BT Openreach camouflages broadband box in stone wall

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Telephone company camouflages broadband box as a stone wall after resident complains that the original color did not blend into his 16th-century home

  • The villager was angry that the broadband box had ruined the scenic Long Melford scene
  • BT Openreach decided to cover the dark green box with stonewall camouflage
  • The results make the broadband box almost invisible when viewed from the front










Broadband giants Openreach have disguised a stone wall phone cabinet in a postcard village after locals moaned it had ruined the street scene.

BT called in experts when a customer complained that the new dark green was ruining the look of their quaint 16th-century home in Stanstead, near Long Melford, Suffolk.

The company painted the cabinet green to blend in with the flint wall of the old village pub – making it almost invisible.

Ervin Xhafa was shocked to find that BT had set up the 120cm high by 120cm wide box right in front of his Grade 2 listed house.

The company painted the cabinet green to blend in with the flint wall of the old village pub – making it almost invisible

Ervin Xhafa was shocked to find that BT had set up the 120cm high by 120cm wide box right in front of his grade two house.

Ervin Xhafa was shocked to find that BT had set up the 120cm high by 120cm wide box right in front of his grade two house.

The communications giant did not need to get permission from Mr Xhafa – or the local council – to set up the cabinet.

But Mr Xhafa, 35, a real estate executive who has lived in the house in the small hamlet with his wife and family for three years, decided to call BT.

He said, “We weren’t happy – workers had just arrived one day and started digging the path and putting the cabinet up.” It was a big green metal box that looked so out of place.

“We tried calling the council who couldn’t help, then BT themselves. I asked why they had ignored the location.

“Finally, they sent a team of workers who put the box in the new look.

“It’s definitely an improvement and fits the street scene a lot better. But we would still prefer it not to be there.

“It’s a quaint little rural village and the box made an impact on the environment – we were persistent and then said they could wrap it around to blend in with the background.”

Acting Parish Council President Graham Lee said, “I noticed some activity around the box and assumed they were finishing the wiring.

“But when I got back, I saw that they were meticulously covering the box with a printed material that exactly matches the old flint wall it leans against.

The communications giant did not need to get permission from Mr Xhafa - or the local council - to set up the cabinet

The communications giant did not need to get permission from Mr Xhafa – or the local council – to set up the cabinet

But Mr Xhafa, 35, a real estate executive who has lived in the house in the small hamlet with his wife and family for three years, decided to call BT.

But Mr Xhafa, 35, a real estate executive who has lived in the house in the small hamlet with his wife and family for three years, decided to call BT.

“The result is remarkable – and kudos to BT / Openreach for going the extra mile to help what could be considered an unsightly metal box blend into our village.”

Parish Councilor David Finch, who admitted he hadn’t noticed the new box, said: “It sounds pretty reasonable – and the village needs better broadband.”

Another villager commented: “It looks great – it was very cleverly done to blend in.

“It was a bit of an eyesore when it was just a big green box on the sidewalk. By the way now, most passersby wouldn’t even notice.

“But the problem now is that as long as the box is there, we still haven’t been connected to faster broadband.”

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