A plurality of telecommunications connections are installed in a distribution network by connecting a series of distribution points using a multicore cable comprising a plurality of cores having a common enclosure, some of the cores carrying fiber tubes into which optical fiber may later be introduced, and other cores carrying an electrical power supply. One or more cores may be diverted from a longer cable run to serve a local distribution point by rupturing a web connecting the core to the rest of the cable, thus allowing the remaining cores to be uninterrupted at the point of divergence. An alternative embodiment intended for underground use provides for apertures to be opened in a protective sheath to expose the individual cores required to be diverted to a local distribution point.