How Deep Should Telecom Cables Be?

[Andrew Reed]

hi

 

Does anyone know of a spec for how deep telecoms cables ought to be . I found a very shallow one today at 25mm under a domestic lawn (no damage to it). Was wondering if Sky, BT and Virgin have a specification.

 

For 240V power cables I know it is advised to be 500mm general gardens, 600mm veg plots and general agriculture premises, 1m for cultivated land.

[s.varty]

In my experience cable tel lay theirs on top of the ground and kick a few leaves and crisp packets over the top.

[eggsarascal]

In my experience cable tel lay theirs on top of the ground and kick a few leaves and crisp packets over the top.

 

 

Shame I can't get away with that method when laying drains.

[scraggs]

There is a recommended depth iirc, but it appears cable companies put them in as shallow as they can to avoid hard work.

When we went through a fibre optic that was 25mm under the ground Virgin repaired it foc but I think mainly because the customer was going to cancel their subscription with them if they didn't

[will1000]

When i went for an interview with virgin they suggested just dig a small hole and lay it :0

[kev7937]

There is a recommended depth iirc, but it appears cable companies put them in as shallow as they can to avoid hard work.

When we went through a fibre optic that was 25mm under the ground Virgin repaired it foc but I think mainly because the customer was going to cancel their subscription with them if they didn't

 

I think it's cheaper for them to repair the odd one that gets damaged than it is to bury them all 30cm or so under them ground so they're not bothered.

[Kev Stephenson]

Virgin have admitted it is cheaper for them to come out and do the odd repair than to do each job properly in the first place. I hit a cable with the stump grinder a couple of years ago that was only about 3" down, called them up and the van was with me before I had finished grinding. I stayed to watch the repair and even this was left only about 4" down.

 

Time and motion study taken to the extreme if you ask me.

[hedgesparrow]

oficial is it should be 18inches down in ducting laid on sand and covered in sand so if digging you see the sand and investigate. do they do this unless made to just dig a shallow trench if that and chuck it in.

the telecoms are the worse of all of them.

[windy81]

In my experience cable tel lay theirs on top of the ground and kick a few leaves and crisp packets over the top.

 

 

i always assume this ^^ to be the case just cos its too expensive and dangerous to assume otherwise