Knockdown Rebuilds: Keeping Existing Overheads vs. Going Underground

Today, with vacant land becoming scarcer, knockdown rebuild developments are on the rise. In most cases the older home that is to be demolished will have existing overhead telecommunications in place—so the question is, should you keep them, or make the switch to underground?

The right choice depends on a range of factors. In this article we explain the key considerations, alongside the pros and cons, to help you make an informed choice.

Pros and cons of keeping overhead

If your existing overhead wiring looks to be intact, it may feel like the simplest and most cost-effective option is to keep them in place. However, there are some key factors to consider before you make the call.

Chances are, the existing overheads have been in place for some time, and as technology advances and our demands on the network increase, having a technician assess the condition of the existing overheads and whether they are equipped to handle the new connections is a must. It’s also worth factoring in the possibility of damage to the overhead lines, for example through trees or branches falling during high winds or a storm, as any outages will cause inconvenience and possibly added costs. And finally, keep in mind that there’s a fair chance you will need to upgrade to new underground infrastructure at some point in the future, so getting it done now while the development is in progress will be much easier than trying to organise it once the property is occupied.

Pros of keeping: less upfront costs, save time and effort on applying to the network providers to change the infrastructure, and on organising works.

Cons of keeping: stuck with older infrastructure which may not be as effective, higher potential for damage to wiring and inconvenient outages.

Pros and cons of going underground

A knockdown rebuild project presents the ideal opportunity to upgrade to the latest underground network infrastructure that will perform optimally now and in the future. Not only will moving the lines underground remove the unsightly overhead lines that can interfere with your view, underground cables are also at less risk of damage as the fibres are far more protected from potential storm and wind than exposed overhead lines.

While moving the lines underground will incur additional upfront costs and time to implement, it is a good long-term investment that will increase the value and look of your home as well as provide better protection from the elements for your network connections.

Pros: get the latest infrastructure with less chance of interruption, reduce risk of damage to the network as it is less exposed to the elements.

Cons: time and cost involved, an extra task to coordinate into your project schedule.

How to make the switch

While it may seem like going underground is an extra step that takes more time, effort and money on your behalf, when you think long term, it is a smart move that will potentially save you down the track. 

Going underground during your knockdown rebuild allows you to modernise your infrastructure with no interruption to your lifestyle or work—and when you partner with a qualified and experienced telecommunications contractor they can take care of the entire process for you, and give you peace of mind the job is done right the first time. For this reason it is well worth looking into how it could work for you.

At MCS, we can provide you with a competitive quote and expert advice on moving your telecommunications network infrastructure underground on your knockdown rebuild project. Get in touch on (03) 8592 8100 for friendly advice and to arrange a quote today!