Duct for fibre in countryside?

BarneyMc

Ground work going on at the moment and just wondering if I should leave a spare duct running alongside my telephone line duct? My thinking is what if fibre ever became available in the countryside. Or would the old telephone line simply be pulled out and replaced with the fibre? Is this good future proofing or just a 'pipe' dream?

The_Bullman

I don't think our phoneline changed when we got fiber broadband. The fibre seems to go to the exchange/cabinet and goes on the copper after that.

You can go to http://fibrerollout.ie/where-and-when/ and see what's going on in your area.

You'll see that the distance to the exchange has a huge effect. Up to 350metres is 100Mb/s whereas at 2km you'll only get 7Mb/s



However. That spare duct could end up being useful for something else in the future. Wiring for gates, outdoor sockets or somethin

Metric Tensor

What eircom currently call fibre is indeed fibre to the cabinet with copper wires after that. However true FTTH (fibre to the home) will eventually arrive and need new wires.

I think it's well worth leaving a spare duct.

Also one of the current FTTH providers is the ESB so there's a strong chance your potential future fibre wire might come from your electricity pole so a spare duct to that pole would be just as important!

BarneyMc

Thanks guys. Yes, it's fibre to the home I'm talking about. I've left ducts for gates and separate one for low voltage to the gates. If I've enough duct I'll run a spare one to be sure to be sure!

893bet

Would an extra rope in the phone line duct not to the trick?

BarneyMc

893bet wrote: »

Would an extra rope in the phone line duct not to the trick?

Erm, maybe. Wonder would they allow that? If fibre ever did become available then maybe the phone line would be redundant anyway so could be replaced by fibre cable?

murphaph

If (actually when) FTTH arrives it will make the existing copper run redundant. If not immediately then soon enough after as Eir will seek permission to shut down the analogue network and move to all IP based services. One of the primary reasons Eir are rolling out FTTH is because the copper network costs a fortune to maintain, especially in rural Ireland where it's more exposed to the worst effects of the weather (in urban areas there's a lot more undergrounding of services as it's cost effective there).

As long as you have a mobile signal then I would have no qualms about ripping out the copper when FTTH arrives.

BarneyMc

Just off the phone with an eir rep and he said they will simply just use your existing copper duct from the roadside to the house. So it would seem there's no need to install a spare duct then.

My only question, that he couldn't answer, is what carries the signal from the small eir box on the side of the house to the central point for the existing phone? If it's not already fibre then is this not a break in the fibre connection?

murphaph

They have to find a path in to the mount the ONT (the terminator for the fibre). If there's no existing path a hole needs to be drilled. At the build stage I would make sure I could provide a path for fibre all the way in to my utility/services room and pull CAT cable to some key points around the house. I pulled CAT 6 from the cellar up to loads of places but the one I used first was one for an access point on the first floor because with UFH/insulation/rebar there was no signal whatsoever from my modem/router and I was super glad I could easily install a wireless access point (I will install one on each floor and in the garage eventually).

Some people might even pull fibre inside the house but I wouldn't go that far.

BarneyMc

This is where I get confused. Do they simply replace the copper wire with the fibre, i.e. bring it to the phone 'box' on the side of the house OR should it go directly to where all your CAT 6, etc. cables live, e.g. utility/comms room?

If it's the latter I don't have any spare ducts but maybe the fibre could share a 1.5 inch duct with a low volt wire for signalling the opening/closing of gates, intercom, etc.?

Metric Tensor

You need the fibre to continue to and be terminated at the point where your CAT 5/6 network starts.

Do you already have a duct/pathway from the box on your wall to this point for the existing copper wire? In theory the same duct/pathway can be used provided it's accessible.

Metric Tensor

P.S. Alternatively when fibre comes you can move your termination/network point to a place on the internal wall back to back with the outside box. Of course you will then have to figure out how to run CAT 5/6 cables from that so you probably won't be a whole lot better off!

BarneyMc

Metric Tensor wrote: »

You need the fibre to continue to and be terminated at the point where your CAT 5/6 network starts.

Do you already have a duct/pathway from the box on your wall to this point for the existing copper wire? In theory the same duct/pathway can be used provided it's accessible.

OK makes sense. I have a duct running from the roadside to the CAT 6 area but it was going to be used for signalling to my gates (if ever installed). I cold either ditch the electric gates option or share this duct with the fibre.

murphaph

BarneyMc wrote: »

OK makes sense. I have a duct running from the roadside to the CAT 6 area but it was going to be used for signalling to my gates (if ever installed). I cold either ditch the electric gates option or share this duct with the fibre.

Just pull 2 or 3 pull cords through that duct while it's empty and you'll be able to keep everything.

Metric Tensor

I'd say the duct could be used for both. Neither are particularly thick or heavy wires. Have you left a pull chord in the duct?

ED E

Its important to remember you can put your phone cable through a 90* bend, no problems. Fibre requires a minimum turn radius. Any sharp bends will make that duct useless.

Metric Tensor

Excellent point ED E. Will make many existing ducts useless when/if FTTH ever comes.