Sponsored Links

Altnet installation in rural areas

Mark8253

Regular Member
Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question, but what actually happens on the ground when an altnet is contracted to install FTTP in a rural area with mostly overhead connections to individual houses? Do they install their own fibre on Openreach's poles? As a new cable, or replace copper with hybrid that they then share with Openreach? Do they stop at the distribution poles and await individual customer orders, as per Openreach, or take it to every house straight off?

In our case, we are about 400 m from the current DP, and a couple of the carry poles are over 70 years old, so even if the contract from the local authority covers this area, are we likely to be faced with significant installation costs later?
 
As far as I know very few Altnets use Openreach poles. Most dig their own fibre, although a few are starting to use Openreach ducts in some areas (even Gigaclear are intending to do this in my area).
Most will install a POT outside each property with ducting back to a distribution point, and then install fibre to the property when (if) it is ordered. Often there is a charge which covers (at least some of) the cost of installation, but is isn't usually very large.
 
Can they direct bury fibre or does it have to be ducted? Openreach put new directly buried armoured cable in the local verges in no time at all (hundreds of yards a day) a few years ago, but quoted silly money for our CFP to convert it to ducted fibre.
 
Sponsored Links
There is no one single solution, there are many ways of deploying fibre and it varies from place to place. As such it's difficult to give a specific answer.
 
My overhead line run of 400m from the road was replaced some 15+ years ago when I ordered ISDN. The replacement line is underground installed by a mole, well underground is an exaggeration as its only 100mm to 150mm underground in the field and 50mm in the lawn not the recommended
350mm to 450mm and no ducting, conduit or warning tape. When R100 reaches me in 2022 I expect the same with the fibre cable.
 
Top
Cheap BIG ISPs for 100Mbps+
Community Fibre UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Virgin Media UK ISP Logo
Virgin Media £24.00
132Mbps
Gift: None
Shell Energy UK ISP Logo
Shell Energy £26.99
109Mbps
Gift: None
Plusnet UK ISP Logo
Plusnet £27.99
145Mbps
Gift: None
Zen Internet UK ISP Logo
Zen Internet £28.00 - 35.00
100Mbps
Gift: None
Large Availability | View All
Cheapest ISPs for 100Mbps+
Gigaclear UK ISP Logo
Gigaclear £15.00
150Mbps
Gift: None
YouFibre UK ISP Logo
YouFibre £19.99
150Mbps
Gift: None
Community Fibre UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
BeFibre UK ISP Logo
BeFibre £21.00
150Mbps
Gift: £25 Love2Shop Card
Hey! Broadband UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Large Availability | View All
Sponsored Links
The Top 15 Category Tags
  1. FTTP (5470)
  2. BT (3505)
  3. Politics (2524)
  4. Openreach (2290)
  5. Business (2251)
  6. Building Digital UK (2234)
  7. FTTC (2041)
  8. Mobile Broadband (1961)
  9. Statistics (1778)
  10. 4G (1654)
  11. Virgin Media (1608)
  12. Ofcom Regulation (1451)
  13. Fibre Optic (1392)
  14. Wireless Internet (1386)
  15. FTTH (1381)
Sponsored

Copyright © 1999 to Present - ISPreview.co.uk - All Rights Reserved - Terms  ,  Privacy and Cookie Policy  ,  Links  ,  Website Rules