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Openreach Deploys Ultrafast FTTP Broadband Over Existing Copper Network

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Bowdon:
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2017/09/openreach-deploys-ultrafast-fttp-broadband-existing-copper-network.html


--- Quote ---Network access provider Openreach (BT) appears to have completed a pilot of their new installation option for Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) “ultrafast broadband” networks, which enables them to run optical fibre cables over their existing copper cable network / ducts.

The use of existing infrastructure to run fibre optic cables into properties, such as via copper cable ducts and joint boxes, has been talked about before and the technique probably isn’t going to work everywhere (e.g. sometimes there just isn’t the space or access for it). Often special fibroscopic cameras have to be used first in order to check the underground ducts and remove blockages.

However, where it works then Openreach can save time (i.e. it reduces the need for engineers to blow fibre through underground ducts and to splice individual fibres together) and money by avoiding the need to dig up footpaths or driveways, while also using the latest ‘Plug and Play‘ cable connectors (connectorised).
--- End quote ---

This seems like an interesting step forward. Especially the part where they can add fibre without having to dig up the roads. I'm sure that will save a lot of time and money.

WesBez7:
Really interesting

sevenlayermuddle:
Not really sure what's new.

I have about 200 ft of BT ducting under my garden, with legal wayleaves, serving myself and others.  Obviously, the cable duct capacity was installed with spare capacity, they're not going to take the trouble to dig up fields and invest in lawyers for wayleaves, unless it has massive surplus capacity for future.   As far as I know, they can stuff as many cables or fibres as they like into the ducts under my land, it's just common sense, is it not?    ???

Ronski:
They have been using existing ducts for running fibre through for well over half a decade, even connector's have been about for a little while, so what's new?

WWWombat:
I kinda look at Openreach as having an ongoing internal battle between an FTTP faction and a copper faction, with the accountants as a referee.

The FTTP faction are permanently up against it, trying to persuade the accountants that their costs have reduced enough, and this time they deserve a bigger chance. They are constantly having to adjust all manner of techniques to reduce costs ... and the BT release that was the background to ISPreview's story highlighted that they'd managed to halve FTTP installation costs.

Trials like this, then, are ways to prove that all these techniques, taken together, do provide an accumulated saving for at least one use case. Each trial helps persuade the referee a little more.

The G.Fast faction has a similar problem...

Historical aside:
I've seen one GPO document from 1965, that was the analysis of how the cabling & network deployment costs were changing since they'd chosen to start using a PCP/SCP model 20 years earlier. 20 years!

It takes time for engineers to gather evidence & persuade the accountants.

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