Peter Andrews wrote:

I think you are all very optimistic - round here they are just laid on the
surface across paving and if you have a 'high class' installation the cable
is put inside a bit of black flexible pipe!

We got cable installed (with landlady's permission) for Internet in our
student house. The installers (while I was out) stuck it straight
through the extractor fan in my basement bedroom. All I could really do
about it was take the fuse out of the FCU to stop someone turning on the
fan and tangling it up in the cable.

Pete