No FTTP after Openreach change their mind.

Well after almost two years of being promised FTTP, OR have today confirmed to me that FTTP will in fact not now be coming to my area.

Their excuses went like this:

October 2012
"Unfortunately as stated in my earlier reply, I am unable at this point to give you an accurate go-live date.
However, it appears that the majority of the build is complete and we are waiting for light loss measurements and commissioning.
On that basis, I can say that it will still be probably a couple of months before the network is live and able to accept orders." (OR response to izools)

So a couple of months went by...

January 2013
"I have been in contact with the Project Manager this afternoon and he advises that Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) was suspended dependent upon a review of FTTP, however, the best estimate for completion at this stage is towards the end of this calendar year (2013)."

Then, a couple of weeks ago, all mention of FTTP disappeared from the BT availability checker, so I asked them once again and got this reply:

April 2013
"Thank you for your enquiry regarding Exeter, cabinet 135.
I have been in contact with the relevant Project Manager and he advises that you are correct that Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) will not now be coming to your address. However, once the cabinet has been enabled for Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) there is the possibility of Fibre on Demand (FOD)."

So what should I make of this? OR admit all the fibre network is in place yet suddenly decide not to go ahead with FTTP, instead suggesting FTTC is now the preferred option, with the possibility of FTTPoD.

So, a cynic may say that OR realise they can make much more money by getting the customers to pay for FTTP installs on demand rather than offering it as a free service. Hmmm.

When you say the network is there, has it go to the point where the FTTP network has the manifolds installed to every 8 to 12 homes. Easy to spot if an overhead deployment, and if underground you would have noticed them working in all the pavement chambers.

While I've seen some shrinking back, where the FTTP hardware has been deployed, but perhaps the fibre not blown I've yet to see a roll-out switch to FTTC.

Andrew, all I know for sure is that last Summer 3 OR vans were parked in my close for two days and engineers were working in every pavement chamber. There was lots of cable drums and rope involved.
I can't say for sure if fibre had been blown or whether they were just putting in the conduit through existing Cable TV ducts.
A few months after they left, some more "techy" types arrived and spent many hours working on what I now know to be fibre aggregation points in each of the pavement chambers.

Can you email me the address details, and rough dates you believe the fibre kit was put in chambers. I'll chase with management over at BT.

[email protected]

I don't mind them reducing plans to some extent, its their roll-out their choice, but if the work has got as far as the splitters and manifolds with fibre ducting to link them then surprised they are baking out.