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Fibre 36 Essentials

Gratias — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:15:51 GMT

My broadband is with EE. I'm not sure whether they have a similar forum but I'm hoping my I can get advice in here.

I've been told that when my current contract ends (I’m on Fibre 36 Essentials) I will have to move to Full Fibre; This is news to me.

My situation is that I have no direct line of view to the nearest telegraph pole and, since 1980, I seem to have used the same copper wire as my immediate neighbour. There was just the one wire, so my phone must have been split off at some point on my neighbour’s property and then run under our eaves. Last year 2 more wires ran from the telegraph pole to my neighbour’s property. At least one must have been for full fibre.

I’ve spoken to my neighbour just the once. He’s a recent occupant. There is no dispute with him. I do not feel I can ask him what the two additional wires are for.

So, I have reservations about being able to go Full Fibre technically. And if that’s the case, where does it leave me?

Re: Fibre 36 Essentials

WSH — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:32:51 GMT

You may be confusing phone with broadband. While the phones have to be moved to Digital Voice (DV) in the next 12 months, DV will work quite happily over copper and does not require Full Fibre. It will be many years before copper broadband is retired. And when the time comes, it will be Openreach's problem to sort out, not yours, so I wouldn't worry about it.

EE forum:

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Broadband-Landline/bd-p/broadband

Re: Fibre 36 Essentials

Kimberlin — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:32:32 GMT

@Gratias

EE do indeed have their own community forum:

https://community.ee.co.uk/

@WSH Apologies, we posted at the same time

Re: Fibre 36 Essentials

Gratias — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:52:38 GMT

It’s definitely EE Broadband. I’ve had long conversation with their Value team (apparently aka Disconnections or Retention).

Re: Fibre 36 Essentials

WSH — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:08:59 GMT

EE may provide the service but Openreach will be providing the infrastructure on EE's behalf. Either way it is their problem to sort out service delivery, not yours.

Re: Fibre 36 Essentials

Kimberlin — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:21:28 GMT

@Gratias

Obviously not aware of what you’re currently paying monthly to EE, just make sure that should you soon go down the full fibre route, that you aren’t financially disadvantaged as a result.

There are other ISP’s out there, compare prices. Decide if you need to retain a landline, many households no longer need one or even use the one they have, it just becomes an ornament in the corner. If you have a mobile with WiFi calling, you can still make and receive calls without a phone signal.

As you haven’t yet got FTTP, any ISP you approach will organise for that to be installed as @WSH has already pointed out.

Re: Fibre 36 Essentials

Gratias — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:39:33 GMT

Thank you, I'll pose the same query there once I've worked out the EE forum structure. I see WSH has done that for me . Thank you

Re: Fibre 36 Essentials

iniltous — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:32:35 GMT

BT/EE do take advantage of the need to change telephone customers to Digital Voice from PSTN to also incorporate a move to FTTP when it’s available.

As far as your circumstances, if your copper line ‘bounces off’ a nearby property as there is no direct line of sight to the serving pole , then FTTP will follow the same router , the attachment (bracket) on that property should already have permission for the copper wire to your address so no further permission needed to replace the copper with fibre .

It’s a possibility that on the day that neighbour takes exception and even if permission is in place because of the copper wire they refuse access , then the upgrade doesn’t take place and shouldn't affect your existing broadband service .

FYI , the existing agreement is for the attachment not the number of wires , so even if after removing your copper service there is an extra overhead wire (assuming your copper pair isn’t a separate cable but part of a multi pair cable that has to stay ) that is OK under the existing arrangement, but it could be there are actually less wires in total if your neighbour is now on FTTP

Re: Fibre 36 Essentials

Gratias — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:14:20 GMT

To summarise

At the end of the current contract (imminent) I will have to move to Full Fibre (no-one has suggested otherwise).
I leave it to Openreach to sort out.

Thank you all responders. Some of it is beyond my understanding but most stuck