Chorus quoting $3150 to pull fibre through conduit laid for them

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Chorus quoting $3150 to pull fibre through conduit laid for them - other options?

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Fatfly

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#2850247 13-Jan-2022 16:32

That's interesting re the power poles. In my area we don't have underground mains yet, guess I could wait until eventually this happens and the pole needs to come down. I have no idea if or when that will ever happen though.

InstallerUFB

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#2850261 13-Jan-2022 17:25

Behodar:

For what it's worth:

My power and copper phone came in overhead, both from the same pole (which is likely a crucial part of my story). When I ordered fibre they replaced the copper with overhead fibre. Several months later the power company came out and moved all the power cables underground, and pulled most of the poles out, but my pole remained. Several months after that, Chorus came back out and moved the fibre underground, then someone pulled the now-bare pole out.

All of this happened for free, and I didn't need to ask for it. If power and phone are/were on the same pole, then it might happen for free eventually.

Most of the time when that happens its done as part of a OHUG project (directed by the local council) your rates, network power line charges & chorus network charges payed for it.

Linux

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#2850319 13-Jan-2022 22:45

Sounds like a waiting game then it will be done free

quickymart

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#2850321 13-Jan-2022 23:21

That's if the power company is doing (or going to do) any undergrounding in the OP's area.

quickymart

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#2850322 13-Jan-2022 23:22

Fatfly:

Zeon:

Paying off a random Chorus tech cash is probably the way to go. Try and find someone from South Asia as they are often the ones who are getting shafted the most by the contracter-of-contracter system it seems.

Will keep my eyes peeled for one. Haven't seen too many Chorus techs floating around my ways lately.

I think based on the comments from UFBInstaller that's a non-starter.

lmnop

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#2850331 14-Jan-2022 00:49

If the pole is owned by the power co but only has the fibre on it now, see how much it would cost to buy the pole.

Buy the pole and then have the power co tell Chorus the pole is going to be removed, and they need to move their service.

Then just leave the pole there and maybe stick a LoraWAN hotspot on it. :)

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InstallerUFB

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#2850338 14-Jan-2022 06:55

lmnop: If the pole is owned by the power co but only has the fibre on it now, see how much it would cost to buy the pole. Buy the pole and then have the power co tell Chorus the pole is going to be removed, and they need to move their service. Then just leave the pole there and maybe stick a LoraWAN hotspot on it. :)

When poles (not on private property but in the road corridor) that belong to a network operator (power or comms) and are made redundant by that operator, but still have services from another operator attached, then generally they are gifted to the other operator. They are not removed/sold/gifted to individuals when still in use and even if it was that person would have to pay to have the services removed.

Jase2985

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#2850423 14-Jan-2022 09:20

@Wheelbarrow01 maybe one for you to have a look at?

Wheelbarrow01

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#2850583 14-Jan-2022 11:08

Jase2985:

@Wheelbarrow01 maybe one for you to have a look at?

There's probably not much value I can add here - @installerUFB has summed the situation up pretty well in his post.

One tip worth noting is that it will always be cheaper to convert to an underground connection at the time your fibre is being installed. If you have it installed overhead and decide to put it underground later, you are basically paying to have the overhead fibre removed, and new underground fibre installed (and without the benefit of any government/LFC subsidy - which you've already used on the overhead install).

Chorus provisioning technicians will not do a cashie for this type of work, partly because they shouldn't do cashies at all, partly because a provisioning technician can't undertake network build functions, but mostly because there is a whole process that needs to be followed which includes the plant records being updated in our network mapping system to show the fibre has been moved underground at that address - something a tech doing a cashie would never be able to arrange.

It's unfortunate that offering "free" fibre installation for many years has led to a public perception that it is cheap to install (or move) fibre network elements. The reality is that a first time install is subsidised to 100% in almost all cases, but relocating a connection will never be. Chorus do not make any money from network relocations/OHUGs - we just pass on what it costs us to have the work done, and those costs are contractually agreed between ourselves and our service partners.

In the past few years I've been asked by my RSPs a number of times to have OHUG charges checked, and barring a couple of exceptional cases, they are always found to be correct.

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Chorus NZ Ltd

raytaylor

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#2854786 22-Jan-2022 01:30

Fatfly:

Hi all. I originally posted this on Reddit where a commenter suggested that Geekzone might be a better place.

Where are you located?

Edit: Nevermind I see you have stated above.

One thing to be aware of is how far the pit or cabinet is. The process is basically moving the microduct from the aerial path to the drop duct you have installed.

If the path length is shorter then its quite easy depending upon how much of the footpath needs digging up.

If the new path length is longer, then it requires cutting the microduct, possibly installing a TUD (mini pit in the ground with an access lid) and then joining the roadside microductduct on to a new microductduct inside the TUD that goes via your green drop duct.
A new full length of fiber is blown through from the cabinet or splicing pit all the way to the house.
That length of fiber typically costs about 50c per metre and the splicing pit can be up to 800 metres away - which will contribute substantially to the cost.

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wonderstuff

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#2869021 15-Feb-2022 18:33

@fatfly - How have you proceeded with the fibre OHUG?

I also live in North Auckland, and am in the process of OHUG both my power and fibre. I have my post (with power and fibre) within 2 metres of my letterbox and to get Vector to run power cable and install a pit was over $7K. I have taken care of the trenching, conduit, cabling and meter - not a cheap process!

I am now looking to UG the fibre. I have green conduit all ready to go in the trench and run up to the box on the side of the house wall (which Chorus installed that drops down from the OH connection and then runs back up the wall to the ceiling space and onto the ONT).

Fortunately I have a Chorus plastic box next to my letterbox, so I presume they can rerun the fibre and connect straight into here.

What would you recommend is the best way to get a sensible quote to get the work done?

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quickymart

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#2869215 15-Feb-2022 22:02

Speak to your provider and they can request a quote for an Overhead to Underground (OHUG) for you, and they will also bill you directly for it.

Jase2985

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#2869222 15-Feb-2022 22:09

if you already have fiber then you will likely have to pay for it. go through your ISP to request it and they will contact chorus and someone will come out to do the work.

I had my OHUG done at the same time as i was getting fiber so had all the work done for them as you had, and they did it for free as it was actually easier than doing the overhead job.

It was still a real PITA to get done through the ISP and Chorus as they were just going to send someone out for the install without quoting for it, they turned up expecting to do a like for like aerial fiber job. then had to get someone back to estimate the OHUG job. Just seems like their process isnt very well used for this kind of work.

wonderstuff

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#2869819 16-Feb-2022 17:45

OK, thanks. Will let you know how it goes.

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