Removing External Cables

[Furry21]

I am not a Virgin customer but have Virgin cables in my front garden that need to be removed. 

These cables are from the previous occupiers of the property and they never had them removed. They are blocking important work that needs to be done to the front patio.

How do I get cables from my house removed?

[Adduxi]

You can't remove any VM cables from the street cabinet to the Omnibox on the wall.  They are classed as utilities and need to remain in place.  If you are talking about cables from the Omnibox into your house, these can be removed as long as the incoming supply point is properly terminated with a 75 ohm terminator cap.

If there is enough slack you could move them or bury them deeper?

[Furry21]

Hello,

The cable comes over the top of the patio wall at the front of the house.

Isn't there something that a Virgin engineer could do to remove it safely?

[Adduxi · Accepted solution]

Not sure where this will go as you are not a customer?  Maybe a case of Health and Safety trip hazard or something along those lines?

Anyway, you will have to wait a couple of days for a VM Mod to pick this up and see what they say.

[-tony-]

you will get a mixed response - it seems there is no real policy - i dont agree they are a utility - its an argument that is used but seems to have no basis - you obviously cannot remove anything outside you legal boundary but cables trailing over walls or on the ground you can claim health and safety and they may come out and sort it or simply tell you to remove them

[Adduxi]

Agree Tony.  However if the cable is running from a tap in the Cabinet, how can it be removed by the OP?

Yes, VM could come out and disconnect at the Cab and cut the cable at the property boundary,  but that leaves a problem for future installs.

It's a tricky one right enough  !

[-tony-]

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@Adduxi wrote:

Agree Tony.  However if the cable is running from a tap in the Cabinet, how can it be removed by the OP?

Yes, VM could come out and disconnect at the Cab and cut the cable at the property boundary,  but that leaves a problem for future installs.

It's a tricky one right enough  !

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i fully understand what you are saying - VM say little for whatever reason - the advice is as i say mixed

we have had - you cannot remove any of it

to

rip it all out and cut it at the boundary

and thats not user advice but area field manager advice

if VM were proactive then they would have a documented policy - they do not 

the thing that is nor correct is - its a utility feed you cannot touch it - there are no regs - that i know of and there is no inclusion of it in the deeds or buying selling information - wayleave is also an over used reson/excuse - again afaik there is nothing in law to justify that argument

all that said its better to leave it up to the omnibox but even thats somewhat pointless if VM dont cap it or send a cap out which they dont usually

[nodrogd]

The only ones VM can really claim are a utility feed are the ones like those on new estates where the underground ducting is routed right to the front door. These are installed at a depth, so are unlikely to cause an obstruction to any work being carried out above anyway.

Retrofit install, which is used on most pre 1990s housing has a surface cable (or just sub-surface) put in when a customer needs it. VM could remove these, but don't want to as: 1) Cut off cables are never cleared from the service ducts, which eventualy leads to blockages & install delays to other customers. 2) The property can no longer be serviced easily via self-install kits. 3) Additional cost which cannot be recovered from the property owner.

If anyone removes these it should be VM, due to risks of noise ingress from cut-off cables

[jpeg1]

Under the Communications Act it is an offence to interfere with equipment that is part of the national communications infrastructure, and that certainly includes Virgin Media's network. 

But I doubt whether they would seek to have you prosecuted for cutting back the cable that feeds only your own discontinued service.  Of course, if it's a shared cable and you cut off your neighbours as well ...

[John_GS]

Hi Furry21

Thanks for posting and welcome to the community.

I can try my best to assist here. Can you get some pictures for me of this cabling and I'll PM you now to get some details to forward to the field manager for your area

Best,