This topic

Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

lozzyjayne — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:31:07 GMT

Hi there,

My current contract just ended and I have been offered a full fibre upgrade; however, I live in a flat. I am the owner, but I need permission from the management company for the building before any work can go ahead. I have emailed the management company to ask for permission and they have requested that BT contact them directly to discuss it, as previously they have carried out upgrades for the entire building rather than individual flats. I was hoping to email BT or send a letter, as I suffer with extreme social anxiety and phone calls are almost impossible for me; is there any other way to contact them about this than by phone? Also do I need to wait until permission has been granted before I can agree to a new contract? I am very new to this kind of thing and suffer with numerous mental health issues that make it difficult for me to understand when it comes to technological jargon etc., so any help you can offer would be gratefully received. Thank you

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

iniltous — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:33:29 GMT

https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/fibre-for-home/ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband-to-your-apartment#accordion-4a5af05ebc-item-2b07af9a49

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

lozzyjayne — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:38:35 GMT

Thank you so much! I had tried to do some research for an answer but I didn't come across this, so I appreciate your reply very much 🙂

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

lozzyjayne — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 05:50:56 GMT

The form asks for a reference number; where would I find this? I haven't had any communication from Openreach yet so I don't have any email or letter to check from them

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

iniltous — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:50:17 GMT

There are multiple ways FTTP from Openreach can be deployed in MDU’s (multiple dwelling units) one of which is Openreach are effectively outside the main door but nothing exists inside the apartment complex, and no prior arrangement with the management company/freeholder etc , as you say FTTP is available the assumption was OR had contacted you and the other residents, the first enquiry to start the ball rolling , if this were the case the ID needed would have been part of OR advising you of availability.

As that isn’t the case , one of the other ways will be needed , how were you made aware of availability ? ,

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=iFbzpwCcXk26QSnxRjd6sEdu1PRhjf9OroHuGY1mFFZUNjhLTUpUOVVBWjYxNDI3UkcxV1JPQ0Y1TyQlQCN0PWcu

this form can be used is a freeholder/managing agent wants to get FTTP in advance of any availability shown by Openreach , but the proviso from OR point of view is the FTTP network needs to be ready and in the vicinity , there is also a method where availability is shown , but the occupant needs to get permission themselves .

Put your address in here and post the results

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

lozzyjayne — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:58:52 GMT

It says "FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered."

BT have sent me a letter to say that they have upgraded my street to Full Fibre Broadband and that they can give me an upgrade to Full Fibre; the letter says to wait for an SMS or email from Openreach to arrange the installation, but as I live in a flat I didn't know if there was something else I needed to do first as I require permission from the management company. So should I just wait to be contacted by Openreach and then fill out the form you provided me with?

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

iniltous — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:31:59 GMT

On the checker site linked is also some survey information , Residential /Business, SDU/MDU , single stage , KCI2 , no anticipated issues etc , can you post that information for your address .

As stated there are many variations with MDU , as there is a massive difference between a house converted to flats and a tower block , both are MDU but the method needed for installation of FTTP isn’t at all similar and unfortunately it’s impossible to state with any certainty what way your MDU will be dealt with, but OR have signalled availability, that’s why BT have said you can have it ….a word of caution though, this isn’t a guarantee as your freeholder has the final say any order you make could be cancelled by OR depending on circumstances.

I would say you have probably overthought the process, and jumped in and advised your freeholder unnecessarily at this stage , if you were advised that FTTP is available, and if you want it , order it , that may mean a delay or longer lead time compared to a standard SDU (single dwelling unit ) where no one other that the householder needs to agree (and obviously that’s deemed consent otherwise why order ) but it could be you need to get agreement from your freeholder or your order gets OR to approach your freeholder and once agreed , OR enable all the addresses within the MDU including yours in one ‘block’ visit and it’s your order that starts the process …

Unfortunately, to give anything other than general advice will not really help ,with MDU (apart from some really small MDU that can be treated as ‘houses’ , it’s a bespoke process .

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

lozzyjayne — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:31:13 GMT

These are the full results:

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Multi Dwelling Unit Residential MDU No Anticipated Issues.

FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.

As a fibre priority exchange, FTTP has priority over other products if available at the address

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.

This site is in an FTTP priority area where FTTP is available but exceptionally SOGEA will also show as available to order but only at Non-Standard Premises (NSP) such as Hot site, Uninhabitable and Temporary locations. Migrations of WLR Solus (voice-only lines) is also allowed but only for SOGEA 0.5Mbps bandwidths. SOGEA 40/10 bandwidths order is also allowed.

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

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

iniltous — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:50:16 GMT

OK , the installation process (single stage or KCI2 ) would be helpful but ( and this is just a guide ) but the no anticipated issues is evidence that OR don’t see an issue , that’s not to say there won’t be any but it’s a positive indicator.

As stated , you could get your freeholder to fill out the second form I linked to , or simply ignore the fact you advised the freeholder and just order and let whatever Openreach had intended take place , but accept that any date given by BT is liable to change ( BT will simply give a date the same way as an ordinary SDU order ) then OR will probably delay the order while they assess and gain permissions etc , or they may turn up and assume permission has already been sought , leave site if it’s impossible to proceed and they take it from there, it’s impossible to know for sure .

One final point , you said this about your conversation with the freeholder

as previously they have carried out upgrades for the entire building rather than individual flats.

If you already have an access point installed outside your individual unit ( because OR pre fitted the entire MDU with the freeholder permission earlier ) then entire post will be irrelevant as all that’s needed is the final drop from that access point into your flat and that doesn’t need any further permission from anyone other than you , it’s exactly the same as a SDU .

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

lozzyjayne — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:45:40 GMT

Sorry, I missed the installation process part; it says FTTP Install Process is "1 stage" and availability date is "available".

As I don't want to risk any problems with them turning up without permission having been granted, I think my only option is to wait for Openreach to contact me then? I think I will also email the management company and tell them that I haven't been able to ask BT to contact them as I am waiting on a reference number to fill out the form, and send them the 2nd form you sent me as well.

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

iniltous — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:03:08 GMT

Think our last posts may have ‘crossed’ , check if OR have relatively recently provided ‘block wiring’ outside your and your neighbours apartments within your MDU , usually this is a small block near each individual entrance door , if that has been done , everything including permits etc has already been done , you simply order service and the installation tech just runs the final few meters of optical cable from the block outside your door into the flat …..if there has been no preparation type work done like this , and it makes you more comfortable then let the freeholder contact OR and don’t order FTTP yet .

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

lozzyjayne — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:22:56 GMT

There is this small white box above the front door to my apartment; is this what you're referring to? If so, I had been wondering what it was!

Also the exact words the management company said to me were: "Please could you ask BT to contact us directly regarding permission. When we have had this request previously BT have carried out the fibre upgrade on the whole building rather than an individual apartment." So if Openreach have already installed this little white box and have gotten permission to do so, why would my management company still be telling me to get BT to ask them for permission?

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

iniltous — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:20:15 GMT

I can’t see your image yet , ( it takes a while before they allow them to be seen ) so this is speaking blindly to a certain extent, but if the photo is of the FTTP infrastructure box provided in advance by Openreach , enabling you to just order ( so permission was already sought , granted and the work took place by Openreach ) I’d suggest your call to the freeholder has confused them , you effectively saying BT want permission , they don’t , ( they use Openreach ) and Openreach have already been granted permission and they have completed 95% of the work ( not the individual lead ins , the last 5% gets done as and when the occupants order service )

In effect the only work left to do is within your ‘gift’ and in some respects is no different than you getting a new TV , you wouldn’t need to ask permission from the freeholder for that , you don’t need to ask permission for this either …it seems the only work left for Openreach to do is actually a small task , hardly noticeable on the outside of your flat , effectively what’s left to do is all done within your own boundary, so doesn’t need the freeholder advising further.

I can see how you may think that the freeholder needs to be involved but they don’t , all you need to do is order , when you are connected I doubt you will see any ‘new’ evidence of it outside your flat , that’s why the freeholder doesn’t need to be involved, all the work remaining is inside your flat and you give permission for that , not the freeholder.

Re: Full Fibre upgrade in a flat

lozzyjayne — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:54:06 GMT

I'm sorry you can't see the picture; that's strange. I'll try again:

Okay, that makes sense. I will contact the management company again and tell them everything you have told me, and clarify what they want me to do, I think