atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Outside Plant OSP Construction Preparing for AT&T - new construction

Hello all-

I've just ordered new AT&T home phone service for our mountain home, located in a fairly rural part of California.

Underground conduit has been installed by the builder from the PG&E pole to the house, a distance of about 90 feet. I have put in a pull cable for the telephone installer.

Questions:
(1) What should I do on the concrete exterior house wall - Should I install a wood mounting panel for AT&T's Network Interface (NIU)? How big?

(2) Currently the conduit just comes up the wall about 2 feet and stops. Is there a minimum height for the mounting panel? Will they install some kind of transition from the conduit (2") to the NIU, or am I supposed to provide it?

(3) And the big question: We are the last house on the street, and there is no telephone wiring between the pole that serves the neighbor next-door and the three new PG&E poles that run power to our house. Do I have to pay for the telephone installer to run the telephone lines on these three poles?

Many thanks in advance
Scott

Welcome.....Just to let you know that local operating companies vary on local practice.

I will try to give you general answers.

Item 1....Nominally AT&T will attach the network interface. Question...where did the electrican push out the inside wiring? If not, AT&T will gladly run the interior wiring at their going rate.

Item 2....Around here the local company (AT&T) does that.

Item 3....Nominally, around here, the wiring is run by the operating company, and yes, you will be charged. They charge time and material, no different than an electrician. Maybe not out there but that is how it is done around here.

Your builder, electrician, or yourself should have contacted your local utility company to verify conduit location, where to output the inside wiring, and to verify service ability....some rural areas have not enough lines to give you service....and three pole spans may be considered "unusual construction" with an additional cost.

Good luck!

Ken-

Thanks for your detailed reply!

It sounds like I should "do nothing" and let the process find its way. It's always amusing to order something from a giant company, knowing in the back of my mind that they will have to perhaps do some unusual things to make it happen.

When I placed the order, I apparently gave it to an inexperienced person. They told me that the work would be "complete" by Thursday, and set up an appointment - even though I told them that wiring between poles will be necessary, which they entered in the "notes" section.

I find it extremely unlikely that the pole and service connection work will be done so fast, and the minimum I'm hoping for is a visit from the installer that day.

Believe it or not, three pole spans is really not a big deal. An installer from at&t can do this quite easily.

In this area, a conduit from the pole to the house is completely out of the question. Verizon will have one of their subs plow a five-pair cable directly into the ground. The installer will place a small terminal at the pole end to make the transition to either a two- or six-pair aerial drop wire. They will then run this up the pole, attach a J-hook and take off with the necessary aerial span(s).

At the house, they just mount a NID (they are currently using ones made by Tii) in the general vicinity of the electric service. If the electric service is underground, they actually attach the NID to the PVC conduit entering the bottom of the electric meter base using large cable ties.

If the electrician has stubbed the pre-wiring out at this location, the installer will make the connection to it as a courtesy. If the wiring isn't there, they'll just mark the number on the appropriate position within the NID's cover and call it a day.

Although this sounds like a lot of work, a seasoned Bell installer can handle this project in less than a half-day.

While minimum service connection tariffs vary from state to state, it is not the customer's responsibility to pay for any additional costs when ordering service for a permanent structure here in VA. With that said, Verizon must deliver service to a new house, regardless of their expense, for their standard minimum connection fee. I'm sure that with the changes happening in the industry, this policy will change the next time that their franchise agreements are up for renewal.

Interesting, esp about the underground conduit. The contractor who built the house seems to believe that it's SOP for telephone conduit here in CA. All to be revealed on Thursday (hopefully)...

Will report back, as this may be interesting to others with new construction.

Thanks

The contractor who built the house seems to believe that it's SOP for telephone conduit here in CA.

It's not required unless it's commercial construction but it's definately good practice. So kudos to your builder. Conduit is much better than direct buried for a number of reasons.

-Hal