Order FTTP. Confusing or what.

Hi,

I live in a area where we have around 10,000 FTTP premises and a further 300+ coming online over the next 6 months.

I understand that takeup is pretty good. However, many ISP don't offer FTTP services. Even service providers that *WE KNOW* provide FTTP services to users don't seem to now be offering fibre broadband to FTTP premises.

So my question to the forum are:

Does PLUSNET actually offer FTTP? Placing a FTTP postcode etc into their checker gives a response that fibre isn't available? Huh?

Using the same details into BT Broadband gives the response that Infinity up-to 166Mbps is available. However, it then offer you either 40Mbps or 80Mbps infinity with no 166Mbps option? What's going on there?. Is my understanding correct that the OR 40Mbps FTTP product has been discontinued?

Talk talk don't offer fibre. (The Exchange is TT fibre enabled)

Sky don't offer fibre (The Exchange is SKY fibre enabled).


Isn't this (pretty stupid) situation impacting takeup of the FTTP service? Should local authorities be pushing people towards ISP's that actually offer fibre in FTTP areas as the current situation must be very confusing for the average consumer. Everyone would like to see high takeup - especially when the area could involve BDUK funding.

What's the solution?

Is anyone yet offering a adsl/fibre comparison site which can cope with vagaries of FTTP?


Regards,


Gareth

Plusnet do offer FTTP connections - standard FTTP that is, not FTTPoD.

However...
- It isn't a public product, so you don't see it on their normal website
- It is labelled a "trial", so you get lots of warnings about what that may mean
- You have to "apply" for the trial, but they seem to be taking people on anyway
- You have to become a customer in order to apply to be on the trial
- Which means ordering ADSL from them first
- They will offer the 40/10 and 80/20 product variants to you
- At, last time I looked, the same price as their FTTC packages.

http://trials.plus.net/

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/board,68.0...

The postcode checkers do not have the fibre information anymore, the only way to check if fibre is available is by using your telephone number.

In reply to a post by garethr:

Isn't this (pretty stupid) situation impacting takeup of the FTTP service?

The basic problem is that broadband products are such a low price now, that the only way to realistically make any money is to have shedloads of subscribers.

Any retail ISP has to design a retail-level product that incorporates the wholesale FTTP products, and sell it at the right price, with the right package of allowances. They have to put together the package on the sales website, and incorporate it into support and staff training. Their back-office systems have to integrate with BT Wholesale to allow ordering and trouble-shooting. All that takes time and effort... so they have to see some volume of customers to make it worthwhile.

The downside to FTTP customers is that they can download a hell of a lot more than the average FTTC customer, so can fundamentally break the ISP's budget for core network costs.

Finally, there are relatively few FTTP subscribers beyond the original trial areas, and so the even smaller fraction that choose anything other than BT Retail's Infinity may not be enough to worry about.

So more setup costs, and more ongoing monthly costs, but not enough customers to chase.

It certainly affects choice, but does this affect take-up? The service is available from BT Retail, and the majority of fibre subscribers choose Infinity anyway.

What's the solution?

Increase the volume of subscribers whose area is provisioned with FTTP significantly.

Or cause the nation to suddenly realise that paying more for broadband is a good idea, to allow future investment to go ahead. A mass epiphany...

In reply to a post by robertcrowther:

The postcode checkers do not have the fibre information anymore, the only way to check if fibre is available is by using your telephone number.

I should clarify that I'm using the address checker and that all the providers listed require a full address.

Regards,


Gareth

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

Plusnet do offer FTTP connections - standard FTTP that is, not FTTPoD.

However...
- It isn't a public product, so you don't see it on their normal website
- It is labelled a "trial", so you get lots of warnings about what that may mean
- You have to "apply" for the trial, but they seem to be taking people on anyway
- You have to become a customer in order to apply to be on the trial
- Which means ordering ADSL from them first
- They will offer the 40/10 and 80/20 product variants to you
- At, last time I looked, the same price as their FTTC packages.

http://trials.plus.net/

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/board,68.0...

The fact they don't offer it as a product makes things quite complex. I'm aware of the trial process. However, it isn't something we are prepared to recommend as we have had trouble getting people onto the trial. There also appears to be some technical reliability problems with authentication on 21CN which can has caused issues for some users - but I'm not sure how widespread this problem is. There has also been capaity issues on PLUS.NET network on SMBA.

This situation has been ongoing for a considerable time. I would prefer if PN would actually go forward with the service as it is currently impacting uptake of FTTP. I don't like the idea of thousands of people having a trial service which they are then relying on. For a short period its fine. May also point out that its only a trial in name. When the actual trial was running people still had ADSL2+ connections as a backup.

I also believe many of the trial user are actually on ADSL2+ packages but terminated on FTTP - which is a bit odd. That sounds good but its outside the migration process so (as I understand it) requires a complete cancel and re-provide.

Anyway just my 2p worth

Regards,


Gareth

WWWombat,

I'm 100% with you on all of that.

However, I think the solution for us is to make consumers in the FTTP areas aware of the choice of ISP. That's the only way we can increase take-up. The current situation is very confusing for the average consumer. Most of the consumers in the areas I'm talking about can only get 1Mbps ADSL.

Regards,

Gareth

That is one of the things about Plus Net that annoys me, they seem to run their 'trials' for ages. They've only just released a full business fibre product, but had the trial running for well over a year. It was the same with FTTC as well.

Perhaps now they will get around to releasing true FTTP products.