OHUG cost review

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broozm

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#289216 20-Aug-2021 11:59

As part of renovating a property I was replacing the ~60m driveway concrete.. so it made sense to underground both the power and fiber.

The pole on my property was half rotten through when we removed the concrete, so needed replacement or removal..

The fiber install had been done a few years back at the tenant's request - so I had no opportunity to ask for the undergrounding at that point (when it would have been free).

The power OHUG cannot proceed till the fiber has been removed from the poles, so the completion of my entire reno is on hold due to this.

After several misfires from my ISP (who twice raised internal Chorus jobs), I finally received a quote for the work.

The amount was staggering, so I have rejected it and asked for a review, as it appeared that the quote did not take into account the fact that the conduit has been provided to the correct points at each end (by the electricians who have done this before).

I had thought there would be some incentive to get the lines moved underground - and some sort of subsidy or at least encouragement from either a council or wider government. Apparently not.

My question is, are there options to get private contractors to do this change so there is some sort of competition to Chorus in order to get a fair cost estimate?

(Anyone in Hastings contact me!)

Any comment @chorusnz or @Wheelbarrow01

Jase2985

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#2763652 20-Aug-2021 12:13

I had a similar experience.

My pole was staying though but i wanted the fiber underground on my property. i ran the conduit and it took me a while to get it sorted through my ISP. Chorus turned up to install fibre overhead to overhead not realizing it was an OHUG. Sent them away and came back to check/scope and it came back to me as no charge. they turned up on the day and the guy was stoked with how little work he had to do. in and out in less than an hour as everything was done for him

Was hugely frustrating getting chours/ISP to understand what was required and to not send someone out to either waste my time or theirs. which happened and i was pretty frustrated at that.

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toejam316

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#2763654 20-Aug-2021 12:21

Nope - the network belongs to Chorus, and no one but Chorus' approved contractors may tamper with it.

Unfortunately you're at the mercy of Chorus, the best you could do is ask to get the ABF tube and install it between the boundary and the entry point, however they'll still be charging you for the civils work outside the property, which is probably what's really hurting you.

If you REALLY want it done, you'll have to suffer the cost, otherwise it'll probably be like for like replaced.

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

chevrolux

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#2763675 20-Aug-2021 12:40

If it were me I'd be hunting out my local Chorus contractors and ask them to do it quietly.

Chorus' pig headed attitude to labour rates for their "specialist technicians" isn't going to change.

The only "tricky" bit here might be to get to the fibre to the FAT. But all you do is duct to the pole on your boundary, duct up the pole and just re-join the aerial cable there. Again, just hunt out the local techs. I'm sure they're happy to help for cash.

quickymart

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#2763750 20-Aug-2021 13:32

@chorusnz

broozm

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#2764247 21-Aug-2021 11:38

Found the photos that help explain my post above, especially

the rotting pole - which needs replacement or removal in this case, but the concrete pole at the road will ALSO be removed as it only serves my property. (So I can't just run up to the current fiber conduit and join in there as suggested in one of the replies..)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/V1wabWCcK6NRitqe7

chevrolux

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#2764264 21-Aug-2021 12:13

If it were me, I'd just bring the drop lead down and lay it along the fence line temporarily. Or even if that drop lead was just clipped to the fence where the pole currently is so it's not in the way for work to continue. This is something we would regularly do for people with copper drop leads while they did alterations.

Get the power undergrounded, ditch pull the pole and get your driveway done.

Then just ring Chorus to reinstate your "damaged" fibre. Then they will just charge for time on site (at their ludicrous $150+/hour rate). But would certainly be a lot cheaper than accepting a quote from them for a network change. Just make sure that green duct stays accessible at both ends. And I'm assuming that white cable is just a draw wire for them to use (because it isn't outdoor fibre cable)? But it all looks really easy to sort out as you've taken the duct to the pole, and it's even pointing nicely at the pole ready for a sweeping to take a new duct up the pole.

Edit: Just to make it even easier. Have you sparky run an internal OptiCat cable from the current location of the ONT (assuming you still want to leave it there) to where your green duct meets the house. Then Chorus can just create the new ETP there so even less work/time for the techs to reinstate it.

broozm

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#2764297 21-Aug-2021 13:33

When things started dragging out, that was going to be my next plan of action.
But I have heard there is a fine for messing with the fiber - especially if it needs repair! (Above $3k). Probably plus cost of repair with no chance to object!

Also, there are two copper lines that *look* like copper.
...

Now if the pole were to accidentally fall down....

Pjamtin

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#2764304 21-Aug-2021 13:55

Have you thought about this?

Have the power co dig a trench to run the power inside conduit? Then contact Chorus for a proactive lead into the fibre etp. Close the trench up

Then get Chorus to move the connection and the power guys to move the power

You may have to pay for the for the bit from the pole to the conduit though.

The only other option may be to Underground the power and lay conduit for the fibre, and wait till the pole falls down, let alone the mess should the pole fail and take it all out.

I would of thought that there would be a process for going overhead to underground with a rotten pole

chevrolux

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#2764393 21-Aug-2021 15:53

broozm: When things started dragging out, that was going to be my next plan of action.
But I have heard there is a fine for messing with the fiber - especially if it needs repair! (Above $3k). Probably plus cost of repair with no chance to object!

Also, there are two copper lines that *look* like copper.
...

Now if the pole were to accidentally fall down....

Yea nah, I wouldn't worry about that.... "the wind blew it down and the pole was dangerous" would be fine to get them to come and repair. Just the same as when someone pulls a fence down and breaks the "rugged" microduct clipped to it.