I've got several telecom boxes cluttering the exterior of my home next to the power meter and breaker box, making it look really messy – almost like some rundown area. Specifically, there's a Southwest Bell box for a landline (who even uses that anymore?), a Comcast cable junction box (which I suspect has been inactive for a while), and an AT&T box with a bunch of Cat5 cables hanging off it since the house got fiber last year. I doubt anyone in my Central Texas neighborhood would care about these outdated setups, especially since most of us stream everything now. So, should I just get rid of these boxes, or is there any reason I might need to keep them?
4 Answers
The legal problem might be that the original provider technically owns the equipment. Case in point, I had a fence and gate blow down and the old land line box is installed on a metal post right where I need to set the new 4" X 4" fence post. I could remove it but I don't know if it's a also a junction box which services other customers. If it is I could be responsible for disruption of service and destruction of company property.
I recently called about removing an old line that wasn’t in use anymore. I figured, why keep something that doesn't serve a purpose? If you’re not planning on needing those lines, just take them down—it’ll clean up the look of your house, plus it's nice to get rid of decades of outdated wiring!
If the Comcast box isn't providing any service, I'd suggest removing it along with everything else that's unused. Cable TV and modems might still be relevant for some, but if it's just taking up space, get rid of it. Keep the AT&T fiber box as that could be useful for internet access. Nobody needs to keep old lines if they're completely dead!
Totally agree! I just cleared out a bunch of old cables from my setup and it felt great to declutter. Definitely keep what's necessary but toss the junk!
Legally, those boxes belong to the service providers, but in practice, if they’re not being used, you can remove them without any issues. I had a similar scenario where I called to ask them to take their box off my property, and they never came. If your boxes aren't active, feel free to cut the lines and clear out the clutter!
Exactly! I did the same thing, and it made my house look so much better. Don't hesitate to remove what's not needed.