Working around NBN line to house

[NTJ]

Hi
I have an overhead NBN line to our house (I think it's the old copper type though).  I also have a powerline near it which I know i can't touch or should go near, but what about the NBN line?
Reason for asking is that I want to put a shed up near the NBN line and would like to know:

1) is it safe to work near one;

2) am I allowed to work near one; and

3) if I need to put a support bracket up to keep it clear of the shed either permanently or temporarily, is this a problem?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[SteveW_52]

Do you have Foxtel or NBN HFC Internet? And is the overhead cable quite large?

It is possibly a cable TV (Foxtel/Optus cable) which is quite old. If you don't have a Foxtel or NBN HFC Cable internet service installed, it may not be active.

[NTJ]

Hey, thanks for getting back to me. No, it's an old telephone line, insulated two strands.  It's not 'large' and not all that heavy.

Actually I just found a photo of it - attached.

Hope this helps?
Ta

Neil

[SteveW_52]

If that is the one to the right side of the photo, that looks more like a power feed to me..  something to avoid! I definitely would..  only a pole fuse or complete disconnection at the pole would make that safe

[Jupiter]

That photo is of your power line. Touching that is a definite no-go. If you thought that that was a phone line, get an electrician in before you do any works near any line going over your property so that they can tell you what it is, and what the safe working distance is.

As far as doing works on any of the lines coming into your house, you can't legally do anything with them. You either need the power supplier or telecommunications provider to come and relocate the services for you (that includes installing brackets, as there are tolerances due to the expansion and contraction of the cables that need to be taken into consideration as well as any electrical safety considerations).

[NTJ]

Oh, how stupid of me!  Sorry - here it is.   I know there are clearance distances near powerlines (including the one I posted) but what about working near the telecommunication line - even if I don't touch it?

Anyway, thanks for getting back to me - and sorry if I gave you a fright about what I was planning to do!

Regards

Neil

[Jupiter · Accepted solution]

The phone cable only carries 48VDC, so it is a lot safer to work around. You still shouldn't touch it as it is enough to give you a shock if the sheath is damaged (if that happens, you need to go to hospital to get checked out - it can disrupt the heart's rhythm).

As far as installing a bracket to keep it clear of a structure, you would need to contact Telstra to organise that as they would need to make sure that the bracket is compliant and that there is enough cable to allow for expansion and contraction of the cable without it breaking.

[NTJ]

Got it - many thanks for your help.