NTL/UPC Cables and access

Rew

Potentially not the correct forum for this but...

2 guys called to the door today said they were UPC and that they need to to upgrade the cable that runs between all the houses in my estate. They said that we were on their list of people who had signed the wavier granting them access and could they have access to the back of the house.

I wasn't there but my fiancee was and she's not one to have the wool pulled over her eyes easily told them nothing had been singed by us and they were to get lost.

Cant swear they were UPC as they didn't produce ID. We've owned the house 3 years and we're with Sky and we have never singed anything for UPC. I do remember hearing in the past that they do have some right of way for their cables in some houses. Anyone know if that is the case?

Before today cable didn't bother me but after trying to bull**** their way into the house im very tempted to chop the cable off my property.

On a side note they appear to have entered the building where I work in the last few days without permission (that I know of/can verify so far) and laid a new cable across our roof and the roofs of all the buildings in our row. Did a messy job of it as well.

Seems a bit of a mad tactic for a business to be using to build and maintain their infrastructure.

Xzen

When you agree to services with most ISPs the small print usually mentions you give them right to access their equipment on your premises.
Although they need to ask and be given permission to enter your house, they can't just demand entrance. (unless you're doing something illegal with their equipment, but that'll entail a Garda visit)

UPC are doing a major national upgrade to enable their 100Mb+ package for everyone. So they may have been legit. At the moment they're exchanging older router/modem and recabling areas.

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If you or anyone reading this are EVER in doubt about a service-man claiming to need access to equipment or lines in your house, ask them for ID. If they're dodgy, at this stage they'll get a bit shifty and/or leave.

Then to be doubly sure call their head office (DONT call any number they give you, instead use the goldenpages or the net to get a real number.) and ask the office if they're doing work in your area or MrEmployee is ment to be at your address.

slimjimmc

UPC do not have right of way to your property no more than I do, but it is a condition of the contract to allow them access within a reasonable time when requested.

One of the terms in cable TV contracts is that the waiver rights are transferable to subsequent owners if the property is sold, the seller is contractually obliged to make it a condition of the property sale. Any of the previous owners or even the developer could have signed such a contract with UPC (or NTL/Chorus) and that contract could still be binding on you even though you never had any contact with any cable TV provider.

I wouldn't go cutting anything just yet!

Thor

Okay, The people who knocked actually aren't UPC, But a company called Integrated systems who are contracted by UPC to do the work.

The reason they need access is to lay new cables, This isn't just for you but for your entire estate. it doesnt take long and you wouldn't even notice it.

I'm shocked they even knocked as most of the time they just replace it.

The problem is that some people say no and they can't lay new cable.

This happened to me not to long ago, The old network they were using was terrible and basically falling apart, The new network was in place in my estate, But my house and a few others couldn't get it because someone said they couldn't put the cable past there house.

The argument here is that if you don't want the cable then that's fine, But try to think to yourself as to why you wouldn't.

The thing is that, If they can't put the cable there, They will dig around your house, Which inturn costs them a decent amount of money, This means that if you or anyone ever living at your house in the future wants UPC, They will have to pay the costs of the digging that was done previously, Which is around €10,000

I had to wait nearly an extra 2 months just to so they could dig around.

To be honest though, It possible they were mistaken about the house as sometimes they assume the house has upc and because the old cables are there, They assume you won't mind them putting the new ones in.

The point is, That if you want to get there 100Mb line or might ever want there services or like your neighbours, then let them put the new cable, If not, try to be rational about it.

There main thing i was say to people is that there is no reason not to let them, It's not like you are going to use the area they put the cable anyway.

dudara

Moved to the Cable forum

dudara

Red Alert

Why can't UPC just dig up the street like the ESB, Eircom, Gas etc? Because it makes them more money by slinging it across houses. Although I love my cable broadband, I dislike the sentiment shown towards some people here who quite legitimately don't want UPC using their house to make money for themselves.

lucernarian

For some reason it's very rare in Ireland that poles are used to carry trunk cables. Drop cables can be brought down to each house from a tap on each pole, there are a couple of streets in Dublin where I've seen this. They use poles to carry TV cable in the US and Canada all the time though. Perhaps local authorities object to the use of poles alongside the jungle of overhead eircom lines that can be seen in many older urban areas?

Also, the ESB regularly attach low voltage mains cable along the outside of houses in places with adjoining buildings, terraced housing etc. I think it looks nicer on a street than the conventional poles with 5 wires running down a street with a pair of wires from one phase supplying each house. But then the ESB deservedly should be given the opportunity to run cables cost-effectively with the critical service they provide.