A question about FTTP Deployment

If any OR guys are familiar with FTTP and how it's being rolled out.

I noticed on my travels today that all of the old build estates around here have the pavements marked up for FTTP deployment. "New Duct" sprayed in places, arrorws or crosses on manhole covers denoting whether they need expanding or whatever.

That's the old roads though. The new estate I'll be moving in to soon - bang in the middle of the old roads already marked up - hasn't been marked up.

The difference being that the new build is all underground cabling and is purpose built flats.

My question is this -

Are purpose built flats just as easy to FTTP as old houses with overhead cabling?

Worried that the old estates with overhead lines are getting FTTP but the new build won't be due to it being inpractical to blow fibre up the walls inside the flats...

Oh, I asked some OR guys lurking on Queen Street (WWEXTR) if Richmond Court will be getting it... they replied with "Dunno. It's going pretty much everywhere". Dunno? He was sat having a fag beside a reel of fibre about a five second walk from Richmond Court. LOL

Edited by deleted (Wed 25-May-11 17:34:18)

As someone who has lived in properties like this (modern purpose built flats) for a very long time in multiple towns and cities, it's something that worries me greatly.

Based on VM's extremely low fibre coverage in modern flats, I'd assume that it must be extremely hard if not impossible to refit an existing block with new cabling. None of the blocks I've lived in have been served by them, and requests for coverage sent to cablemystreet are quickly refused.

Even FTTC would be progress, but having checked the postcode/cabinet spreadsheet that was floating around on this site, none of the large blocks in my town will be getting FTTC either. I'm not even sure if they use cabinets for this type of property - if they did, they'd have to be enormous as there are so many units.

In other countries, "fibre to the building", where the VDSL2 or other terminating equipment sits in the basement and is fed by fibre, is much more commonplace. But I haven't heard of this happening anywhere in the UK.

I can't remember the figure for % of UK pop that lives in flats, but it seems like it must be a huge chunk to basically "miss out" with every next generation technology. ADSL2+, even if it's fast, won't last forever.

Indeed.

My old flat is over the road, in which I had Virgin Cable 50 Meg. Worked a treat.

This old road is also getting FTTP, they've marked up the pavement already and are scurrying about with new duct in places.

New flat purpose built across the way (literally across the street) doesn't have VM Cable available.

I know that the new purpose built flats are fed by the same cab (PCP98) as my old converted flat - which isn't being FTTC'd, but FTTP'd. So if they can't blow fibre into the new estate, I won't get any form of next gen broadband as FTTC and FTTP are mutually exclusive. No areas are served by both.

Ah well, here's hoping nonetheless!

Edited by deleted (Wed 25-May-11 17:45:20)

Not an option for you, izools in Exeter, but definitely something to watch
http://www.hyperoptic.com/#2

I thought the third (cami) and fourth (john) replies to this post about it were rather good .

I'm sure Fibering flats is totally do-able not sure about the cost though. There's no VM fibre coverage in flats AFAIK. Virgin's Fibre stops at the node (FTTN) its coax from there onwards.

In reply to a post by GMAN98:

I'm sure Fibering flats is totally do-able not sure about the cost though. There's no VM fibre coverage in flats AFAIK. Virgin's Fibre stops at the node (FTTN) its coax from there onwards.

The block I'm in has cable available - the VM installers run the cable in trunking on the exterior of the building up to the required height (our blocks are 3 stories) and then drill through the wall as necessary. Most of my neighbours have cable due to lack of suitable south facing wall to install a sat dish.

In correct my old flat had VM cable (coax) their fibre stops at a node remember.

For VM anything over £300 and hassle with wayleaves and they walk away

New estate will have all the necessary ducting in place, the BT fibre roll-out is intended to re-use existing ducting and manholes where possible.

There is nothing inherently bad about flats other than how do existing phone cables enter property, if via a tube that the fibre can be sent down then no-issues.