31-Dec-2012 FTTC RFS date

How accurate is this likely to be? I've seen a reasonably sudden influx of FTTC boxes popping up all over the place, with one going up near the cab that serves me most recently (still being done, by the looks of it).

Is it really likely to be the case that I can order FTTC on New Years Day?

is this sarcasm for ALL PEOPLE MOVED FROM JUNE/SEPT/DEC ?

In reply to a post by mikehiow:

How accurate is this likely to be? I've seen a reasonably sudden influx of FTTC boxes popping up all over the place, with one going up near the cab that serves me most recently (still being done, by the looks of it).

Is it really likely to be the case that I can order FTTC on New Years Day?

Exchange or FTTC cabs ?

In reply to a post by mikehiow:

How accurate is this likely to be? I've seen a reasonably sudden influx of FTTC boxes popping up all over the place, with one going up near the cab that serves me most recently (still being done, by the looks of it).

Is it really likely to be the case that I can order FTTC on New Years Day?

In reality it most likely to be before then, the Dec 31st is a placeholder date and it seems that your install is well under way.

Check the BT checker every few days, just before you can order the date may move about wildly or just disappear and then it will go live.

Although wild weather or other such factors may hold it back so cross fingers for none of that in your area.

The exchange has an RFS date of 31-Dec-2012.

The Wholesale checker reports the following, and has done for quite a while...

Your cabinet is planned to have WBC FTTC by 31st December 2012. Our test also indicates that your line currently supports a fibre technology with an estimated WBC FTTC Broadband where consumers have received downstream line speed of 80 Mbps and upstream line speed of 20 Mbps.

The fact that cabinets have been installed does not normlly mean a lot. I would not hold your breath for December. THe greater probability is that it will be pushed back given BT';s current progress. The street cabinets are in any case the simple bit of the install.

For what it's worth, this one hasn't been pushed back at all - it's been 31-Dec-2012 since the RFS date was first set.

Probably because the date was so far out. It is a black art but the majority get pushed back at least once and many several times. It is basically an unknown..

Our cabinet was installed in February, with a date in March, which slipped to June, then September, but it went live around the end of July and I was connected on 20 August.

Other cabinets we're live earlier, whilst others are still not.

Edited by R0NSKI (Tue 02-Oct-12 10:10:38)

Thanks,

I've noticed some people have been emailing questions about cabs to Openreach directly, with fairly consistent success.

Is this the [email protected] I've seen mentioned?

I only ask, as the rollout heavily impacts what I do about internet in my new property until FTTC comes.

I think I did at least find a little bit of good news, they seem to be doing the power at the same time as fitting the cab - I presume because they've decided to coincide with new traffic signal systems going in at roughly the same place.

http://gyazo.com/b247fa5614cf57ff2e8f30ee894d02d6

In reply to a post by mikehiow:

I think I did at least find a little bit of good news, they seem to be doing the power at the same time as fitting the cab - I presume because they've decided to coincide with new traffic signal systems going in at roughly the same place.

The placeholder dates seem to a bit meaningless - they maybe were an accurate guesstimate when first decided yonks ago, but they don't seem to get updated after that. For example, a while ago mine was estimating next week, but I'd long known it was nonsense as they hadn't even got around to the council planning applications yet.


If you actually have physical progress in terms of roadworks, it's going to happen soon-ish. That's about the only real sign you'll get of it incoming.

Yeah, I noticed the cab starting to go in a few days ago - I had been keeping an eye on it as I had a feeling it may co-incide with the new traffic signals given the only real option was to cross the road for placement.

Yes that is the email, they should be able to provide information on your cabinet.

As for provider you can either go with one of the big isp's now and upgrade to FTTC or choose a smaller isp and take their fttc service.

Some isp's do offer monthly contacts if you dont want to be tied down to any isp before FTTC becomes available.

Edited by deleted (Tue 02-Oct-12 16:23:33)

In reply to a post by Bob_s2:

Probably because the date was so far out. It is a black art but the majority get pushed back at least once and many several times. It is basically an unknown..

No it means that the date was very good, especially as the cabs are on the ground and waiting to be completed 3 months before RFS date.

Not ALL dates are pushed back and it is unusual once cabs have gone in as it means that ducts etc are all ready to go.

In reply to a post by ccxo:

Yes that is the email, they should be able to provide information on your cabinet.

As for provider you can either go with one of the big isp's now and upgrade to FTTC or choose a smaller isp and take their fttc service.

Some isp's do offer monthly contacts if you dont want to be tied down to any isp before FTTC becomes available.

They don't always respond to e-mail regarding FFTC cabs rfs dates ect, I know a few people who haven't as yet had any response from them,
IMO Your exchange starting to accept orders is only 1 part of it ,the other part which is equally important is your FTTC cab accepting orders, both in a lot of cases don't happen at the same time, unless you A, live in an area that BT think will provide a high take up.(most affluent areas) or B live within an area that already has a VM cable broadband service , And i would bet that both those type of areas only get a low take up , Which is what has so far been the case in one surrounding area to me served by a different smaller exchange , BT planning leaves much to be desired in some areas

And yes they do connect power to new cabs ,as part of the installation process, they didn't at first, and probably don't in all areas as yet,as quite possibly they only have a small number of engineers trained do do this work, carillion carry out this work on openreaches behalf

Dont believe that.THat statement is not correct at all.

BT always seem to have not a clue as to here the best demand is. The inmpression I get is that they just go for the ones that give the biggest numbers on paper ie the Largest exchanges and largest cabinets. Usually this is where demand is lowest.

If the focussed on the outer areas of towns and cities they would get a higher demand as these are the areas often missed by cable and also tend to have very long lines. THey also tend to be the more affluent areas

You have only just realised this?

That the roll-outs are dictated by accountants and not cuddly little people who want to receive thank you cards.

My cab is pretty much central-town an much of its coverage area is already covered by a local cable company that's just about to launch 50 and 100mbps products.

If those incentives aren't good enough, I don't know what would be.

In reply to a post by Bob_s2:

BT always seem to have not a clue as to here the best demand is.

The one company in the country that has the best knowledge of demand is BT.

They know exactly the take-up rates in exchanges, compared with the initial installation of ADSL. They know the exact take-up of LLU services, compared to installation of competitors kit.

And, by virtue of negative elimination, they even know the extent of Virgin's take-up in each and every area.

They'll have a detailed picture of exactly how competition has affected them at each location. And, by now, they'll have started to amass a wealth of data about how their FTTx services are altering the competition landscape - whether they're winning or losing the battle, and under what circumstances. They'll indeed be able to judge whether it is better to attack Virgin's competition head-on, or to step around it.

A different bit of BT (the retail arm) will have an idea of the affluence of every area - partially through take-up of services, and history of this take-up, but also of quarterly spend.

If mined correctly, they certainly have the best information of any single company out there.

The real question is - with our *total lack* of equivalent knowledge, how are we to judge whether they are mining the data correctly?

As far as I can tell, people are guessing, and moaning (either based on the guesses, or just baseless moans).

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

That the roll-outs are dictated by accountants and not cuddly little people who want to receive thank you cards.

But I had my card ready for the BTO chappie.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

Check the BT checker every few days, just before you can order the date may move about wildly or just disappear and then it will go live.

In my area (Seaford) the Exchange went to Accepting Orders in July or August 2012. The cabinet I'm connected to was installed in March or April. Samknows says it's going live from end of September.

Near the end of September the BT Wholesale Checker stopped saying that FTTC was coming and just quoted ADSL stats. Just checked it now and it's says my phone number doesn't exist! So perhaps this might be an indication it's going live. I'm excited!

And If it does go live I have to move from BE (full LLU I think) to BT or Plusnet. I notice RobertoS has Plusnet so I reckon they must be good!

Tim