FTTP - How do they get it to the house?

My mother in law is just buying a house on a new development ('Horley 2') which is in Openreach's plans for FTTP. It shows as 'under construction' on the spreadsheet at present though. Does anyone know how they actually go about getting the fibre to the property? Do they use existing infrastructure in anyway, or do they have to dig a trench all the way from the exchange to the house?

I ask becasue I live in an earlier phase of the development where we don't even get FTTC as our street cabinet was 'missed' by the engineers last year when the exchange went live. I am trying to work out whether I could try and piggyback on the mother in law's application and get them to install to me as well. I live on the edge of the development nearest the next phase so there may not be any technical reasons why this is not possible, but that is really only a guess so I am hoping one of the knowledgeable folk on here can shed some light on things?

Also, what is the cost for this and what speeds are actually available? Will she still sigg up as people to do the FTTC and get the maximum speeds on offer through that service, or is there some special pricing for even higher speeds?

They will use existing ducting to the CAB and any ducting that is present from there. Final length is either from existing poles or digging.

FTTP is priced as a separate product which is naturally more expensive than FTTC.

Everybody gets the same speeds delivered - whether it is capped into bandwidths to sell (similar to Virgin) I couldnt say.

Since FTTP has never been considered for my area further investigation have been irrelevant.

The fibre will be brought from the exchange via existing underground ducting in the road to the new build and then out into the properties via ducting.

Many new build estates are missed on the original cabinet rollout, you may well find that openreach will return back and enable your cabinet on infill.
It is worth speaking to the housing developers as they have contact with openreach and could with enough demand from residents get the cabinet enabled earlier.

Its potentialy possible but their would have to be a agreement by the developer and openreach first, then the actual cost as well which is likely to be expensive, you have a greater chance getting FTTC then FTTP.

FTTP offers via bt retial offers up to 100Mbps download and 15Mbps upload- their is a faster package- but the current one is 35 a month + line rental.

Edited by ccxo (Fri 22-Jun-12 16:46:08)

Thank you (both) for the replies. It seems form what you have said that it will be perfectly possible for them to install FTTP for me (they did new ducting to my place in January) so the question is going to be whether they will do it, rather than whether they can.

In the meantime I am now trying to make contact with as many neighbours as possible to see if we can petition Openreach to come back and upgrade us. I have also contacted the developers to see if they will help.

Is there any way of telling when the 'infill' might happen?

so the question is going to be whether they will do it, rather than whether they can.

They will be more than happy to do it, as long as you are happy to pay the install costs.

It can be anything up to a year and more, in another thread one member on the forum has just had his fttc cab arrive 14 months after the exchange went live.