CityFibre install: Can fibre be routed via existing Openreach duct to avoid surface cabling?

dnpark38

Out of interest why is the OP wanting to have the Alt. network?

kg87

dnpark38 said:

Out of interest why is the OP wanting to have the Alt. network?

Symmetric speeds and it is a hell of a lot cheaper!

kg87

QrizB said:

kg87 said:

I really appreciate the detail and need to accept that as clean as I want it to look, it's probably not going to be possible so I need to instead think of a route and method that I'm happy with or just accept that I don't go ahead with it if I can't find one.

You've shared a picture of one end of a blue draw rope. Do you know where the other end is? Can you confirm it runs in a duct rather than simply being buried in the structure as iniltous suggests?

If you have access to both ends and have a practical bent, you could see if the blue rope will move (do not lose the end of it!) and whether you can draw it through the duct ...

Yes, the other end is at the front of the property where the cables in come from. I haven't seen it myself but when the engineer was doing the pre-install he said he could see a blue rope there and that if you could see it at the end other end it could be pulled through. I've attached a few video here which hopefully helps explain the journey of the cable under the flooring/ground. The first door on the as you enter the property is a downstairs WC and there isn't a power lead anywhere practical.

Video: https://limewire.com/d/zhkwE#uxfvR2sdS4

kg87

iniltous said:

You don’t need to have the CF ONT where the Openreach ONT is , unless there is a compelling reason to do so  , like there is a patch panel to extend wired Ethernet sockets around the property, like behind the TV for example, but if there is space and power outlets on the interior side of the wall where the duct appears,  then putting the CF ONT and router here then the amount of visible wiring is minimal but obviously this location may not be suitable for a router 

Have shared a video here of what I'm trying to explain in terms of where the wire would go. I want it there for practical purposes so it's just hidden away along with all the wiring not being visible. As you said though it might not be possible. There is a hope where that blue rope is which is what I'm hoping the wire could be pulled through.

Video: https://limewire.com/d/zhkwE#uxfvR2sdS4

dnpark38

That's same speed up and down and I've never seen that offered or required, so learnt something today.

Is this feature not offered by Providers who use OR network  but Providers who use your Alt. Network do?

I'm with Sky normal domestic BB on OR network, if today I was new to BB and signed up for Sky BB Sky would say which of the two available networks they were going to use and not allow me to choose as they would go for cheapest to them.

Can you educate me a bit more please? 

kg87

dnpark38 said:

That's same speed up and down and I've never seen that offered or required, so learnt something today.

Is this feature not offered by Providers who use OR network  but Providers who use your Alt. Network do?

I'm with Sky normal domestic BB on OR network, if today I was new to BB and signed up for Sky BB Sky would say which of the two available networks they were going to use and not allow me to choose as they would go for cheapest to them.

Can you educate me a bit more please? 

There will be someone a hell of a lot more technical than me who can explain it better but Cityfibre offer symmetrical speeds and OR currently do not. I've seen reports that OR were due to launch symmetrical speeds through their network in April 2025 but I still haven't seen anything actually happen.

If you call Sky, and both Cityfibre and OR are available in your area (and they offer both), then I think you have the ability to choose which you want to be on.

I was on OR with Zen, and even though online it will only show me options now to have Cityfibre at my house as it's cheaper, when I call them, they confirm they can offer me packages through either. OR is just all already setup where as Cityfibre is available in my area now and needs the ONT etc which is why it requires an additional installer visit but is still available.

Some more Cityfibre info here if helpful: https://cityfibre.com/news/cityfibre-launches-true-gig-symmetrical-broadband-product-to-enable-simpler-consumer-advertising

prowla

In my case CityFibre ran the cable up a new channel in my front garden and through the same hole in the wall as an old BT ADSL line was (I cut the old unused cable and the CF installers pulled it out and ran the new fibre one through).

The ONT is just on the inside of the wall there, as per an earlier picture.

The output from the ONT is a standard Ethernet cable which runs to my router.

I replaced the supplied Amazon Eero router with a more powerful ASUS model.

One caveat with using existing Ethernet cable is it may not be as fast as the Fibre connection, so it might need replacing.

iniltous

Not sure the ‘hell of a lot cheaper’ rings true , where I am , Sky 500 Mb on CF £32 ‘ BT 500 Mb on Openreach £31 , admittedly the CF is symmetrical so the extra upload may be useful to some who upload large files but for the majority of users the extra upload bandwidth will be if no use whatsoever, getting a direct Sky comparison is difficult when both CF and OR are available  as Sky only show CF in those circumstances.

kg87

iniltous said:

Not sure the ‘hell of a lot cheaper’ rings true , where I am , Sky 500 Mb on CF £32 ‘ BT 500 Mb on Openreach £31 , admittedly the CF is symmetrical so the extra upload may be useful to some who upload large files but for the majority of users the extra upload bandwidth will be if no use whatsoever, getting a direct Sky comparison is difficult when both CF and OR are available  as Sky only show CF in those circumstances.

I suppose it’s relative to everyone in different ways but I feel it rings true for me. I’m being offered £36 for 500mb and £42 for 900mb on OR via Zen, and Toob are offering me 900mb through CF for £22 with no in-contract rises. Even though Zen also offer CF they can’t get anywhere near that price.

iniltous

The website shows 900mb at £25 , but that is still an impressively cheap price , personally I’d always be a little suspicious of a really cheap price compared to others offering on the face of it , the same service , although the XGPON equipment from CF is the same regardless of the ISP connecting you to it  , but the ‘backhaul’ etc is a place where money can be saved  by ISP’s , the policy may be to under provide this , in part to enable the ISP to offer such a cheap price , the over utilisation only noticeable at busy periods , but hopefully that won’t be the case, and their service will be comparable with other more recognisable brands