Broadband / Land Line Installation

[Mill467]

We moved in to a new house in 2019 and had to use the government Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to get a line installed. I knew it would be expensive first few years for supplier to get installation costs back, what I didn't realise is that it is a Leased Line and not broadband (if there is a difference) so we are paying around 10 x the cost of superfast broadband in the area. Is there a way / scheme to get BT / Openreach or a provider to install another Broadband or Land line ? Happy to pay a portion as will save me money long term.   Not sure if anyone has had a similar problem but we either have the fibre leased line or I think we can get maybe 16 / 1 Mbps which is not suitable. Who do we contact about cabling / connecting as it was done once before. 

[36ULW]

A Leased Line, aka a Private Ethernet Circuit.

Basically you have your own Dedicated Fibre Line all the way back to an OFR, Optical Fibre Rack in the Exchange.

In an ideal World they could convert that GPON Line and put a Splitter on that Fibre, so instead of just you that Fibre could then serve up to 32 Properties.

I’ve never come across that scenario though where they’ve done that. Where do you live, do you even have up to 30 neighbours within a few hundred metres from your house as there would be little to no point in converting the Leased Line into a GPON if it would only serve a small handful.

[licquorice]

@Mill467 Talk to the FTTP team 0800 587 4787

That number diverts to normal customer service if busy, if it does, try again.
 

[iniltous]

The government gigabit voucher scheme to get a business grade connection ( a fibre leased line ) was never a good use of public money to subsidise a business grade connection.

If you have a leased line , and the costs associated are now prohibitive, ( presumably whoever asked for the installation was prepared to pay a price commensurate with a leased line )  , then there is no way to convert that to a domestic grade FTTP ( PON ) connection , if the voucher scheme was used , arguably a better use for it would  have been as part of a community funded project where ‘regular’  FTTP was provided rather that a leased fibre line , as explained a PON can provide upto 30 other near by properties with FTTP , a leased line is a point to point service, servicing a single customer .

You cannot convert a leased fibre  line into anything else , your choices are to use whatever alternatives are available, ADSL , VDSL (FTTC )  or a different network provider, but if you simply allow  your  your leased line be ceased , it neither increases or decreases your chances of native FTTP , they are separate systems.

[Mill467]

Thank you for the replies. Unfortunately only 1 other house within a few hundred meters so the splitter option is unlikely and the voucher for community project would not or worked either. Think we are just stuck until they decide to install for 2 properties so could be a long wait, I will call the number someone kindly posted just to see. 

I don't believe the voucher scheme was explained properly, as it had "Broadband" in the name I just assumed that is what it would be after the initial contract expired, not a Private Ethernet Circuit that cannot be converted to a domestic connection. 

I will let the leased line cease or certainly not renew any contract, and hopefully someone will cable a domestic solution. It is frustrating that something from the house already runs back to a cabinet but I can't find even a paid option to install a domestic supply.

Again, Thank you for the replies

[pippincp]

Your FTTP line does not run back to a cabinet but back to the exchange.

Residential FTTP doesn't run back to a cabinet either but to a PON splitter.

[36ULW]

Once the Leased Line has been Ceased it might be possible to pay for a FTTPoD Service.

The Fibre is already there so you only end up paying for Splitter Build and any other behind the scenes stuff, Planning, ODF Provision, etc.

This is all hypothetical though, I’ve never worked with Leased Lines so I’m unsure on the rules on what they do with them once they’re ceased. It’s possible they’re saved for another Ethernet Circuit, I’ve no idea.

To be honest I think your only option is to revert to VDSL and then wait until Openreach and or someone else builds a GPON where you live.

[Colin_London]

Agree - the leased fibre should be considered as totally standalone from the public fibre offerings. If the OP wants a cheaper service they will have to wait until an alternative FTTP fibre connection option is available at their address, then order it, then cease their current leased line contract.

However if the OP lives in the sticks and there are few neighbours to merit Openreach or another AltNet funding a rollout they may be waiting a very long time for an alternative, so if they want fibre speeds they will have to stick with their current solution.

This isn’t a BT issue however so this forum is probably not the place for the OP to take this further.