UFB Overhead to Underground are we on the right side of the street

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Topdeck

14 posts

Geek

#208576 17-Feb-2017 16:19

On our street fibre is only laid underground along the west side. All power poles on that side are prepped for hanging fibre aerially across the street for properties on the east side regardless of whether the east side house will be overhead or underground.

We read our Chorus website and asked the Chorus contractors that visited our site about changing from aerial to underground and we were told that if we trenched from the house to the closest point on our boundary we would not have to pay. So we trenched and laid the conduit. A cost of $69 for a site visit and $196 for cabling was then quoted in writing to complete the installation.

Completely out of left field Chorus then announced they wanted an extra $2000 for our proposed overhead to underground installation to pay for work beyond our boundary to run cable down the street pole plus 9 metres under the grass berm and the 1m wide concrete footpath to the point on the boundary it enters our pre-laid conduit.

Our installation is in all other respects a bog standard residential installation on a flat site with easy access for the internal installation between EPT and ONT with absolutely no costly remedial work.

Questions:
1. Is this a standard cost?
2. Why does the side of the street dictate what one pays for a standard UFB installation?

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DarkShadow

1647 posts

Uber Geek

#1721924 17-Feb-2017 16:22

Your copper is overhead isn't it?

The free standard install only covers like-for-like replacement. (ie the fibre runs the same way as the copper)

If you want your fiber installed underground then you'll have to pay the OHUG fee.

timmmay

20580 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1722113 18-Feb-2017 08:07

Overhead connections are fine. Not ideal, but fine. Though given your quote Chorus should honor it.

atomeara

324 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1722154 18-Feb-2017 10:57

Chorus changed the process in early Jan, to make it more stream lined and consistent. Not sure when you got your quote. Your ISP should be able to query it if it was after 19 Jan and they gave you a fixed cost.

OHUG installs are changing

Change Notification 94: 19 January 2017

Customers with overhead copper requesting an underground fibre install, now enjoy a more streamlined process.

What's happening?

We’re making the process more efficient for overhead-to-underground (OHUG) fibre installations. Going forward, your customers’ requests will be created, reviewed and completed by the same team – all on one order. This ensures they’ll get a faster, better customer experience. Please forward this Informer internally, so your team’s aware.

What's the detail?

Requests will now follow this process:

Once a scope’s completed, the technician lets us know that an underground install’s preferred by your customer. We create a Design/Build task.
Once the OHUG design has been completed, a quote is loaded into the order in Chorus Portal (or Wireline). You’ll then need to check with your customer and accept or reject the quote - as you’ll be billed if the OHUG build proceeds. The quote will be valid for 90 days.
If…

the quote’s rejected, you’ll have 7 calendar days to confirm order cancellation or ask us to proceed with an aerial installation. If an aerial installation is requested, either you or our install support team needs to book an installation date with your customer. If we haven’t heard from you within 7 calendar days, we’ll cancel the order.
the quote’s accepted, the OHUG build will be completed and the order will progress from Design/Build into Held-Schedule Install status. This allows either you or our install support team to book an installation date with your customer.
we receive no response on the quote within 90 days, the order will be cancelled.