BT Full Fibre 900

BT's website tells me I can get this package. I only have one neighbour who says he has BT fibre but he is not technically minded and is unsure of the exact package or speed he gets.

Looking at the external wiring there is what seems to be a fibre optic cable serving the telephone pole for our properties but ordinary copper wires to his house. Indeed in my local area this seems to be the norm and I can't see anyone who has what looks like a fibre optic cable from the pole to their property.

These people surely can't be getting speeds much above 100 mbps and nowhere near 900 mbps.

Can I be sure that if I order Full Fibre 900 I will get a fibre optic cable from the pole to my property? I'm worried I'll order this package and in reality get speeds of maybe only around 60 mbps.

Or have I got this wrong and that fibre cable to the property looks the same as copper wiring?

If you order Fibre 900 you will either get that or (if it isn't available) they will reject the order. You can't order the Fibre 900 package and end up being delivered a lower package. If you want 900Mbps broadband then go ahead and order, there is nothing to lose as you won't pay for it if they can't deliver it. Have you considered thought that a lower package might be enough - the 300 or 500 packages are very fast and if you use WiFi a lot then you won't easily get over 500Mbps to your devices anyway.

In reply to a post by ian72:

If you order Fibre 900 you will either get that or (if it isn't available) they will reject the order. You can't order the Fibre 900 package and end up being delivered a lower package. If you want 900Mbps broadband then go ahead and order, there is nothing to lose as you won't pay for it if they can't deliver it. Have you considered thought that a lower package might be enough - the 300 or 500 packages are very fast and if you use WiFi a lot then you won't easily get over 500Mbps to your devices anyway.

+1

Just as an aside, if BT can deliver you FTTP then so can all the providers that sell broadband over OpenReach FTTP connections. There may be much better deals or options out there for you - worth looking at the ISP search tools on the home page of the ThinkBroadband site to get an idea of what would be available to you. People on here can also advise if you give a few pointers as to what sort of requirements you have for an ISP.

Your neighbour probably has FTTC (fibre to the cabinet), heavily marketed as "fibre" over the past many years, in the case of BT branded as "Fibre 1", "Fibre 2", "Fibre Essentials" etc.

But if BT is offering you 900M fibre then that's what you'll get: and yes, Openreach will run a new fibre optic cable (often, but not necessarily, along side your existing copper), and drill a small hole so it can enter your house. They'll also install a small powered box called an ONT (Optical Network Termination), and that's what your ISP's router will plug into.

In reply to a post by Apostate:

BT's website tells me I can get this package. I only have one neighbour who says he has BT fibre but he is not technically minded and is unsure of the exact package or speed he gets.

Looking at the external wiring there is what seems to be a fibre optic cable serving the telephone pole for our properties but ordinary copper wires to his house. Indeed in my local area this seems to be the norm and I can't see anyone who has what looks like a fibre optic cable from the pole to their property.

These people surely can't be getting speeds much above 100 mbps and nowhere near 900 mbps.

Can I be sure that if I order Full Fibre 900 I will get a fibre optic cable from the pole to my property? I'm worried I'll order this package and in reality get speeds of maybe only around 60 mbps.

Or have I got this wrong and that fibre cable to the property looks the same as copper wiring?

Your neighbour probably hasn’t upgraded to FTTP and is still on FTTC , that’s why they don’t have a fibre dropwire, obviously if FTTP is available ( no reason to suspect it isn’t if the BT website says you can get it ) you will get a fibre dropwire when you order FTTP( not before ) , visually there isn’t much difference between a copper dropwire and a fibre one , but you do get a CSP and ONT provided with FTTP.

With FTTP you get the speed you pay for , it’s a little odd to worry you could order 900Mb and be provided with 60Mb, FTTP is a new installation, you get a physical visit from Openreach or an OR contractor to fit the service

Edited by Iniltous (Tue 07-May-24 19:30:13)

to be sure (mostly) that you can get fttp

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

click on the address tab, put your postcode in and select your property. It should give you on the left hand side under featured products "WBC FTTP"

and you can also check your neighbour's product availability too

Ask your neighbour if you can have a picture of where it terminates in his house ... upload it and post a link.

Also, is there a 150mm sq grey box on his wall somewhere?

I think the neighbour's connection is pretty irrelevant, especially if they have FTTC as sounds likely.

FTTP is available to order, so just order it.