Openreach changing roll out dates.

Just received the following form the NGA enquiries email:

Information about the commercial fibre project can be found on the rollout site :-
http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/

In the light of a recent Standards ruling all project dates have been reviewed recently and unfortunately some have been moved further out. When delays are encountered the historic way the systems dealt with this was to automatically slip the date to the end of the next business quarter. In more protracted situations this could result in several such automatic date shifts. In order to avoid repeatedly delaying cabinets we have moved their due dates to the end of the work phase (or the end of the commercial programme) to reduce multiple changes to the likely activation date. We will continue to seek solutions for these cabinets and where possible will activate them before the end date given.
In relation to cabinet smwi54 work is ongoing and expected to run for another couple of months. If all goes to plan we aim to complete within the given end date of March 2014.

Got to admire their approach, were being shouted at for not meeting our targets, so we will set the targets wayyyyy off in the future!

N

Yep it serves the whining anti BT lot like Bob right , you moan and groan and the result is less info

taking a lead from the railways - to increase % on time revise timetable to imply later running.

Mine is still showing as June 2013, but I know from elsewhere it's going to be delayed till next year.

Only four years late

Edited by arfster (Tue 19-Mar-13 20:19:01)

Indeed, I don't remember specifically who was complaining but I don't see one person now praising the change that they helped bring about. Maybe they will stop to think of the consequences next time before protesting.

Isn't the problem that neither approach is satisfactory from the customers' perspective? I don't think it's fair to blame people for complaining about an unsatisfactory system when BTOR replace it with an equally unsatisfactory system. I don't know enough about BTOR's FTTC/P roll-out programme to understand why they have so much difficulty planning and sticking to dates (other than a very few obvious things like responding to floods in some parts of the country). Perhaps someone who does know could enlighten me. In my ignorance, I can't help thinking that better programme management and project planning, and more transparency in making the key plan dates visible to customers ought to do the trick. Just good business practice really. I wish I understood why it seems so hard. I know it's a large programme but it sure isn't rocket science.

There are just so many variables Bright that is the problem. They tried to be accurate but came under fire for it when dates were changed. Their reaction is to push the dates right out and publish less information.

So... the customer either puts up with more info that could change or less info that probably won't change.

I blame those that moaned to be honest, it doesn't affect me I'm on FTTC already but I feel a minority have probably caused more problems for the majority

In reply to a post by GMAN98:

There are just so many variables

Apart, perhaps, from the vagaries of local authority planning processes I'm not (yet!) convinced that those variables can't be managed more effectively though (having spent 20 years working on projects to build new mobile networks - securing sites for radio base stations has got to be a lot harder than green cabs!).

Anyway, I'm in danger of joining the moaners' bandwagon. I think my main thought was that in reality the new scheme doesn't seem much worse than the old one - neither tell the end customers when they will be able to get FTTC. It's inevitable people will complain when that's the case.

Yep, before you had a rough idea, now you have an even rougher idea.

Probably fair to suggest that the problem is compounded by a lack of resources, i.e. there are not teams of people who can do the work sitting around idle, so any delay tends to push a cabinet to the back of the list, rather than a team sitting around waiting for a resolution.

As you prune back to save money (i.e. be more efficient) it means you are less able to react to changes in timelines