This topic

Advice please

Peterf1971 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:29:14 GMT

Thinking about switching from virgin media cable to BT fibre , my home currently doesn’t have a BT line and looking for the 1000mb service, does the below suggest any issues with this ?

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream HandbackThreshold(Mbps) WBC FTTC Availability WBC SOGEA AvailabilityHigh Low High Low VDSL Range A (Clean)
VDSL Range B (Impacted)
G.fast Range A (Clean)
G.fast Range B (Impacted)

80	74	20	19	67	Unavailable	Available
80	73	20	19	66.3	Unavailable	Available
330	292.8	50	38.9	265.1	Unavailable	Green
330	275.7	50	26.8	252.4	Unavailable	Green

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range (Mbps) Availability Date FTTP Install ProcessWBC FTTP

Up to 1000

Up to 220

Available

1 Stage

Other Offerings Availability DateVDSL MulticastG.Fast Multicast

Available

Exchange Product Restrictions StatusFTTP Priority ExchangeWLR WithdrawalSOADSL Restriction

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these

premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG premises served by 2.5 Inch plastic duct 56.

FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

As a WLR withdrawal exchange, product restrictions apply

SOADSL is not restricted at the exchange

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL or G.fast) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

For all SOADSL services,the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Actual speeds experienced by end users and quoted by CPs will be lower due to a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

In order to be eligible for handback, downstream speed should be less than Downstream Handback Threshold values.

If you decide to place an order for a WBC fibre product, an appointment may be required for an engineer to visit the end user's premises to supply the service

ADSL, ADSL2+ and SOADSL availability: If shown at FTTP or SOGEA premises,ADSL, ADSL2+ and SOADSL are not available to order due to WLR Withdrawal stop sell rules. CPs should order FTTP or SOGEA. Copper products are only available by exception.

Re: Advice please

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:14:46 GMT

All looks straight forward, assuming that the duct isn't blocked & that building works haven't covered the entry point.

A clear duct will only be confirmed on installation day when OR actually try to feed the cable through. So I'd be inclined to not to use the OTS service to switch & only cancel Virgin once the BT service is up & running. You'll potentially pay double for a month but better than finding an issue on installation day, with the Virgin service going off same day.

Re: Advice please

Peterf1971 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:16:35 GMT

Thanks 😊

Re: Advice please

imjolly — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:16:58 GMT

the results posted suggests that FTTP is available and you can order BT 900mb package installation is stage 1 suggesting no problems with install.

do you know if neighbours have fibre from openreach and if so is it fed from a pole nearby?

Re: Advice please

iniltous — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:56:18 GMT

Your address may not have a working Openreach line but the indications are it does have a dormant one , but the copper service is irrelevant now FTTP is available…the duct etc that your address is recorded as having is used to get the fibre to your property…..if you don’t know where this is , look for the tell tale signs …..the grey plastic items shown here
https://www.telenco.uk/bt-connector-bend-no-4

There are a couple of Openreach installation videos that show the installation method, here is one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XDl0-KkPy8

Re: Advice please

Kimberlin — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:38:54 GMT

@Peterf1971 Be sure you actually need a 900mbps service. It’s a bit pointless if you’re going to pay for ‘blistering’ speeds if there’s any chance you’ll never have enough clients online, or several family members gaming or you’re downloading mega files.

Enough people have posted here complaining they don’t quite get the advertised speeds for one reason or another.
I never personally had any issues with BT speeds or service, but I’m fully aware of what download speed works well day to day for my needs. What I’m saying is, don’t allow yourself to get suckered into hype over mbps.

Re: Advice please

Peterf1971 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:23:26 GMT

Thanks, I do have a similar looking duct but it’s a brown virgin media one

Re: Advice please

Peterf1971 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:26:22 GMT

Noted, yes I do realise advertised speeds and actual speeds are way different.

I probably don’t need 1gig but the cost difference between that and 500mb is negligible

Re: Advice please

iniltous — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 16:02:24 GMT

Openreach can’t use Virgin ducts (even though Virgin can use Openreach’s ducts ) , so if you don’t have ‘evidence’ of an Openreach duct it makes the survey note inaccurate but more importantly it may well add a delay to any installation……if your house is on a modern ‘estate’ then usually there are several houses of the same design, and where the grey duct appears on identical houses it should also appear on yours …if it doesn’t that suggests something has happened to it , the appropriate survey note in these cases is ‘congested duct’ or words to that effect , not by

Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG premises served by 2.5 Inch plastic duct 56 , this is usually followed by ‘no anticipated issues’

Re: Advice please

Peterf1971 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 16:26:32 GMT

Some houses have brown ducts and some have grey. My direct neighbors have brown virgin ones. We have a green bt box 50 yard from the house and CATV concrete man holes outside the property

Re: Advice please

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:08:57 GMT

@Peterf1971

Are the different coloured ducts in the same location on the properties? If so, it may simply be that Virgin have installed their own branded covers in place of the BT/OR one when using the OR duct to supply service.

Re: Advice please

iniltous — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:34:37 GMT

When were these houses built approximately ? , from early 1990 onwards a fully ducted network was used by Openreach (BT) , the only exception really was sites that had a sweetheart deal with Virgin and effectively locked out BT/Openreach , so somewhere having some grey Openreach and some brown Virgin but some with only Virgin is unusual ( FYI although the cable industry did use brown covers the duct is normally green )

It may be a regional thing , I’ve a vague recollection that in some areas BT may have used brown covers instead of the more usual grey , but in your case the brown covers seem to indicate Virgin , and it would be odd for BT to use some brown and some grey in the same location.

As the Openreach survey note states duct exists, raising an order won’t be affected , you will be able to order FTTP , but as stated , the potential problem is if the installer turns up to discover only Virgin ducts exist and not an Openreach one, that will cause a delay while a way to get a cable from the footpath to the house wall is provided

Re: Advice please

WSH — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 19:27:04 GMT

The manhole covers with CATV* will be Virgin. I have the same round here and I remember them being put in.

(*Based on the American cable TV system or more correctly called “Community Antenna TV”)