FTTP Checker

[davidr5]

Hello,

I currently have Fibre 2 Superfast broadband. A BT engineer visited the other day to resolve an issue and whilst he was here he mentioned that he didn't know why I didn't have FTTP as the surrounding houses have it.

The BT checker says FTTP is unavailable and the Openreach checker only says FTTP On Demand.

It is a new build estate, but the set of properties around me are quite unique, in that it is a Mews setup. There are houses in the middle, connected to 2 small blocks of flats either side. I can see that the houses are showing that FTTP is available but the flats are not.

Is there anyway to find out whether this is a mistake as I would love to be able to get FTTP if I can!

Thanks 🙂

David

[iniltous]

MDU’s ( multi dwelling units ) are not as straightforward to provide with FTTP as SDU’s ,with the copper pair network , an apartment complex typically would have an internal distribution point in a common area ( like a utility area ) and the developer / builder would have provided internal copper wiring to each individual apartment, done at the time of construction.

Retro fitting with FTTP comes with issues , new agreements are required for a fibre distribution point , and individual fibre  cabling to each apartment now will almost certainly have to be surface wired along common areas , so the owner/occupant of an individual apartment cannot necessarily grant permission for wiring in these areas, so it’s often the case that in an area where there is a mix of MDU and SDU , the SDU are provided for and show as ready for service, and although the MDU are catered for in respect that enough capacity is available, they are not shown as having FTTP available, how someone starts the process of getting the MDU into a position to be able to order FTTP which no doubt would need the leaseholder/ management company etc , agreement in advance of any provision, doesn’t seem to be widely known

[davidr5]

Oh dear, this is what I was fearing!

I think I just want to confirm if it is a mistake or not, as I've also just done another check and a few of the flats are actually showing that FTTP is available to order.

I had terrible trouble trying to get Sky Q installed (this was before I switched to BT TV), the Sky checker was showing that the building wasn't ready for Q, but after a lot of hassle it was eventually proved it was and other residents had already had Sky Q installed on a single feed. The checker was just wrong. Though I appreciate that is a different thing entirely.

I just want to make sure the same isn't true for FTTP and that the cabling isn't actually already present. If it isn't then I will leave it as I'll probably move property in a few years' time, so won't pursue the retro fitting possibility. With our freeholder/property maintenance company I doubt I would get anywhere with that, let alone the cost!

[davidr5]

A little update on this, I filled out an enquiry form on the Openreach website yesterday and they have replied with the below.

Thanks for your recent enquiry via the Openreach website about getting faster broadband.

We’ve started the challenge of building a large-scale full fibre network in Britain that will offer gigabit capable speeds and the good news is the apartment building you live in falls within our plans.

For you to benefit from this roll out, we need confirmation from your landlord that we can upgrade the fibre technology in your building.

Please provide us with your landlord’s details by completing the form at:openreach.co.uk/fibreformybuilding. Once we’ve received this, we’ll contact them directly to get their permission to perform the upgrade.

If you’re in touch with your landlord you can also help by mentioning this to them and letting them know they’ll be hearing from us soon.

If you need to contact us further please use the following link, as the email account I’m writing to you from doesn’t accept replies.https://www.openreach.com/forms/fibre-broadband-availability---customer-form

I'm approaching my management company/landlord about this, but I'm still a bit confused as to why certain flats are showing that FTTP is available to order and others aren't. I'm guessing as Openreach are saying the apartment block is in their plans there wouldn't be any cost involved, as it wouldn't be considered as FTTP OD?

[pippincp]

That is correct. it will ve WBC FTTP.

[iniltous]

You could post the returns from this checker for your address (that cannot get WBC FTTP ) and a neighbour flat that can , indicate the proximity to your address,  like immediate neighbours  flat , flat immediately above , flat immediately below , that type of thing.
Post the entire return from the checker including the survey network note , something like , ‘single dwelling unit ( or multiple dwelling unit ) underground, congested duct ‘ , there are various possible entry’s but they give an indication of what Openreach encountered when the area was surveyed.
https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

[davidr5]

Thanks for your help.

So this is the result on my property:

This is for one of my neighbours in an equivalent flat to mine across the car park. It's quite difficult to explain, but the mews has 2 buildings, both identical. Each has 12 properties, 3 flats in a block, then 6 houses, then 3 flats. All were built together in 2017.

[davidr5]

This is the result for the house that is directly connected to the block of my 3 flats:

I've checked other blocks on the new build estate that are behind ours and they are showing FTTP as available to order. I contacted our management company and they also say that FTTP should be available. I've gone back to Openreach again asking them to double-check. We had issues with our postcode when I first bought the flat in 2017 as a new build, whereas neighbouring postcodes could be found, but ours couldn't. I wonder if that has anything to do with it as well.

[iniltous]

Your address has no FTTP survey entry , this is the case for every address that hasn’t been surveyed for FTTP and the PON built for that area, some addresses will be extremely close to others that have FTTP availability, but happen to be on the wrong  side of the PON boundary, it’s not unusual for one side of a road to have access to FTTP and house’s directly opposite not to have access, it’s just where the boundary was drawn, PON boundaries tend to be along  a ‘natural’  boundary, but occasionally next door neighbours , one could have access to FTTP and the other doesn’t.

The survey return you provided, the ‘house’ has the expected survey return for a house with a ducted feed  ( Single Dwelling Unit , Residential UG served 2.5inch duct ) , Apartments depending on the number of ‘units’ are normally are defined as MDU , Multiple Dwelling Unit , so it could  be the other apartments are incorrectly recorded as SDU and should someone order FTTP for one of them  , Openreach could have an issue in providing service, and the order would fail, or it could be that the apartments  are correctly recorded,  smaller apartment complexes , less than 6 units , can be considered as SDU  if the existing copper service is directly ducted ( so not a common internal distribution point ) and the same method can be used to provide FTTP, because there will be no issues with permits etc, just like ducted houses.

Your set of apartments has no survey note, it could be because of the addressing issue you encountered previously, or it could be simply that you unfortunately are the wrong side of the PON boundary , however if it were the case that the address was the issue , when you contacted OR that error should have been picked up and corrected, allowing you to order, the likelihood is that although close by , your address isn’t within the PON area that has been built , that does cover the other (mirror image) apartments.