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[tiffy]

Resident in an urban approx. 50 dwellings private housing area circa 50 to 35 years vintage, telephone/BB distribution is underground throughout with dist. chambers at frequent intervals along the footpaths.
Had noted very recent white paint markings along the footpaths which I assumed were for gas main installation this being very common in the general area at present with the area in question not yet having gas service.

However, yesterday morning contractors arrived and started digging activity laying ducting along the footpaths with a sign "Contracted to Openreach" prominently displayed, definately not the normal gas installation squad which are very common in the general area.
Have not had a chance to talk to the work men as yet but believe that the activity is definately OR related.

Questions being, is it normal for OR to run additional cable/fibre ducting in an area where UG distribution infrastructure already exists?
Is it possible that the existing telephone distribution cabling is direct burial between the dist. chambers considering the age of the estate?

I can only assume that OR are laying ducting for fibre installation which would be a very surprising and unexpected bonus considering the relatively low population density of the area.
The complete area is already covered by cable, pre Virgin Media, going back to the old NTL ownership days.

BTw availability checker by phone number still indicates FTTP unavailability.     

[j0hn]

Yes it's normal.

I've seen OpenReach have to build brand new footway joint boxes (underground chambers) on developments under 10 years old.

Existing ducts could be full or damaged. There may just not be enough joint boxes for the FTTP deployment.

[tiffy]

@j0hn, many thanks for the interest and information.

As the complete area in question, all streets, have had recent footway markings added I assume that ducting is going to be installed as per the area already started, this would lead me to believe that the existing cabling is direct burial, if that's possible, having never seen any "rodding" attempts between footway chambers prior to this current activity.

Anyway, being on a long line to FTTC cabinet delighted at the prospect of FTTP in the (relatively) not too distant future, thought that my fairly low density population area would be much further down the pecking order.

[gt94sss2]

https://one.network may list some details regarding the work

[tiffy]

https://one.network may list some details regarding the work

Had tried this already, nothing listed anywhere for N.I., they may not participate, have never checked previously.
Noted in a number of recent similar posts that existing individual members have been notified of a change in one.network's T&C's regarding the amount of data being made available.   

[tiffy]

The "contractors to the contractors" (local contract company & KN Circet) have made remarkable progress this working week, deployed a lot of man power and machinery, working in very cold and damp conditions, have practically the whole area now ducted between the existing footway chambers and have started to thread what looks like the fibre, most impressed.

No power or telecom's cables damaged or cut during the activity, lights are still on and BB/telephone still working, happy days. 

[burakkucat]

No power or telecom's cables damaged or cut during the activity, lights are still on and BB/telephone still working,

 

[gt94sss2]

Had tried this already, nothing listed anywhere for N.I., they may not participate, have never checked previously.

Try https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/roadworks

[tiffy]

Try https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/roadworks

Many thanks for the link, much appreciated.
Could not find a listing of the  particular activity in question for some reason, perhaps as it's within a private housing complex and doesn't have a road number as such?

URL noted for further reference.