This topic

Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

Hevski77 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:22:01 GMT

Hi, I live in the Scottish Highlands, Sutherland to be precise. I have an abysmal WIFI speed, it has recently got worse, and I don’t know why..

They recently, supposedly said Fibre was supposed to be available where I live (on a lane, on the side of a mountain), but I’ve not looked to see, properly, I’m on the Home Essentials package because I have Disabilities. What I wanted to know, is do I have to pay to get connected, because if I have to do I don’t think I could afford to. I live hand to mouth most weeks. But my copper wire wifi speed is much worse now. It was at 2Mbps. Now it’s barely making 1.5Mbps.

I’d fed up of having to put complaints in or registering faults..

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

gg30340 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:32:04 GMT

If you are a BT Broadband customer you do not pay to get upgraded to a BT Fibre package when it is available.

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

gg30340 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:37:22 GMT

If you use this link to check it will show if Fibre is avaiable to you.

If the phone number checker doesn't work use the address checker which you will find by clicking on the small blue box with the three lines.

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

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

Hevski77 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:37:08 GMT

Is there a way to check? (I think I had flyers put through and an email sent to me, when it was available) but is there a way to check online? It would have to be via pole and line though, because the phone line doesn’t go underground here, it’s off telephone poles. Would that change things?

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

gg30340 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:38:36 GMT

See my last post.

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

WSH — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:44:30 GMT

Just to be clear, I take it you mean your broadband speed?

Wi-Fi and broadband are not the same thing and you refer at the start of this thread to "Wi-Fi speed". Wi-Fi is the wireless system inside the house and can be poor even if the broadband internet connection to the router is good.

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

gg30340 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:53:23 GMT

He did say "copper wire wifi speeds" and described where he lives so any Fibre connection will be an improvement.

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

WSH — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:58:49 GMT

@gg30340 Yes, you’re probably right but I post on several forums and on the Sky forum in particular, they refer to Wi-Fi when they really mean the broadband connection.

Unfortunately, it is a growing trend and seems to be something Sky are encouraging.

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

gg30340 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:09:44 GMT

That will be because a lot of devices now can only connect by wireless so that is "how it works". They probably have no idea or don't care how broadband gets to their house.

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

Hevski77 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:16:19 GMT

Wifi and Broadband, it doesn't really matter in this case that much. 😜 I'm meant to get 3 Mbps. I doubt I'd get that even if I "wired" in. And I mostly use my iPad, so can't connect by a wire anyway... (Laptop needs fixed and its old now, in fact everything is old).

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

Hevski77 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:18:13 GMT

I'm a laydee. 👩🏻

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

Hevski77 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:41:23 GMT

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

licquorice — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:49:36 GMT

The checker shows fibre is available, just order it.

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

Hevski77 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:03:11 GMT

What does “a new Ont” mean though?

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

licquorice — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:09:45 GMT

It's the fibre modem that Openreach fit as part of the install. You just need to order fibre from BT

Re: Do you have to pay to get Fibre (I think to the box)?

WSH — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:38:22 GMT

ONT is Optical Network Terminal.

As Liquorice said, it’s the modem for a fibre connection and your router connects to that instead of the phone socket.

An engineer will come out to fit it. It goes on the wall where the fibre comes into the house. That does not necessarily need to be where the current phone line comes in but the ONT does need power, so it has to be within about 1.5m of a power socket.

He will discuss where to put it on the day; however, it has to be doable in the time and money budget allocated to the job. Fibre also can’t do very tight bends. It might be an idea to have two or three places in mind for where you want it to go in case your first choice isn’t doable.