The person you mention isn’t a surveyor, they are fibre trained OR staff who get a ‘pre-install’ task ... trying to iron out unforeseen issues prior to the actual final install.

SNFY is all FTTP, and if you are on their road map then it will happen.

I had a couple of discussions with SNFY to see if I was on the roadmap as a commercial site - I wasn't. So work underway under FTTPoD.
But Phase 3 at SNFY is fully funded and works underway. Clearly timescales may vary but pole work is quick, duct work takes longer and can have unforeseen delays if ducts not accessed for a long time (blocked or crushed ducts etc).

In reply to a post by B31:

BT wouldn’t put in FTTC as it wasn’t commercially viable, Virgin couldn’t install as the council wouldn’t let them.

Very unlikely that the local highway and/or planning authority refused Virgin Media expanding their network to your area. This is (in at least the last 5 or 6 years) simply not true and possibly what Virgin Media said to place the blame elsewhere than on them for not wanting to rollout the network.

Telecoms companies can expand there networks using what is known as 'code powers' (Electronic Communications Code - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-interne... ) that allows them to place apparatus within the public highway without requiring planning permission (as such it's permitted development) in most cases. The only places likely to require actual planning permission for apparatus such as cabinets or posts etc. are conservation areas or similar protected statuses. Elsewhere, the public highway is fair game and equipment can be placed upon it without seeking explicit permission. The local highway authority will likely receive details of proposed cabinets etc. to look over from a safety perspective (i.e. they are not being placed on a junction blocking vehicle sight lines etc.) and to assist with co-ordination of civil works (street works) but that is generally as far as it goes.

In short, it's likely that Virgin Media were of the same opinion as Openreach at the time of your contact and it was not commercially viable.

Virgin Media have obviously been expanding under the project lighting banner in various places across England and have recently (still are) working in Thanet in Kent. Various people have complained that they don't want Virgin Media and they shouldn't be allowed to work there but it's a private expansion of the network which Virgin Media have the right to do if they so choose.

Virgin Media had the money set aside for the work, they sent letters to all residents saying that work will start in X weeks time, and I had contact details for the planning team and regular emails between us - so I very much doubt VM was the problem.

From the council's point of view, the land (roads and pavements) were owned by the council but an MoU was in place between the council and the developers, and until that was sorted the road could not be dug up (a bit like s38 road adoption, but they always owned the land).

A statuary undertaker (utility) can place apparatus in the public highway and should not need planning permission to do so. In respect of telecoms companies, the code powers also cover this and have been revised over recent years to highlight the importance of highspeed/ultra speed broadband networks being rolled out.

The likelhood is that your local council may have had other reasons but shouldn't have been refusing permission for apparatus to be placed in the public highway. Council land differs from public highway as well so this is not to be confused.

A s38 shouldn't have stopped any works as until it's fully adopted, the road is the developers and not public highway.