fibre drop wire minimum height

[guitarman3]

just a general question but does anyone know if there is a minimum height for a fibre drop wire to be set? learning a lot about the fibre install process and it's interesting stuff. thanks

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello,

Ok thanks for the update 🙂

Thanks

[guitarman3]

hi michelle. i'm awaiting a call from the faults dept this afternoon with regards to moving my ONT so i'll mention the drop wire concern at the same time, they maybe able to advise. i'll keep you updated. thanks

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Please let us know if you need any further assistance.

Thanks

[guitarman3]

Thanks for that Gondola. Just curious as the fibre engineers attached my fibre drop cable half way down the apex roof of an end terraced bungalow. It’s lower than the telegraph pole it’s fed from but is it high enough so as not to interfere with the occasional high sided vehicle passing which does occur sometimes? That’s my concern. But as you say that’s for openreach to worry about. Thanks

[Gondola]

The telegraph pole height will be the determining factor and lines from such poles would be expected to be above maximum vehicle height. Otherwise the network owner, Openreach or AltNet, would have problems. Let them worry about that aspect. 

If terminating at a single storey building then the installer will try to fit to the highest point. They have swan neck fixings to raise cables up above the roof line if needed.

[guitarman3]

I was thinking about  minimum overhead line height over a road or driveway. I’m sure, as you say, there would be no maximum height but if there was a recommended minimum so as not to cause issues with large high sided vehicles. The incoming install measurements regarding the height from the floorboards to the ONT is something I never really considered but is worth noting so thanks for that.

[Gondola]

Do you mean a minimum overhead line height or a minimum height above internal flooring level for the fibre optic entry point to the ONT?

Overhead clearance for maximum vehicle height if passing over a roadway or driveway or otherwise as much clearance as is possible.

For the fibre optic entry point it's typically at 20 - 30mm or the same height as electric sockets are placed above flooring. Don't allow the installer to put the ONT lower or there's a risk of the fibre optic connection being disturbed by vacuum cleaners / brooms etc.

The ideal install is that usually carried out by housing developers when there's a single or double recessed electrical socket box fitted into the wall. The fibre optic cable entry point is into the back of that socket box and the Openreach installer must then fit an ONT casing to the socket box to contain the ONT and fibre optic connection. Inside the case the fibre optic cable and connection is then free of the risk of being inadvertently knocked.