New Phone Lines To Flats Conversion

[Hefferl]

Hi. I've tried BT Customer Services and Open Reach etc but going round in circles without getting the info I need so I thought I'd ask here.

I'm involved in the conversion of one property into 4 seperate flats. The client is reluctant to have phone lines installed after the conversion as he wants to avoid surface mounted cables everywhere. If lines are installed now BT want to charge monthly for phone packages which wont be used for probably 6 months.

So if we were to run phone cable from a point in each flat to a central point - say the meter cupboard - would BT then be happy to connect their lines to these phone cables we've buried in the partitions etc or are they likely to have an issue with this?

Thanks

 

[Sharpend]

That's how we do it all the time.

 

[Hefferl]

That's how we do it all the time.

 Great-thanks for the quick response.

 

[Doc Hudson]

With any telephone contract with whatever provider you are using, it is standard practice for the client to request the location where the master socket is to be positioned. Providing the location is not unreasonably difficult to access and has sufficient room to work and access the cable terminations, then the telephone provider will normally oblige. However if you are trying to avoid later disturbance of the decor, a limitation I can see is that you are assuming the residents of these new flats will all want their telephone provided by BT. Also the telephone is often bundled with a broadband and/or TV package nowadays. What if want a cable brought in for a TV package? The television location or computer location may be more critical than just a telephone socket location. BT/Openreach probably cannot give a definitive answer because they do not know what bundle the resident is purchasing?

Doc H.

 

[binky]

the less work BT have to do, the happier they usually are!!

 

[Hefferl]

With any telephone contract with whatever provider you are using, it is standard practice for the client to request the location where the master socket is to be positioned. Providing the location is not unreasonably difficult to access and has sufficient room to work and access the cable terminations, then the telephone provider will normally oblige. However if you are trying to avoid later disturbance of the decor, a limitation I can see is that you are assuming the residents of these new flats will all want their telephone provided by BT. Also the telephone is often bundled with a broadband and/or TV package nowadays. What if want a cable brought in for a TV package? The television location or computer location may be more critical than just a telephone socket location. BT/Openreach probably cannot give a definitive answer because they do not know what bundle the resident is purchasing?

Doc H.

BT/Openreach cannot give a definitive answer because they have the usual infuriating menu system with no appropriate option - then when you finally do get to speak to someone, they each want to redirect you back and forth whilst protesting that it's not within their remit.

 

[M107]

As already said drop each flats line to a central ground floor point, fit a DP krone in your lines & leave a note stating each flat number & leave for BT to bring in their pairs.

 

[Hefferl]

As already said drop each flats line to a central ground floor point, fit a DP krone in your lines & leave a note stating each flat number & leave for BT to bring in their pairs.

Thanks M107 - what do you mean by 'DP krone' please?

 

[Doc Hudson]

Thanks M107 - what do you mean by 'DP krone' please?

Standard telephone IDC junction box such as, http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Telephones_and_Accessories_Index/Telephone_JB/index.html if you are bringing four cables and you want to terminate all three pairs for each cable you need a box with capacity for at least 12 pairs. So something like the 20pair box would give you sufficient capacity.

Doc H.

 

[Hefferl]

Standard telephone IDC junction box such as, http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Telephones_and_Accessories_Index/Telephone_JB/index.html if you are bringing four cables and you want to terminate all three pairs for each cable you need a box with capacity for at least 12 pairs. So something like the 20pair box would give you sufficient capacity.

Doc H.

Great - thanks Doc

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

As already said drop each flats line to a central ground floor point, fit a DP krone in your lines & leave a note stating each flat number & leave for BT to bring in their pairs.

We have done this, we have even  additionally taken a  3 pair cable for each flat to an external position for use by any telephone company. We have been dumbstruck that most times all this has been ignored and cables have been tacked all over the outside walls & window frames and sometimes up 3 floors of the stringers and skirtings of the stairwell to feed the flats, often into the box we fitted.

I remember a few years back we fitted steel conduit containment with draw wires for BT , they  taped there cables to this rather than pull in.