who installs cable and phone lines?

[scrubbyfish]

I would like to get internet into my place. My place is rural, and the cabin has electricity, etc, but has never had a phone line or cable line. This must be installed by a third party before internet can be connected.

What type of tradesperson do I call to install either of those? Electrician? Or?

[forummm]

You need a service provider to set this up for you. Find out what utility serves your area. If there isn't one, then you may have trouble getting service, or may have to pay the utility to do the install to provide service to your cabin. I don't know if there's a rural universal access law in your jurisdiction.

You may have to go with satellite internet.

[scrubbyfish]

Thanks, forummm. What do you mean by "service provider"? The internet service provider (Shaw, Telus, etc) don't install the lines and don't know who I would get to do it. They just said I need to get someone to install a line, for them to connect to, but that they don't know what type of tradesperson does that.

Most people around me have phone and/or internet lines, so it's definitely doable. I house was constructed recently near me; maybe they can tell me who did it, since they managed the build themselves.

[I'm a red panda]

It isn't possible for us to get cable here. There are no cable lines laid in this part of the city.  A call to the cable company just says "we don't service that area".  (This bothers me not for the cable, but because internet through them is $35 a month; and the only ISP that serves my area is $65 a month- most of which is taxes. For some reason DSL is taxed so much heavier than cable.)

I think asking your neighbors is the best bet.

[KMMK]

Thanks, forummm. What do you mean by "service provider"? The internet service provider (Shaw, Telus, etc) don't install the lines and don't know who I would get to do it. They just said I need to get someone to install a line, for them to connect to, but that they don't know what type of tradesperson does that.

Most people around me have phone and/or internet lines, so it's definitely doable. I house was constructed recently near me; maybe they can tell me who did it, since they managed the build themselves.

You have bad service providers there. Here they usually take care of that stuff, for a fee of course. At least they should know who to refer you to. It seems ridiculous that they don't. Especially when you are trying to pay them money.

[scrubbyfish]

Yes, they suck a little bit, it's true! I have many stories about that, and am very reluctant to resume a relationship with any of the available companies. Alas, I am 10 months without home internet or phone, and a recent injury has left me bed bound for several weeks so I'm not able to navigate the absence as well as I (barely) could before.

Anyway, have called the neighbour with brand new construction, and she gave me the scoop. It was an electrician who ran the lines to the house, and I've now placed a call to him.

Thanks, guys! Just didn't think about the New Construction Neighbour before I chatted with y'all here.

[aneel]

I don't have a solution for you, but I can sympathize.  Couldn't get internet in a place I lived once because the house was "too far" from the pole (something like 300 ft = too far).  It was frustrating for sure!

[scrubbyfish]

Well, my first go was unsuccessful, lol.

Electrician who lives nearby, just worked on the next property, etc, said he won't quote on jobs under $1000. Long story short, I could ask him to come in but then will be obligated to pay anywhere from $140-$1000. So, no. I would be willing to pay $300 for sure, possibly a touch more, but I'm uncomfortable committing to "up to $1000". I need it narrowed further than that.

Will continue to seek an electrician willing to look and give a narrower estimate!

[robartsd]

It sounds to me like the service provider needs you to install the internal wiring that they hook up to on the outside of your cabin. This might be a good opportunity for insourcing; depending on the requirements in your juristiction. Unlike power wiring, there is not much risk of making a dangerous mistake when doing data wiring. There still is a lot to learn to do it right - and errors could make your connection unreliable. Of course, not having internet at home makes the learning part of insourcing quite a bit more difficult.