Migrating from FTTC to FTTP

I'm about to begin the process of migrating from FTTC to FTTP (BDUK have funded OR to infill about 40 houses with FTTP who could only receive FTTC from the neighbouring village at <<10Mbit/s or ADSL at <2Mbit/s).

BT are my ISP.

I'm concerned about the loss my FTTC connection prior to FTTP being up-and-running, especially as groundworks are required to get fibre to my house (current phone line is direct buried from chamber in the road immediately in front of my property) and also a FTTC to FTTP migration is outside of the norm.

Anyone been through this, or have any tips to manage BT through this?

Thanks,

Simon

As not all providers deliver FTTP services over the Openreach network there will not normally be a massed move of customers across to the FTTP network.

BT Retail may decide to do that for you, but that is them initiating it not Openreach and thus they should be in touch, particularly as there is the install cost (which is either charged or spread over contract term).

In short the works to install FTTP will not see your FTTC removed and even once FTTP is available you may well need to pester to get moved to the new service.

Or put another way the copper will remain in place and even if they rip it out of the ground to put it into ducting this will be done in a way that ensures minimal downtime for the phone line due to the 999 service USO

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

In short the works to install FTTP will not see your FTTC removed and even once FTTP is available you may well need to pester to get moved to the new service.

Or put another way the copper will remain in place and even if they rip it out of the ground to put it into ducting this will be done in a way that ensures minimal downtime for the phone line due to the 999 service USO

Agreed, when they was installing our FTTP we were still using our ADSL2+ Connection, it was only once it was all complete where we had to swap the Smart Hub over to the new connection was when we lost connection.

So we lost our connection for about 90 seconds if that in the swap over.

Then 5 days later FVA was activated to which I had / was told to swap the old copper line to the new FVA cable into the NTE5A Master Socket.

So overall it was a sort of seamless transition from copper to fibre.

Paul

Thanks for the response.

To be clearer, WBC FTTP now shows as available on the BT wholesale checker as well as FTTC for my number. I currently take a FTTC service. I want to order the FTTP service as we struggle with the 5 Mbit/s we presently receive. I'm not expecting this to happen automatically. At the moment the internal databases at BT aren't showing that FTTP is available so I can't actually order (although the BT wholesale checker does show FTTP as now being available, and WIltshireOnline have also contacted me to say FTTP is now available. BT have raised a query with OR for me and I have a reference number for this)

Our road has had new ducting and chambers and fibre built for this new service.

What is missing is the final connection from the road to my house and my understanding is that this won't be built until I order an actual FTTP service. The checker shows 1 stage install and that my line is partially directly buried.

My concern is BT's ordering system coping with simultaneously providing a FTTC service until the FTTP install is complete. I don't want my broadband to suddenly go dead as I work from home and receive VOIP calls there... (I had a nightmare a number of years ago at my last house when migrating from BT to Sky and was left without broadband for a week and a phone line for 3 weeks during that transition, though I hope things are better these days).

I wondered if someone had lived through this rare FTTC to FTTP scenario and had had a good experience... !

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

Agreed, when they was installing our FTTP we were still using our ADSL2+ Connection, it was only once it was all complete where we had to swap the Smart Hub over to the new connection was when we lost connection.

So we lost our connection for about 90 seconds if that in the swap over.

Then 5 days later FVA was activated to which I had / was told to swap the old copper line to the new FVA cable into the NTE5A Master Socket.

So overall it was a sort of seamless transition from copper to fibre.

Paul

Thanks - that is reassuring!

I think the only real concern you might have is the actual FTTP works accidentally knocking your FTTC connection off. This is a small concern and is unlikely to happen. The order systems are well able to cope with an existing broadband connection and an FTTP order.

I can see more issues with human error as there's no system process for FTTC > FTTP. I would hope BT Retail don't cease the FTTC service until the FTTP service is up and running.

In reply to a post by AndyHCZ:

I can see more issues with human error as there's no system process for FTTC > FTTP. I would hope BT Retail don't cease the FTTC service until the FTTP service is up and running.

To follow up, I finally managed to order FTTP after getting the run around a few times...

Openreach surveyed our property yesterday and I signed the permissions for them to dig on our property.

FTTC is still up-and-running, so as long as the duct laying doesn't wipe out our existing cooper line (and it shouldn't as we know the precise line it takes on our property as it was dug up during previous building works and reburied) we are looking good for a smooth transition. Phew!

Told to expect the duct laying within a couple of weeks, so might, just might, be good for xmas.

Current service date is 21st December, but this relies on the duct being in place in time...

Simon

I thought it was time to post an update.

No FTTP connection yet but my FTTC is still working! The 3 days it took over xmas for my son's xbox to update and download it's bundled game means FTTP can't come a moment too soon....

On the 14th December, BT pushed back the live date from the 21st December to none given, saying they needed to wait for a survey (yet the survey had been done a week earlier). Just a promised status update by the 14th January.

The duct works to the house were carried out - very neatly - by openreach on the 2nd/3rd January without notice (no notice expected directly, but they didn't even appear on roadworks.org until after they'd started).

So it appears i'm only now waiting on BT to call to arrange an appointment, on behalf of openreach, for a 1-stage install of the fibre and ONT.

Simon

Surely they need to relax the planning laws if they want faster uptake.

Plus I suspect the Xbox updates were slow due to the severe loads on the MS side and nothing to do with your own connection.