Broadband connectivity to a new self build

[gus6623]

I am trying to arrange a broadband connection to a new self build site.

I went through the Openreach Developer Portal to register my site and got a quote for £2537 for a Full Fibre connection.  This seems a lot to me, as there is a telegraph pole directly opposite the entrance and all I want is a fibre cable to the border of the site.  So I want to understand what makes up the cost, and are there alternatives.  And there is the problem! In order to progress my registration I have to accept the OR quote. But I don't want to accept it because if I do and it turns out not to be acceptable, I will be contracted to OR, with no consumer protection (as they required me to set up a company to go on to the Portal), and so would be liable to the charge regardless. So how do I progress this?!

I have phoned a number I found on this chat (0800 0328660 which took me to single plot new builds) but they won't talk to me without registration.  They directed me to email nsrecep@openreach.co.uk, but I have had no response from that address or even acknowledgement of receipt since I sent an email 11 days ago.  I even sent another email, but same problem.

I tried to find a complaint email, but OR only take complaints on engineer behaviour or roadworks.  There is nowhere to complain about them being useless!!!

Anyone got any ideas of how I can progress this?

[Keith_Beddoe]

@gus6623 

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

This forum has no connection with Openreach and would not be able to comment on the price that you have been quoted, but considering the amount you are likely to incur building your property, I would think the price quoted would be reasonable.

You are going to have to take this up with Openreach, as nobody on this forum would be able to help.

[gus6623]

Thanks. Not really looking for a comment on the price, but how to get through the layers of opacity at OR and how to progress.

[Keith_Beddoe]

No idea, and I would be surprised if any forum member could help with this. You could always ask on one of the public broadband forums, like thinkbroadand.

I suppose you could always email the CEO of Openreach.

[gus6623 · Accepted solution]

OK. I have found the name of the Senior Manager national newsites client management at Openreach, so am trying him in the first instance. CEO after that.

[iniltous]

As stated , nothing really to do with BT, but if you go down the new sites route with Openreach, then there is a rate card , most developers of scale , make no contribution towards FTTP , but a small development , 1-19 plots there is a contribution towards the infrastructure …obviously a single plot is likely to be expensive compared to the shared expenses of many dwellings, it costs Openreach no less to provide FTTP to one plot than to 30 , it’s the same network more or less.

Its not clear , if this is part of a greenfield development ( even if you are only building one property) then it is what it is  Openreach newsites is the appropriate department , if you are on what was a vacant plot , surrounded by existing housing , or on a plot that had a property that was demolished, it may be possible to connect you to the existing ‘network’ , but that network may not be FTTP , that isn’t really a newsites development, but infill , if the property is on a new plot ( rather than replacing a previous building on the same plot ) it would need to be appropriately registered ( council tax, appear on the Royal Mail website etc ) you could then go down the normal ordering portals , but again depending on how close to existing infrastructure could involve excess construction charges , way in excess of the newsites FTTP levy , 

No doubt you have paid for other utilities to be provided, and at a guess more than the figure quoted for FTTP , and given a home without high speed communication is likely to be difficult to sell , it’s no doubt a figure that would be offset by the higher asking price from having the  ability to offer ultrafast broadband 

[gus6623]

Thanks. It is a new site that had no existing services, but is in-between other houses. I have now had a call from OR following my email to escalate it, and finally understand I can proceed with registration without fear of being on the hook for the quoted amount if it isn't suitable.

[Fallow]

Interested to read your comments on Open Reach, we are in the same position except we are forced to install with a quote of £7800 plus vat. We hadnt budgeted for this much less did we want any connection to the outside world tbh.

Did you ever get to talk to someone about this, as I understood the max payment would be £2000 contribution.

[gus6623]

Hi Fallow. Yes, I had a visit from a new site coordinator who explained my options and cost, as well as what they do. This is  a connection to the site boundary, and also supply of the appropriate grey ducting (90mm or 50mm depending on distance) that I will need. It is down to me to bury the duct from the point of entry to the site to the house. I actually had duct in the ground, but they won’t allow me to use it because it’s not grey! Actually, rather than use underground duct for the whole run, I’m going to use a telegraph pole to cover most of the distance (it won’t be obtrusive) and then use duct for the last 20m - much cheaper and OR pay for the pole and connections to it despite it being 50m over the boundary. Having said all this, I am waiting for OR to contact me again to arrange/confirm the quote and it’s been well over a month since the guy came out (he was helpful though). 
on cost, he said the FTTP is “free” but the cost I have been quoted (£2537ex VAT) is a “contribution “ for the overall network costs!  It’s just a standard charge. I really don’t understand why self builders pay a charge and developers of more than 20 houses don’t, but it is what it is. 
hope that helps!

[iniltous]

It’s pretty clear TBH why a 20 home development gets a better deal compared to a single plot , consider the network elements to serve 20 properties, one small splitter served from an OLT port  ( can serve 32 properties ) and  the cable to this splitter location from an Aggregation Node,  potential return 20x WBC FTTP around £200 pa each ( that’s wholesale to the ISP ,  not retail with the ISP additions) so potentially £4000 pa ROI ,

A  single plot , network element is the same , small splitter with one user ( there isn’t anything smaller and still using an OLT port  ) from an existing Aggregation Node , 1xWBC FTTP of around £200 pa , total return on investment £200 pa ,there may be a way of utilising some spare capacity elsewhere but this typically would be the basis on which a single plot is provided.

It doesn’t cost OR any less to serve a single address to compared to 20 addresses ( with the exception of the cost of a few CBT’s and associated cables for the 20 home development )  in effect the costs are the same but both cases , but the single plot will take 20 times longer to show a return.