FTTC Available via Openreach but Not Offered by ISPs – Need Help

[Arthor]

Hey everyone,

I’m having some trouble with my broadband and could use some advice.

What's Going On:

• Where I Am: Plymouth PL9 7ES
• Service I Want: Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC)
• Openreach Says: Their website shows FTTC is available at my place (soon to be full fibre within the next 18 months)
• ISPs Say: I've contacted a bunch of ISPs like BT, Sky, and vodafone etc., but they all say FTTC isn't available for me.

Background:

Our property was derelict for over 10 years before we purchased and renovated it. Here’s a bit more context:

• 3 Years Ago: When we moved in, I had Sky install ADSL. They had to put in a new line to the house.
• Openreach Engineer: The engineer who installed the line told me we could get FTTC but needed to upgrade through Sky.
• Trying to Upgrade: I contacted Sky to upgrade, but they kept saying their system only showed ADSL availability. They advised me to wait a few weeks and try again.
• A Year of Attempts: I tried this for a year with no success. All other ISPs also showed only ADSL as available.
• Switched to 4G: Eventually, I cancelled ADSL because it was too slow and switched to a 4G router. This works but isn’t ideal.

I’m really keen to get this sorted. It feels like there might be an issue with my postcode or some other detail, but I keep going in circles. Not sure what to do next.

What I’ve Tried:

1. Checked Openreach: Looked multiple times, and it says FTTC is available (soon to be full fibre)
2. Contacted ISPs: Called and chatted with customer service at several ISPs, most say that it's a strange situation but can't offer any further help
3. Double-Checked Address: Made sure my address is correct on both Openreach and ISP websites.

My Questions:

1. Anyone else had this problem where Openreach says yes but ISPs say no?
2. How did you fix it?
3. Is there a way to contact Openreach directly to sort this out?
4. Any other tips on what to do next?

Thanks a lot for any help you can give. This is super frustrating, and I’m looking for the best way to get it sorted.

Cheers!

[imjolly]

enter your phone number or address and post results  including the notes   https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

It may be your cabinet is full and there is a waiting list

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Arthor 

Bear in mind that this has nothing to do with BT.

Use the address checker on the page below, and post the results, but edit out your address details first, but leave the exchange name and cabinet number showing.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Its possible that the cabinet is full.

[Arthor]

Thanks for the quick responses

Here is the info from the link you gave me:

[Keith_Beddoe]

You have missed off the exchange name and cabinet number, so its not possible to check other sources of information.

There is no VDSL (FTTC) available, only ADSL.

[Arthor]

Sorry, I didn't see that.

Exchange PLYMSTOCK is served by Cabinet 56

[Keith_Beddoe]

See https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=135456&postcodeloc=13965&cabinet=P56

Look at your postcode, some are only ADSL.

[Arthor]

seems like it's suggesting FTTC is/should be available?

[Keith_Beddoe]

No,  50% ADSL 50% FTTP.

https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=135456&postcodedet=PL97ES

FTTP must not have been extended to your address yet, assuming Openreach are going to at a later date. There may be local issues.

All you can do is to ask Openreach.

[Arthor]

OK thank you, it's difficult to interpret what these tools are saying when I'm not in the know.

So the openreach website is wrong and I should ignore it? this is what it says for my postcode:

What are my options from here? am I stuck with ADSL or the 4G router I currently have? seems crazy in 2024 ... I work from home and ADSL just doesn't cut it. 4G has worked OK but its speed/connectivity varies wildly and the latency is general terrible.