Anyone bought a new-build house with Openreach FTTP?

I'm set to move into a new-build in November connected via Openreach FTTP with FVA (no copper line whatsoever). I've read the Openreach guidance to developers, but would like to hear from someone who's experienced it for themselves.

1. Was your ONT installed and lit-up before handover?
2. Were you able to order service before you moved-in?
3. How long after your move was the service live?
4. Did you run into any problems?

I'm currently with BT and have around 12 months left on my minimum term. I'm hoping I can use the home-move service to avoid early termination charges, but I've seen reports that it requires the Openreach database has the new address correct and able to accept an order.

The address checker currently says "your address has been successfully matched; however we cannot determine availability at this address". I guess it's good news that the address exists at all! I'm hoping the developer or Openreach installs the ONT and the database updates in-time for the move.

On new builds where the fibre has been fitted at build stage, the ONT *should* be in and lit already.

Have seen customers order before they move in. ( not sure how this would work with your Home Mover idea )

With a pre lit service the order can be live in as short as 24hrs.

I've been through it all before, maybe a bad example though and is probably not normal by any means

1) In my case, no the ONT wasn't installed/lit before handover. However I think this is because there were delays on the Openreach side of things. I was told by the engineers at the time that they normally do it before the house is occupied though and this has certainly been the case in other houses on my street! We were the first houses with people in them on the street though so they had some underlying infrastructure that needed finished beforehand.

2) In my case no I couldn't, you can't order service (from what I gather!) until the ONT is in and lit with solid green lights on it. At that point, the wholesale checker will show as being able to order. When I got keys all I had was a rope tied off outside to pull the fibre through the duct, they hadn't even got as far as that. The developer had pulled the internal fibre through and was left ready for the engineer to come in and splice it. If it was installed in advance and showing on the checker as available, I assume it would be possible to place an order though. Having them recognise your address is a good start even if no service is available.

3) I got the house keys at the start of November and never had service until early January. Christmas didn't help either though in between. I was able to order just after and it took around a week to activate.

4) I know my neighbours managed to get service before Christmas, I believe when the engineer was activating the ONT at my house he used the incorrect house number....so the openreach database ended up showing another house as active and not mine (even though the other house had no ONT installed or even electric turned on at that point as it was still a shell!!). The ONT is supposed to go from flashing lights to solid within 24 hours I think, mine took about a week.

As the ONT installation was happening after the house handover, Openreach never had any way to get in contact with me to get in to actually do the install... so it was a case of speaking to the engineers when seeing them in the street and arranging it with them in person.

If it wasn't for all of that and the fact they had to finish working on man-holes in the street before they could provide service, I expect I would have been active a lot sooner after moving in!

It appears a fairly common issue, ONT serial numbers are registered against a building plot number, rather than the final house number, this can cause activation issues.

Thanks for the information; hopefully this detail will help me guide the developer to do the right thing before handover!

That'e encouraging, thanks. I'll work with the developer to help ensure it's ready for completion.

The crucial thing is for the contractors doing the installation work to actually do the job properly ........ sadly this isn’t always the case.