Unsure if existing cable is copper or fibre optic cabling?

Lancaster93 · Post by **Lancaster93** » Tue Jan 30, 2024 2:43 pm

Hi all,

Moved into a new home (house 50 years old) at the end of last year and a couple weeks ago i had an email from Openreach stating that as of January 2024 we are now eligible for full fibre to our property.

I understand the old owners of house had new cabling from Open Reach installed around a year ago which is underground through our front garden and connects through a wall into our house. There is no external junction box but I have included a photo below of where the cables change internally and also the indoor main box which the router connects into.

My question (might be an obvious one) is whether this wiring is already fibre-optic cabling or copper, I've included a photo if that helps identify it? I'm wondering if we need to reroute an underground cable again to get full fibre or whether this wiring can be repurposed. It was only done a year ago so would seem shortsighted by openreach not to include fibre-optic cabling?

Many thanks

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:31 pm

The roll out of full fibre has only recently started, the cable you have will be copper.

A new fibre cable will need to be run from the pole to your house. What you have is MK4 VDSL Plate & NTE5C Master Socket for copper cables with integral filtration. (saves having BB filters for each phone you have.)

Lancaster93 · Post by **Lancaster93** » Tue Jan 30, 2024 5:41 pm

Someone-Else wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:31 pm The roll out of full fibre has only recently started, the cable you have will be copper.

A new fibre cable will need to be run from the pole to your house. What you have is MK4 VDSL Plate & NTE5C Master Socket for copper cables with integral filtration. (saves having BB filters for each phone you have.)

Thanks for the info, I will have a think where best to ask Openreach to locate new cabling. I figured wiring typically would be copper but as this specific cabling was done by Openreach for the previous owners around 12 months ago (unsure why), I'd wondered if they'd used fibre-optic cable to future proof as full fibre connections have been going in on nearby streets before that. I guess I am not that lucky!

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:09 pm

Lancaster93 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 5:41 pmI'd wondered if they'd used fibre-optic cable

You already said that.

Lancaster93 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 2:43 pmis whether this wiring is already fibre-optic cabling or copper,

Also if they had used fibre optic cable, your existing services would not work.

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Tue Jan 30, 2024 7:52 pm

it would be worth checking any extra costs involved it may cost more per month with a connection charge i doubt it will be free

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Tue Jan 30, 2024 7:54 pm

Been on full fibre for over 3 years (FTTP)

As you have a 5C master, you're likely to have FTTC (fibre to the Cabinet) then copper to the home

With FTTP they still run an analogue cable (twin cable) bt have pulled back the "digital" phone service as it not reliable enough for some existing systems or has fail safes

Technically their Digital voice uses "wireless" what is actually DECT via the Smarthub 2 and the VoIP service, but it's all proprietary (call assigned VoIP) so running any 3rd party routers is not possible

Also if they had used fibre optic cable, your existing services would not work.

the Original full fibre used an ONT with a POTS built in, in the last 5 years they went over to a fibre and copper and dropped the POTS from the ONT in favour of the router based VoIP (smarthub has 1 analogue port what you can run up to 3 phones from

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Tue Jan 30, 2024 10:12 pm

big-all wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 7:52 pmit would be worth checking any extra costs involved it may cost more per month with a connection charge i doubt it will be free

You are right, it does cost more for "full fibre" to the home. I know this because I was offered it, but the price was too much for me, I am sticking with fibre to the cabinet.