How does external install work

[SandLake]

My estate has been cabled by VM and I think some houses do already have VM broadband.

From the street I have a lawn and a 10ft driveway across the front of the house.

How does VM get the cable into my house? There is at least one duct coming from the street under the lawn and drive into the house and comes up under the stairs at the meter box, there is also a water pipe that comes in in a duct up into the kitchen. Can VM break into those ducts and use those.

The BT master socket is under the stairs and I assume it comes in in a duct too so maybe able to use that?

[Roger_Gooner]

VM doesn't use anyone else's ducts. The cable will be pulled through the duct and brought to the exterior wall of the property where it is terminated. There will be additional cabling inside the property to the hub (and TV box if required).

[SandLake]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear, I get that they will dig a small trench in the lawn but how do they get across the tarmac drive, I won't be happy about digging a trench in it!

[Roger_Gooner]

They will follow the path of least resistance, which is often by running the cable along a fence or wall. If necessary it has been known them to cut out a section of tarmac.

[SandLake]

This is the problem - there is no convenient route, it has to come across the tarmac - or - if there is some magic way to go under it. If it means digging up the tarmac then I'll not be getting it installed

I'm not trying to be awkward, I'm just trying to understand if there are options.

Thanks

[jbrennand]

Difficult to say for sure without seeing some photos. If VM was installed into the estate some years ago (?) then normally the ducts run underground from the street cabinets usually below the pavements and then at various points right outside the property there is usually an access "Tee" . This is usually capped off with a small black plastic lid. The customers cables emerge at that point and the installers then run cable from there to an "omnibox" that will be fitted to your external wall - and from there to inside. And as Roger says unless you are there directing operations - they will always go the route of least resistance and ease of their job,

If you can identify these elements and where you want the cable to run you could prepare the way yourself by digging the route you want it to take.

Have a look at some of the neighbours and see how their cables run.