Openreach delivery of FTTP to our postcode

[infinidim]

Folks,

I don't know where anybody else has had this issue but we have been told that we will not be getting FTTP to our property for a long while. - maybe never...

Let me explain, we live in an area where Openreach is actually rolling out fibre infrastructure. There current schedule says that the Fareham area will be completed by, I think it is September 2024. 

I area of Fareham has actually had Openreach engineers installing equipment on Openreach Poles and some customers have had FTTP installed in their homes.

It now comes to us now. Our close is serviced by ducting for the Openreach copper solution, which is great. It is actually delivered the whole route by ducting, which also is great.

So here is the problem, on the path from the PCP to our property there is either a capacity issue withing the size of the duct or there is some of the path which was implemented without any ducting. So hence no FTTP to our property.

The other problem, I have been told, is that they could provide a solution using poles but they would have to use for some of the path Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks poles. According to Openreach SSE will not grant any new licenses for Openreach to put their equipment on the poles even though Openreach might have a copper solution on the SSE poles.

I have raised this as a compliant against Openreach with OFCOM.

Has anybody else had this experience?

How will BT Retail switch off cooper solutions to customers like us who have been told they are not going to get FTTP solutions from Openreach?

Your thoughts please.

Keep safe

Regards

Infinidim

[imjolly]

There is no switch off of copper broadband.  It is the ability to make/receive phone calls of the copper line that is ending so you can continue to receive broadband over existing copper for foreseeable future

[Keith_Beddoe]

BT are not switching off copper connections, despite what the misleading media say, so you are likely to have it forever.

Its the PSTN phone network which is closing down.

[infinidim]

Folks, 

What I found was this on the Openreach website -

"withdrawal of WLR in December 2025"

Where WLR was defined as -

"WLR comprises PSTN, ISDN2, ISDN30 and includes Classic. WLR withdrawal rules will also apply to any broadband product (SMPF, SLU SMPF or FTTC) provided with a WLR PSTN line. WLR, SMPF, SLU SMPF, FTTC including G.Fast (over WLR) will not be available for new supply. WLR modify orders to manage debt, 999 updates will be accepted"

What do you think? 

Keep safe 

Regards 

Infinidim

[iniltous]

What you have posted in no way contradicts what has been posted previously.

Products such as SoGEA, and SoTAP are not on your list of products that are being withdrawn from sale they continue to be available and provided over copper pairs , WLR/PSTN withdrawal means that the equipment within exchanges ( System X and System Y ) and the  products that are delivered by them are what’s being removed from sale , for most domestic consumers that is the phone network , the replacement is provided via an all IP ( Internet Protocol ) network, BT call their proprietary VoIP service Digital Voice and is available by copper pairs and FTTC  ( hybrid copper / fibre ) as well as FTTP  , the copper pair removal program is not the same thing and has never been given an end date , because for some it will continue to deliver service for many years .

[imjolly]

Does not change what has already been posted. It is ability to make/receive calls over copper line PSTN that is being terminated NOT BROADBAND and calls will need to be over internet VOIP

[infinidim]

Thanks for this. 

Do you know of the legal  reason why Openreach can't use SSE poles for the fibre roll-out. Currently Openreach use them for the copper network in our area.

Thanks in advance 

Regards 

Infinidim

[pippincp]

As Openreach don't own the poles there is nothing legally they can do if SSE refuse access.

[chrisjp]

"BT are not switching off copper connections, despite what the misleading media say, so you are likely to have it forever."
That of course is true but it's not only the media who are misleading about this. BT's own communications, sent to me before they migrated me to DV talked about "eliminating obsolete copper lines". So of course I expected to get FTTP before the migration and was disappointed when I stayed on FTTC.

[iniltous]

As far as Openreach using DNO poles , it’s impossible to make sweeping generalisations, they do use DNO poles , and if those  ‘power’ poles were ‘carrier’ poles , so Openreach have an their own pole with the existing copper pair distribution point ( DP ) on it , and the existing copper dropwires simply ‘bounce off’ the DNO pole on route to the served property, then the license Openreach have with the DNO would cover taking down the copper dropwire and putting up a fibre dropwire in its place ( no change to the license) , but if the copper DP is on the DNO pole , the license probably wont cover a new attachment such as a new CBT being provided on the DNO pole , the DNO has to grant licenses or changes to a license, they are under no obligation to agree to changes , plus it’s possible that the rules around deploying near overhead power could mean that any new fibre provision would fall foul of those rules as they are today  , the copper being complaint when it was provided years ago , when rules were less stringent ,

when the area is  surveyed for FTTP , it will be determined if the DNO poles are going to be used or not , if the existing licences are OK or not , obviously if it’s necessary to avoid those poles, the costs increase substantially , potentially to the point where that  area is outside of the allowed budget and the area becomes low priority and deferred until a later date .