FTTP -- likelihood of service?

My local exchange (NDFOL Folkestone - FTTC/P) has been open for wholesale orders since Christmas. FTTC services should become available in June, according to the BT site. I used the fibre checker to check my postcode and I see that the cabinet that serves our line is listed as FTTP.

I've emailed Openreach to see if I can get any guidance as to when FTTP services might become available. I've also been reading through this forum, trying to pick up snippets of info and put them together.

Am I correct in saying that I'm unlikely, in practical terms, to see any offer of FTTP service from ISPs until all FTTC areas have been completed? Some threads in this forum have indicated that ISPs are unwilling to devote much energy to FTTP (due to complexity/cost) while there is still plenty of easier business to do on the FTTC side. And FTTC is also the vast majority of the business, I guess.

Nice to have the possibility of FTTP, but frustrating to think that it may be a long time before ISPs offer a service. Any guidance welcome.

One of the problems ISPs have with FTTP is training up their frontline Customer Service desks to deal with a tiny number of customers. Of the big boys BT Retail obviously will offer something as soon as available, Plusnet have a trial (which you can switch to if you are already a customer), but don't offer all the available speed profiles. If you have deep pockets you may have more luck with the niche ISPs - AAISP advertise an fttp product, and I know Goscomb will quote if you ask.

As for when, well we have been waiting 2 years since first announcement, and for the last year whenever we have asked the reply has usually been "a few weeks"; then some last minute hitch delays everything. The latest is that our PON failed commissioning twice, and OR are working through the faults. The say not long now, but I'm not holding my breath.

BT retail sells a fttp product already.

Delay is down to Openreach and prioritising construction work.

Thanks for the responses.

Sorry post hi-jacking, but if I lived in an area where many cabinets are already activated for FTTC and the property I lived in did not have a cabinet that was activated for fibre, what are the chances of that property being able to get FTTP?

Close to nil

The commercial fttc roll-out is not a continuous carpet of coverage, but tends to be patches that add up to a large amount of coverage eventually.

Across whole UK Openreach has around 115,000 homes passed by FTTP, compared to over 13,000,000 by FTTC

Thanks Andrew.

The speed for the property is still quite decent at 8mbit (I've only ever been as fast as 4mbit before, so its still quite a jump for me).

Guess I can cope with the standard ADSL and re-assess the position in a few years time.

Thanks!

I thought I should add that Openreach did finally get back to me today. They confirmed I am on Folkestone (NDFOL) Cabinet 71 (which will offer FTTP) and the cabinet is due to be available for service by the end of this month. Fingers crossed.

I thought I should add that Openreach did finally get back to me today. They confirmed I am on Folkestone (NDFOL) Cabinet 71 (which will offer FTTP) and the cabinet is due to be available for service by the end of this month.

If it is to be FTTP, then no cab involved.

But apparently planned by the cabinet catchment area, with no variation. At least from what shows up on the forums. So to the end user it's the cabinet that gets enabled.

Edited by RobertoS (Wed 10-Apr-13 20:48:31)