Full Fibre - When?

[pippincp]

@NoelectDo you have a link to that BS you've just posted?

[Noelect]

 Perhaps you should ascertain if what I reported is actually untrue, prior to accusing me of BS.  Not very polite was it?

I was offered Digital Voice by BT, who also offered free connection of FTTP, as and when, they were able to offer it if I signed up.  As there was a great deal of  fibre provision activity in our neighbourhood I asked when BT would be able to provide FTTP, I was told around 2 to 3 months, so I placed the order.

When I became aware that this was not going to happen, I contacted BT and they investigated, cancelled the order, refunded and provided compensation.  At around the same time ‘BoxBroadband’ sent me an invitation to express an interest in their FTTP service, which they were about to start offering.

I was a BT Engineering Level 2 manager and I’m in contact with a number of BT managers.  I therefore contacted one, and enquired as to the current situation, he explained why Openreach were not able to comply with the government’s expectations,  and that they were offering contracts to small providers to expedite the rollout.  I didn’t need, and therefore look for the link you require

If you still disbelieve what I’ve reported, try Googling ‘BoxBroadband’ on their website you will discover the areas in which they are currently installing FTTP.  Then try to find a schedule indicating when Openreach, or BT expect to offer service.  The best I’ve found are vague references of including 2026.

if you are still unconvinced, the ‘labs.thinkbroadband.com’ website  has maps showing various providers and the coverage they are providing.

And after all this, if you are having difficulty understanding any of the information I’ve provide please don’t hesitate to ask for further help.

[NeilJonesOnline]

For me, it was 2.5 months between the CBT being installed outside my house and it being commissioned, then another 3 weeks before it showed as available on the Openreach site and I could order it through BT/Sky/Zen etc. - now I've got a final month of actually waiting for the home install.

That said, my mate who lives in the same small market town had his CBT installed about the same time and was up-and-running within a few weeks. Bottom line is if BT are blitzing an area with FTTP, it can be several months difference between when different streets go live. I found the best source of information was just to ask any of the OR engineers as the place was often swarming with them.

[Noelect]

Hi Neil

At least it appears you are going to get FTTP.

My problem is that Openreach are saying maybe by 2026.  They are having to do this, due to them being unable to provide the infrastructure outside of the cities and major towns.  Instead they are offering contracts to ‘small’ providers, such as in my area BoxBroadband.

There is however a small concern.  The large, BT Sky etc company’s, prices are controlled by the competition between them.  The small companies, across the country, are not.  As sole providers they are able to offer very good deals, to attract customers away from BT etc.  they are having to do this to defray their large investments.  But I can’t find any regulations which limit their prices, beyond the initial contract period.

You may have noticed that since Distinguished Sage ‘Pippincp’ accused me of talking BS, because I had the audacity to question Distinguished Sage ‘imjolly’ statement regarding the roll out of FTTP, he has not had the decency to reply, let alone apologise.

[NeilJonesOnline]

Well I'm not sure how my install fits in with that - I live in a small rural market town in North Shropshire with a population of less than 10,000 - so hardly a major town, yet openreach is fttp'ing the whole town. We only got fttc a few years ago.

[Noelect]

Hi.

I thought that Openreach was installing the ‘Fibre to the Premises’ network in my location.  Openreach are a separate company, they own the network i.e. cables, ducts, footway boxes and poles, and were, until very recently, the only ones permitted to do this.  They  provide the ‘network connection/service’ to, say BT, who then install the equipment in your home and connect it to the network.

 The offer came, in my case, from BoxBroadband, a company I’d never heard of before.  At that time however I still thought incorrectly, that Openreach were installing the network.

Have you received any communications offering FTTP service yet?  If so, are they from Major providers such as BT, SKY, Vodaphone, Talk Talk, EE, Virgin etc?  
Have you entered your post code into a major providers website to ascertain if/when they can offer FTTP.  Or have you received information from a company you’ve never heard of before?

If the offer/s are from one of the major providers, (it will never be from Openreach),  I can only think it’s part of the government’s’ levelling-up’ programme.

[biohazardx9]

@Noelect is spot on.

It's the same down in Southampton, no fttp from openreach as toob has that area covered.

I'm on the outskirts of Southampton in hedge end and that has an openreach time frame.

This could still go openreach or another provider could take it on. Considering my exchange serves a medium area which also covers a vast area of industrial and retail units nearby, I suspect it will be openreach with bt offering fttp.

Having another provider give you fttp is okay, just alot of these don't offer any TV service. Which means that unless you are a streaming junkie you may be left with limited options. (I have a community dish on my flat but it's lnb is not wideband so no sky q unless they install sky HD or I get freesat. No virgin cable either , so I can get bt tv which is what I have but would be useless if fttp is not bt. I could go sky glass but I can't record on that with recording a personal preference of mine )

[Noelect]

Hi Bio.

You appear to be correct.  Looking on labs.broadband.com at their mapping info, it shows you to be a few miles from the cluster of black spots showing ‘toobs’ coverage.  Are you able to express an interest with toob?

This is a complete mess and is resulting in activity by small providers, who are of course trying to recoup their investment, by making promises, which in my locality they are failing to meet.

Even those distinguished for their wisdom on here, i.e. the Distinguished Sages, don’t appear to know anything about this.

I do however concede that they are  not directly connected with Openreach, or the small providers.  but it would be very helpful if they could do some research.

[biohazardx9]

@Noelect I can but I would rather it be bt full fibre as I like the TV service bt provide.

I will see what happens. 

[Noelect]

As said I’m waiting for Boxbroadband to actually offer service.

In the  meantime , as said, I’ve done some research.  I’m with BT, and have Halo3 with 3 disks, a 4k BT box, landline, mobile contract and digital handset.

A friend of mine changed over to FTTP, he decided to leave BT completely, he didn’t really use his landline and has no problems since cancelling it.  He changed to another mobile provider which provided the same service for about the same monthly cost, and transferred his number.

The only problem might be the loss of my BT email address, but I can easily overcome that, without paying BT £7.50 a month for a prime account.

 Regarding the TV service, we also have Sky, which is much better in my opinion, and  I can add BT services to that, all in HD. 

Overall the complet shift will leave me a lot better off, and with a much faster connection.