Is An External Junction Box Mandatory For A New BT Installation?

emc

Can you BT experts please advise me as to whether it is mandatory to have an external junction box when OpenReach install a new BT telephone line.

I am returning to BT after using cable for a long time. The defunct BT junction box in my house is internal, in the hall by the front door, and I now want the box to be also internal, but in the living room. However, OpenReach want to install a line to an external junction box, and then take a connection into my property to the living room.

I am concerned that an external junction box is not secure and vulnerable to unauthorised access, so can I insist that the junction box is internal? Also can BT or OpenReach then use that junction box to feed next door's telephone line in the future, coming onto my property and laying extra cabling over the house, etc?

Thanks folks.

spike7451

It's because the flooding gel used in the cable gives off a nasty gas in a fire & they can only use around 1 meter of it in an exposed living space.

Buzby

Yes they can. It is considered good practice, as it provides an easily accessible testing point to resolve issues without disturbing you or your installation. These boxes are secured and sealed to show up tampering. This is also the point where the external drop wire is changed to internal grade cabling. As for the service being teed off to the neighbours... all you pay for is a single circuit, so assuming there is capacity available, they can provide service to a neighbour using it, and is no difference to the old method of providing a DP on a pole in the centre of rear gardens, then feeding all properties from that point.

iniltous

The new external xNTE (I think thats what they are called) are installed on new build propertys, they are 1 per house (so they wont feed a neighbour from yours) but reason behind them is that BT Openreach can visit without the end user having to be in, so no access problems, and test if the line is working or not, easily disconnecting anything the end use may have plugged in, Sky boxes, adsl filters, alarm dialers etc...but in your case i doubt if there is already service into the property they will fit an xNTE but just use the master socket thats already there....was it BT Openreach who said you will be getting an external socket ?....FYI there isnt an ordinary phone socket in a xNTE so no one call plug a phone in outside your house and make calls, the BTO engineer can split the line into the house and use his test equipment to check the line back to the exchange

DVardysShadow

iniltous wrote: »

....FYI there isnt an ordinary phone socket in a xNTE so no one call plug a phone in outside your house and make calls

That is the key thing. However, with or without an NTE, anyone can easily tap into a line and make calls.

fjsfjs

An external NTE is now mandatory. It is the new official demarcation point between your wiring and that of OpenReach. It has the bell wire filter that is in an NTE5A, so the socket fitted in your property should not be a master.

My understanding is that this is fitted as a matter of course, whatever the previous wiring arrangement.

If the previous Master Socket/NTE5 or NTE5A is reused, having in effect 2 Master Sockets may have an adverse effect on broadband speed.

fjsfjs

http://www.btwebworld.com/sinet/470v1p0.pdf

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/btsockets.htm
see bottom of page.

fjsfjs

Come to think of it, there will be a limit to the length of wiring they will install.

They have up to one hour to do the job.

You might be better running your own extension from the hall, sweet-talking the OpenReach fitter, or bribing him.

emc

Thanks for your comments people.