Pros and cons to telegraph poles
In response to Ted Blackwell’s letter (‘In support of telegraph poles’, Letters, Issue 681), most BT cables are run through ducts in pathways or grass verges from the street cabinets to feed-distribution poles, or run all the way underground into homes. Any maintenance is usually carried out in an underground joint box. If a large cable is damaged, a new cable is drawn through the duct and re-jointed. No digging would be required.
Main distribution poles are fed underground from cabinets, while secondary (or ‘carrier’) poles are fed via the main distribution pole or an underground joint. They may also be fed by an aerial cable from the distribution pole. Underground feeds to houses are usually fed by a duct from the street pathway, or an armoured cable is dug in. Repairing these might involve digging.
There are pros and cons to both poles and cables. Overhead cables can be run directly from pole to a house, but they’re susceptible to the elements. However, the
