This topic

FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

ShaneHorlock — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 16:47:52 GMT

I have been working on a Community Fibre Partnership with Openreach, covering two villages with about 700 premises. We are still working on getting people to sign up as a project supporter, committing to take out an FTTP broadband service contract, at the appropriate project stage, which will qualify for a Government Voucher. We are aiming to fund the community cost of the CFP using these Government Vouchers, so that there are no upfront charges for any residents, whether they supported the project or not. We are about two thirds of the way there, but we need to encourage more to sign up.

The biggest issue in persuading people to support the project is that people really cannot readily find out what monthly broadband costs they would be incurring compared with their present broadband contract.

I am producing a leaflet explaining all the background to the project, but I really need some real life examples of what CFP supporters have seen as their cost of supporting a project. Please post replies that indicate what you were paying before switching to FTTP and what you were paying afterwards.

Thank you.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

pippincp — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 17:42:33 GMT

FTTP monthly charges are the same as FTTC except for the 900Mb service as there is no FTTC equivalent.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

-Richie- — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 17:47:08 GMT

@ShaneHorlockwrote:
The biggest issue in persuading people to support the project is that people really cannot readily find out what monthly broadband costs they would be incurring compared with their present broadband contract.

BT prices by the package, no matter how it's delivered, so 'Essential Fibre', 'Fibre 1' and 'Fibre 2' are priced the same if they are FTTC or FTTP, it's only when you have ultrafast speeds (over 100 mbps) that they vary, GFast is limited coverage and an FTTC product.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

Keith_Beddoe — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 18:29:24 GMT

See https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/community-fibre-partnerships

There are some example cases there.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

ShaneHorlock — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 18:40:36 GMT

I really want real world figures. You do not qualify for a Government Voucher under the DCMS scheme unless the new package is at least twice the speed of your current package (or 100 MBs whichever is least). So saying FTTC and FTTP costs from BT are the same for a given performance does not cut it. Not everyone is with BT at the moment, though I believe they offer the most competitive FTTP prices so that might be where people end up.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

licquorice — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 18:56:14 GMT

This is a BT retail forum, if you want wider information you need to look elsewhere.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

iniltous — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 19:30:52 GMT

AFAIK, it’s the network that has to be capable of delivering speeds that would at least double the speeds of what the recipient of the voucher currently gets ,( if they currently get 30Mb or less ) , or provide at least 100Mb if they already get in excess of 30Mb, as far as the recipient of the voucher , the fact that they apply for one , means they presumably want FTTP or some other method of improving their ‘on line’ experience otherwise why ask for the voucher.

If ( for arguments sake ) they were on 55Mb with FTTC , and were provided with FTTP via a CFP funded by DCMS , they presumably could stay on 55Mb albeit on FTTP and get that actual speed rather than whatever speed the ‘rate adaptive’ FTTC provided ,( which may be 55Mb but could be less ) …I doubt the Government check that the recipient has taken a 100Mb+ package, just that the network is capable of delivering 100Mb+, so the fact that BT charge the same for a particular speed irrespective of it being delivered by FTTC or FTTP, is valid, if the the area was below 20Mb then doubling that speed may not even require FTTP, although OR wouldn’t provide anything other than FTTP , other operators may.
If you are in effect cajoling residents, when they are not particularly bothered if ‘broadband’ is going to be better or not , that probably isn’t in the spirit of the scheme, that (in part) is why you don’t need 100% support or obligation to take up the service.
As already stated, this is a BT forum, so the answers are based on a BT customer, there is no obligation for the voucher recipient to use BT ,( if it’s Openreach that are providing the network ) any ISP that uses OR can be used, plus other network builders apart from OR can provide infrastructure and use DCMS vouchers to pay or part pay

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

ShaneHorlock — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 19:45:59 GMT

1 The CFP needs funding using vouchers.

2 We only have 2/3 of cost covered at the moment.

3 There is no FTTP in the area at present so potential supporters cannot see costs of buying a voucher qualifying package and Openreach will kick off the voucher claims a year before they can buy the package

4 We need additional supporters to be able to fully fund the project.

5 We need to give them real world examples so they can understand what they would be signing up to.

6 A BT customer who has been through this could definitely provide a real world example.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

licquorice — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 19:49:17 GMT

As already stated, for a given package costs are the same regardless of delivery medium. An 80/20 broadband package costs the same whether it is delivered by fibre, copper or wet string.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

ShaneHorlock — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 20:08:31 GMT

If you can't be bothered trying to understand the question, why bother responding, especially when you only repeat what others have said.

I really would like to hear from someone who says "I claimed a voucher and my monthly costs were £x beforehand and £y afterwards" If they say what before and after performance was that would complete the answer.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

-Richie- — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 20:18:58 GMT

@ShaneHorlockwrote:
If you can't be bothered trying to understand the question, why bother responding, especially when you only repeat what others have said.

You're coming off as hostile now mind, you've been told twice the cost is the same if like-for-like, so the answer is "I claimed a voucher and my monthly costs were £x beforehand exactly the same afterwards"

The after part would only change if the customer upgraded their package but then it opens up far too many variables like is it Halo or complete wi-fi, FF100, FF250, FF300, FF500 or FF900, the price quoted will also depend if that person is brand new to BT, in a contract with several months remaining or if they are coming to the end of the minimum term, are they having a voice element included or broadband only, the list goes on.

Like for like the price is the same, other providers who knows, this is a BT retail forum for all things related to BT retail.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

ShaneHorlock — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 20:24:11 GMT

@Richie I only sound hostile because everyone is answering without giving the thought the question deserves. If you can't see what is wrong with your answer you have not understood the question and have failed to realise you haven't answered it.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

iniltous — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 20:43:23 GMT

If you don’t like the answers to the question , perhaps you need to rephrase it , the answers so far seem to answer the question fully ( considering no one that contributes here is likely to meet your criteria of being the recipient of a DCMS voucher and an Openreach CFP ) …but what’s difficult in accepting that if you buy a 40Mb package from BT the ‘list price’ cost is identical on FTTP or FTTC , .

If a BT customer ( that did fit your criteria ) answered , stating, ‘ I paid £25 a month before , getting 15Mb, I now pay £55 a month but get 900Mb’ , only proves that the faster you go the more you ( understandably) pay, if that same person , on 15Mb paying £25 , even if they didn’t upgrade to a higher package as such , would still get a boost from the 15Mb speed as 40Mb or 55Mb would be delivered as FTTP provides the headline rate of the package ( Essential or Fibre 1 ) for the £25 , but if you will only accept that if someone posts a real life example , you may have quite a wait.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

ShaneHorlock — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 20:40:57 GMT

@iniltous If you read back, you will find my several attempts at explaining why the answers were for a different question. I really am looking for people who have been through this and come out the other side. Their details are the only ones that waverers, trying to make up their mind whether to support our project, are likely to listen to.

Re: FTTP broadband charges versus FTTC charges

pompey1898 — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 18:10:59 GMT

Hi @ShaneHorlock ,

You have been given the answer, FTTP prices are the same for the same FTTC speeds.

I ran a CFP for my total village. The value of the vouchers only came to £300,000, where Openreach wanted £550,000 ( 171 registrations out of a possible 482 ). The main problem being that many failed to register as they were happy with their existing FTTC speeds. Due to covid I was unable to get the same response that I got for FTTC ( 395 registrations out of 414 ).

I have now raised another CFP for a small part of the village where speeds are very low (less than 5Mbps). Not surprising that I got 100% support. We will see what OR come up with. Realistically the cost should be really low as a fible cable runs passed their "doorsteps"