Getting redundant kit and cabling removed

[NeilHickman]

When Openreach installed by Vodafone fibre kit they (sensibly) left the BT fibre kit in place. Now that the Vodafone installation is up and running, I want to get the redundant BT kit and cabling removed. BT tell me that my account with them is technically still live but that it will cease on Tuesday next, and that if they raise a request to Openreach to do this work it will automatically be cancelled when my account closes. How do I go about getting this redundant kit and cabling removed?

[Jayach]

What kit are you referring to?

There should just be the BT/Openreach master socket and associated cabling. You can remove those yourself.

[NeilHickman]

Yes, I have removed those from inside the house, and if Openreach don't want them back I'll put them in WEEE recycling. But that leaves me with rather a lot of fibre going up the side of the house and across to Openreach's pole (and the redundant copper wire from the previous telephone installation, but that;s another matter).

[Jayach]

I'm confused, are you saying you have two lots of fibre installed at your house?

Unless Vodafone have used CityFibre there, the Vodafone installation should have used the same fibre (Openreach) as the BT install.

[NeilHickman]

No, this time, unlike when they installed the line for BT, Openreach actually installed the kit in a sensible place. There is, therefore, the redundant fibre which BT used to us, and the fibre which Vodafone are now using.

[Jayach]

I'm surprised Openreach even sent an engineer. Their records should have shown you already had fibre so no engineer was required.

I'm also surprised the redundant exterior copper cabling wasn't removed at the time of the first fibre install.

[NeilHickman]

Thank you for that.

The reason why Openreach attended the property is that Vodafone had instructed them to do so; and the fact that they installed a fresh fibre line in a sensible position meant that I continued to have my BT broadband until the Vodafone broadband was up and running. Difficult, in Brexit Britain, to conceive of things being organised so as to minimise inconvenience to the customer, but it does happen.

I would also have been extremely hacked off if the previous Openreach engineers had taken away the copper wiring, because at that time I was receiving telephone services down it. The “improvement” later to be foisted on us by Ofcom, of obliging us to receive telephone via broadband, so that in the event of a power cut we would have no telephones as well as no broadband, was still in the future.

But even if you were correct in saying that the situation should not have arisen (which for the reasons I have given you are not), that would not, with respect, assist me to resolve the situation which actually exists.

[Jayach]

Yes. sorry, you are right I have no way to assist in your current situation. I was trying to understand why they installed the second fibre line. (Glad it is actually more convenient for you)

Did you sign up saying you wanted a new phone number, rather than using your current BT number? If so that may explain having the second line installed.

I can't help but feel you will just end up removing the unwanted infrastructure attached to the house yourself. Obviously if there are two lines running from the pole, they will have to stay, but all the other redundant bits can go.

I'm pretty sure Openreach won't want them back.

Hope you can get it resolved to your satisfaction.

[NeilHickman]

I kept the number I had with BT.

I think from what the Openreach engineers said (they initially sent one very nice chap who had no ladders and "didn't climb" which meant that he scratched his head contemplating the coil of fibre left at the pole for his use; he was joined by another delightful chap who did the climbing around outside stuff) that Vodafone, perhaps unlike some other providers, do stipulate that the previous broadband service shouldn't end until theirs is up and running.

I suspect you're right about eventually getting rid of the redundant stuff myself. There are worse problems to have. Cheers.

[Mark]

I'm glad to hear everything's up and running for you @NeilHickman and we've been able to position your equipment in a more convenient position. As the cabling on the outside of your property is owned by Openreach you would need to speak with them about removing it. If you call them on 0800 023 2023 and select option 1, they'll be able to help with this.