time to install, there was no visible ducting for FTTP cable and they could not accurately trace where it entered the property. Therefore Openreach dug up some-of my block paved drive to replace the duct and trace cable and also unblock it as well. Block paving was restored and other than the fresh sand, you would never have known it had been disturbed. They also had to dig up a small section of the lane to clear a further blockage which they then replaced

with fresh tarmac. All in all it took about 3 OR visits to complete the external work for my FTTP install with no cost to myself.

[Anonymous]

@cookiemonsteruk Here we go...not sure how up to date this is.

[Anonymous]

@gurinder81 That does sound very similar and encouraging if they dug up the block paving and replaced it, which was my main concern especially if there were any costs involved for us so that's good to hear.

Here's a crude drawing of the layout (not to scale...)...

[Highlinder]

@Anonymous  I take it that FTTP is available option to you to order from Sky?

[Anonymous]

@Highlinder No not yet, but our village is currently being upgraded and we've been told our street is due to be upgraded in the coming months. I assume Sky will offer it once the work has been completed.

[Highlinder]

@AnonymousI would keep an eye on the information you can get from the link below.

https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/ 

Once the openreach site says it is ready, then keep an eye on Sky by logging in to to check what services you are able to get, you should see something like below.

[Anonymous]

@Highlinder 

Think you've missed the point of the thread.

My post isn't about availability, it's asking about people's experience or knowledge of OpenReach and the physical work involved in upgrading from FTTC to FTTP when it comes to collapsed/blocked ducts, particularly with block paved driveways, which doesn't seem to be an uncommon issue.

[Highlinder]

@AnonymousI just had the work done here last week as I am also getting in FTTP on Monday. I had a blocked duct, but was saved the trouble as BT used the one beside mines to run the cable.

[TimmyBGood]

@Anonymous 

Typically Openreach cover £2600 per address before seeking to pass on what they term ECCs (excess construction charges).  They never levy these without the householder previously giving explicit permission for the work to be undertaken.

[Anonymous]

@Highlinder That could be an option for us I suppose if they can use a neighbour's duct instead, thanks.

Hopefully OpenReach won't just give up and say it's not viable for us if they find our duct collapsed and see the amount of work involved in digging up a block pave drive. We're struggling as a household with our 62mb fibre and FTTP would really improve things.

[cookiemonsteruk]

@Anonymous 

Its not showing.  Therefore not officially rolled out

[Highlinder]

@AnonymousThis is how mines looked after the work was complete. Mines is the one on the right.