FTTP - Options available now?

Hi all,

I'm struggling to work out what is currently available from an FTTP perspective.

I'm in an FTTC area, indeed there's a shiny new FTTC cabinet about 5 meters away from our house, our problem is that our line isn't connected to it! We're the same post code as the exchange (Great Missenden - SMGM) and the line is provisioned straight from it, which was great in the days of ADSL2+ but now I'm stuck on [censored] 24mbit.

I've a few K set aside to get some sort of FTTP service installed, but no one seems to know what is going on with it or if it's possible to order anything yet?

Does anyone know any ISPs that would be willing to provision FTTP for me? I've already tried contacting BT, even looking to get a copper line provisioned from the cabinet across the road, but they have given various answers ranging from "We have no information about that" through to "I don't think that's possible", no one seems very sure of anything!

So does anyone have any firm information on what I can do to get a nice fast fibre line installed, or even a copper line coming in from the cabinet to the house so I can get regular FTTC.

Thanks

As I understand it, if you're on an EO line then there's currently no obvious route for you to get FTTC/P unless your region's BDUK plan includes connecting you to a cab. If you were able to get FTTC then once it stops being a trial-only product you might be able to order FTTP on Demand, though I'm pretty sure that being able to get FTTC is currently a prerequisite, even if it's odd/problematic in your situation.

You might possibly be able to pay Openreach an obscene amount of money to move you to the cab, though you'd probably be better off waiting for FTTPoD to become more widely available.

I am not sure it is fully clear yet. BT are connecting people to the nearest agregation point for FTTPoD which is not necessarily the cabinet. It is possible in some areas that BT will be able to connect people to FTTPoD even if they aren't on an FTTC cabinet. But until the service goes live we may not know - and even then it depends on the local situation.

My strong suspicion even with the potential is that BT will continue to only offer to FTTC enabled lines for the moment as this is a relatively simple way of weeding out lines that are probably not suitable without wasting engineer time doing surveys.

You need to be served by an active FTTC cabinet to order, this is 100% and has been confirmed from OR multiple times now.

In reply to a post by ryant704:

You need to be served by an active FTTC cabinet to order

To those that have, more shall be given...

There's good precedent for it

In reply to a post by billford:

To those that have, more shall be given...

There's good precedent for it

Last time I checked, FTTPoD wasn't exactly being "given" to anyone .

In reply to a post by ryant704:

You need to be served by an active FTTC cabinet to order, this is 100% and has been confirmed from OR multiple times now.

As I said that is the current position. Nothing stopping BT changing their minds a little down the line if everything is going well - but the current system does give a clear delineation as to who is elligible.

In reply to a post by Cheezykins:

Does anyone know any ISPs that would be willing to provision FTTP for me? I've already tried contacting BT, even looking to get a copper line provisioned from the cabinet across the road, but they have given various answers ranging from "We have no information about that" through to "I don't think that's possible", no one seems very sure of anything

It might be worth just ordering another line just to see if it comes from the cabinet! Compared to the ludicrous cost of FoD it won't cost much.

In reply to a post by Cheezykins:

So does anyone have any firm information on what I can do to get a nice fast fibre line installed, or even a copper line coming in from the cabinet to the house so I can get regular FTTC.

Thanks

Further to what hoopla said

In reply to a post by hoopla:

It might be worth just ordering another line just to see if it comes from the cabinet! Compared to the ludicrous cost of FoD it won't cost much.

you could try going through the BT Infinity ordering process but choose the option 'No, I don't have a working phone number and I'd like a new BT line', enter your correct postcode and address and continue. The system will then check your details to see if Infinity can be provided at your address, and if it can it will probably tell you there is an existing line but will ask you whether you want to use that line or order a new one - choose the new line option and continue.

On the next screen there is a button to 'See your order details' which you should click. You can then see if you can get a free line install - I can if I wish even though we already have a copper BT line (I can get FTTP). I'm not sure who qualifies for a free line install - it may be dependant on whether you are in a FTTC area, or a FTTP area where the phone line could be provided over the fibre so no copper installation involved.

If this method shows that you can get Infinity and you wanted to keep your existing phone number, then there shouldn't be any problem ceasing the old line and transferring the old number to the new line.

Good luck!

Edited by Rastus (Sat 10-Aug-13 18:51:20)