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AltNets Trial Ability to Replace Openreach Copper with Fibre Lines on Poles

Wednesday, Jun 15th, 2022 (8:39 am) - Score 6,720
telegraph pole high engineer

Alternative broadband providers are about to begin a new trial that will, for the first time, grant their engineers the ability to replace an existing copper dropwire on an existing Openreach pole (telegraph pole) with a new optical fibre one for gigabit-capable broadband, albeit only under certain circumstances.

In the past, we’ve talked quite a lot about various challenges with capacity on poles (example), both at the Connectorised Block Terminal (CBT) box at the top – for connecting homes to full fibre (FTTP) ISPs – and in terms of weight (i.e. the number of wires/cables that can be accommodated). One way of balancing this is by removing an old copper line as you add in a new fibre.

NOTE: The CBT is that odd looking rectangular black box at the top of a pole with circular nodules sticking out – they can usually handle up to 12 ports and in busy areas may become full.

Openreach’s Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product also allows alternative network providers to run their own fibre via existing cable ducts and poles, but it does have limits. For example, it doesn’t allow altnets to replace existing copper drop wires with fibre. This is understandable (the copper is not part of the altnets network), but it can slow some deployments while they wait for Openreach to do the work.

CityFibre states that they recently submitted a formal Statement of Requirements (SoR) to permit altnets to replace an existing copper dropwire (i.e. the one that runs from a pole to your home) with a new fibre one. Openreach have agreed to proceed with a trial of this change, which should help to reduce failed installations caused by a pole being deemed defective (‘D’) after an order has been accepted.

It should ensure no end customer is left waiting for the six months or so it can take for Openreach to replace a defective pole,” said Sarah Parsons, CityFibre’s Director of Compliance. “PIA is vastly improved since its emergence over a decade ago. As testimony to its enhanced usability and scalability, over 50% of the properties we connect with our own fibre today are serviced through PIA. We currently account for around 25% of all product usage, with some 90 smaller altnets making up the remaining 75%.”

Compared to self-build, CityFibre added that PIA can cut the speed of rollout by roughly half. Instead of digging 9 metres per property on average, they typically need only dig around 4.5 metres. “We also estimate that a ‘traditional dig’ can be 7.5 times more carbon intensive than using PIA,” said Sarah.

The Proof of Concept (PoC) trial is due to get underway on 22nd June 2022. As above, Openreach’s related briefing (here) said that it would only apply to “poles where it is necessary and would qualify as a Network Adjustment and where the poles are classed by Openreach as ‘Policy D-Pole’ [defective] and at full loading.” Broadly, this is a useful and welcome change, and we suspect that altnets will not have any major trouble in adapting to it.

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Mark-Jackson
By Mark Jackson
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and .
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Comments
31 Responses
  1. Avatar photo William Grimsley says:

    If we already have Openreach FTTP, could and altnet remove their kit to replace with theirs?

    1. Avatar photo William Grimsley says:

      * an

    2. Avatar photo Bob says:

      I’ve wondered this. If you already have An Openreach FTTP line. Then move to an altnet using PIA, do they just adopt the openreach FTTP fibre line. Or run their own to your property?

      So you could effectively have multiple fibre lines hitting your own house.

      Also conversely, if you already have altnet FTTP using PIA and move to openreach what happens?

      What if your lucky enough to be in an area with multiple Altnets using PIA. Do thry judt transfer the line across? Or install their own on top of what you already have?

    3. Avatar photo Matt says:

      Many providers use different connection standards. For example Openreach using Corning CBTs and many alt-nets using HellermanTyton AFNs. Different connectors and potentially different fibre standards.

      Does beg the question if this is something that will become standardised in the future…

    4. Mark-Jackson Mark Jackson says:

      Altnets have their own fibre and kit that simply goes over or through Openreach’s poles and ducts, where needed and possible. This is usually mixed with some of the altnets own dig and pole erections. Openreach’s fibre is separate.

      The above article is talking about a specific replacement process for Openreach’s own copper lines, which is a different ball game.

    5. Avatar photo An Engineer says:

      No. It covers copper only under very specific conditions as above.

      Assuming this goes well it may also provide some momentum for a stop-sell of copper anywhere there is full fibre available.

    6. Avatar photo Stuart Gibson says:

      I think k this would be more viable I areas where there has been a stop sell issued on copper products and there are spare copper lines that are not in use.

      I think this would be good for the speed of the gigabit rollout across the UK, It seems there are any poles deemed defective due to capacity

      Someone correct me if I am wrong please

  2. Avatar photo Barry Wilkinson says:

    Our fibre is provided by Truespeed and has been delivered on Openreach poles for over a year.

    1. Avatar photo The witcher says:

      That’s nice

    2. Mark-Jackson Mark Jackson says:

      That’s normal Barry, but the above article references a specific process around copper replacement. Altnets could always run fibre over poles, but they couldn’t directly mess with Openreach’s copper by themselves.

    3. Avatar photo Ryan says:

      Its a suprise you are able to comment here through an internet connection based on your provider Barry.

  3. Avatar photo Sunil Sood says:

    I wonder if any copper lines removed are returned to Openreach as they no doubt have a value attached to them.

    1. Mark-Jackson Mark Jackson says:

      It’s mainly the big core copper cables that have value. The thin twisted-pair copper wires that run from a pole to your home (final drop) probably don’t hold much value at all, if any (the disposal process would also eat into that).

  4. Avatar photo Steve says:

    Talking about capacity, I have seen an fttp install in my area where there was 2 existing copper lines. They just added another cable for fttp and did not remove either of the existing 2 lines. All openreach

    1. Avatar photo Jonny says:

      The two copper lines could have been in use still, they could be normal phone lines, providing FTTC, or used for ISDN. I’m sure Openreach have a way of seeing what services are active on a pole if they come up against capacity issues, and can start removing copper in those situations.

    2. Avatar photo Steve says:

      I know the home owner. The other lines arebnot in use although one was when the fttp install was done. I have not seen this replicated anywhere else.

    3. Avatar photo Tony says:

      Is the fixing point on the house accessible from a ladder using tetra?
      I have seen this happen when it’s not safe to use the other cable to cut and draw the fibre.

  5. Avatar photo apathy says:

    I hear over the pond at Google Fiber saying, “only if it was like this here?”

    1. Avatar photo An Engineer says:

      Sorry don’t understand. We’ve equivalent stuff to Google Fiber available to way more premises in the UK.

      The Google Fiber footprint is tiny. It’s also been left behind in speed by AT&T and Verizon, both of whom offer symmetrical multi-gig.

    2. Avatar photo apathy says:

      The issue that Google Fiber has everything has go throw a court.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgb2KQoAX8Y

      Which look like it been sorted this time.

      https://www.fiercetelecom.com/telecom/google-fiber-becomes-victor-louisville-ky-otmr-battle-as-court-dismisses-at-t-s-lawsuit

      At least found this site fiercetelecom which looks like a site that dose samething as ispreview but from USA perspective.

    3. Avatar photo An Engineer says:

      Okay now I understand: thanks.

  6. Avatar photo John aldred says:

    In medway we have fiber on all post,it’s on the way.

  7. Avatar photo LPP says:

    But can we do it back when they leave the alt net after 24 months and another new wire is needed?

  8. Avatar photo Badwolf says:

    I don’t understand how cityfibre know how much they use the product vs other altnets . They should not have access to data that would allow them to make that statement as far as I am concerned .

  9. Avatar photo Ad47uk says:

    There is something on the zzoomm web page about using poles, in that it will either be provider via a pole or underground, but you can’t choose which. It seems like it is all underground here. I think I would prefer the pole option to be honest if it was available.

  10. Avatar photo Mark says:

    In our rural area, most houses will get FTTP from an altnet using existing BT poles. Can the end user ask Openreach to remove the redundant overhead copper drop wire? Otherwise it’s two separate cables off the same pole.to each house, which is both unnecessary and unsightly.

    1. Avatar photo Alex says:

      Assuming they’re following exactly the same path, how is two wires significantly more unsightly than one? Some people just like inventing reasons to complain.

  11. Avatar photo SomeTechDude says:

    To be honest I assumed that one Openreach put a stop sell on anything other than FTTP that when an address orders a FTTP line they would remove the existing copper drop to install the new line. I wonder if they’ll eventually remove all copper lines from properties

  12. Avatar photo Anthony says:

    Its separate to the story. But I wish there was a way we could get someone to come and remove the copper line all the way from your house to the pole.

  13. Avatar photo Meadmodj says:

    As the article says special circumstances. My daughter will be getting her Hey Broadband (FW) free trial long before the FTTC contract with Now expires and whilst there is no sign of OR FTTP then OR will no doubt want to retain their dropwire in case they revert or move.

    If a pole can only support X dropwires then there is going to be issues

    There has to be a drop wire (FTTC or FTTP) recovery product (not just OR) which would have to be charged on first change of underlying network.

Comments are closed

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