Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Hi,

This is my first post here.
I'm looking for a bit of assistance with regards to (what I believe is) a Virgin Media Fibre Street Box.

There was previously a lane / public walkway separating my neighbour and I.
Due to a lot of problems with Youths gathering there at night and causing trouble, an application was made to the council to have the walkway closed.
The application was granted and the walkway has been closed since 2008.

Problem is that there were a few pieces of equipment on this walkway including Street lamps and a green box.
The street lamps have been removed by my neighbour (as they fell on their share of the land) where as the green box fell on mine.
Normally I wouldn't bother but the box is literally in the middle of what is now my back garden. The door is practically falling off. The image below is what's in side.
I have had BT and the Council Street Lamp Maintenance folk and they have both said it's nothing to do with them and they don't know what it is.

Can either of you identify:

1. What this thing is?
2. If its a Virgin Box, where I stand in regards to getting it removed off of my property?

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2015/04/16.jpg

Thanks,
S

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

This is a Virgin Media amplifier. What areas a this in?

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Finally someone knows what it is :) Thanks vm_Tech.
The box is located in Blantyre, Scotland (G72 postcode).
Its smack bang in the middle of my back garden so I cant even hide it in the corner or with a fence or anything.

Don't suppose you know the process to have it removed?
I've read a few threads that say it costs a lot of money to have these boxes moved but the ones they are talking about to be full Broadband boxes with lots of Phones / Internet lines rather than just this one amplifier lus it tends to be on the street outside people's property rather than in their garden.

Thanks again for your help.
S

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

It's hard to say, it won't be anywhere near as expensive as moving a mux/node cabinet. In theory I would imagine it would be your responsibility to cover costs as when originally installed it would have been in a decent location. But seeing as it's in your back garden and that will make any maintenance or outages very difficult to handle, so vm may want to move it. I'm sure there are some planners on here who may be able to offer better advice as to where to go with it.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

There is a Diversionary Works team http://help.virginmedia.com/system/v...3-64EBB9FE46B7

Although that article is aimed as companies rather than private individuals, they may be able to help.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

It would probably be cheaper for virgin to install the amplifier underground in your property than move it. Obviously you would need to allow access

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Many Thanks for the replies guys.
I'll contact the Diversionary team that BenMcr mentioned.
Don't suppose any of you know how much (even roughly) this would cost?
Like a few hundred or a few thousand?

Thanks again.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

You will be looking at around the £10,000 thousand pound mark, because of all the planning and the man hours involved to remove the Box from your back garden and move it out onto the public walkway. Plus the impact this will have on paying customers

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Dig a hole under it and bury it. Job done and a heck of a lot cheaper than getting it moved. :D

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Was the land yours when there was a lane there?

If not, when the lane was closed, did you sign a deed to say that the land now belongs to you?

If not, then legally the land still legally belongs to the council. Not you.

Any diversion will be at your cost.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

That's totally ludicrous.

I've seen quotes recently of less than £10000 to install completely new fibre optic across an entire mile of a city, including digging up roads, and BT's FTTPoD costs are half of that - around £5000 per mile. The estimated cost of Openreach running completely new cables (including road digging and laying new ducts) all the way from the exchange to an FTTC cabinet is barely £15,000.

VM would probably have to dig, at most, 50 metres. And frankly, they could get away with digging two metres. Bury the cable and move the amps up to the next junction box.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Given that the box contains an amp and nothing else, I'd guess it needs to be there due to cable length, and moving it to the next box wouldn't be possible.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

As said previously. This amp can be in a pit underground in the garden and would cost a fraction of any other solution

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Well that'd depend on a number of specific characteristics of that section of the network. Judging by the differing cable thicknesses it's possible there's enough leeway to use lower loss cables and a slightly higher amp output, given the next available location is probably the other side of the same house.

Then again it's even possible the amp is currently further down than it needs to be and was only put there out of convenience. Only networks would know.

---------- Post added at 11:33 ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 ----------

Well that was my first thought, but then it'd still be on his property, *and* they'd have to dig up his garden (or leave an exposed manhole cover) in case they need to service it.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

That's what easement/wayleave payments are for.

If they do decide to bury it, make sure you negotiate a decent easement. Of the two options, I'd go for a manhole cover.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Lots like that in my area, stick a plant pot on it and make it look nice

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Its going to cost you a few thousand pounds to move it. Like has already been pointed out by cjmillsnun there would be alot of legalites to overcome. You probably have no right insisting on having it moved?

I would at least insist the cabinet is replaced as it is suffering from a plentiful supply of dog pee

---------- Post added at 21:11 ---------- Previous post was at 21:09 ----------

You'd be surprised with the cost. Contractors and man hours in every aspect of getting it moved soon add up.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

It's still not going to add up to more than the cost of laying an entire road's worth of completely new cable and ducting.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Really depends on the network where it needs to be moved to, will more cables have to be pulled to accommodate new location, new pits dug, new cabinet, planning, contractors, in house crew ect ect you be surprised.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

No, I really wouldn't.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Ok, hard to accept but hey ho

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

should of ripped it out, an said the kids did it ;)

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Thanks for all the replies guys,

There are two CATV Manhole covers. One on the street (which is directly behind the black car) and the other is actually right next to the box. (This was covered by chips at the time of the initial inquiry)

I'm still in talks with VM with regards to the removal of the box but from our discussions it sounds like they will be moving it or disconnecting it altogether for no cost.

I'll keep you posted on its progress.
Thanks again.
https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2015/05/30.jpg
https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2015/05/31.jpg

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Should be easy to stick it in the manhole then.

Re: Virgin Media Box Removal
 

Good to hear.

If they do indeed have boxes and street furniture just a few metres away it ought to be fairly cheap indeed.