FTTP available to every house in my close except mine

Hi,

I've been living in a new build development since Dec 2012 in Three Mile Cross, Reading. The development was built with FTTP planned to all homes (around 200 houses). I've been registered for updates for BT Infinity availability for the past 12 months and the new cabinet went in shortly after we moved in.

I've now found that my next door neighbour has had FTTP installed. He is on the same cabinet as my house but I cannot place an order for fibre. I managed to talk to the OpenReach engineer whilst he was installing the connection and he told me there is no reason why I cannot get FTTP - I'm on the same cabinet and they have capacity.

I used the ADSL checker and found that in my close of 6 houses, all other numbers can get FTTP except me. Checked some other houses in the development and most others can get it too.

I'm on the Spencers Wood exchange on cabinet 17 (same as my neighbours with FTTP installed).

Any suggestions? I'm not happy to simply wait when I've been told by an engineer that it should be ready to install...

Thanks,

Got a postcode you can share?

Exchange is not showing any native FTTP no cabinet 17

The exchange isn't FTTP:

THSPD SPENCERS WOOD FTTC & FoD Now Wokingham

I think the OP can only get FTTC, but is unable to order it for some reason:

FTTC is currently not available on this cabinet due to following reasons:- Sorry your cabinet is temporarily unavailable, capacity will be restored as soon as possible.

That was my thought, and given postcode its easier to check.

It is possible that neighbour has sprung for FTTP on Demand and I can see a larger property in the exchange area that looks to have FTTP type speeds.

Postcode is RG71BL

Looking at the BT ADSL Checker - most other houses are getting FTTP up to 330Mbps from cabinet 17

In reply to a post by opt:

... the new cabinet went in shortly after we moved in.

Can you see a picture of that new cabinet on this page? Which one(s)?

It doesn't matter. That postcode has FTTP.

Sounds like a database screw up. Not unprecedented.

FTTP on Demand isn't native FTTP - there's a big difference.

Edit: Sorry, I am looking at Cabinet 2 not Cabinet 17.

Edited by deleted (Fri 09-May-14 11:51:07)

I reckon cab 17 is FTTP, not FTTC.
I guess the new cab was a PCP as its a new site

You are just going to have to persist. Have you tried Plusnet ? They seem to have two bods only who deal with it, but the 'personal touch' might help.

You aren't the guy at Grazeley road I spoke to whilst installing FTTP next door are you ?

Thanks all - it sounds like a db screwup to me, but BT are not interested in pursuing the case

Zarjaz - I must be - had numerous calls with BT since we spoke and no joy. I'll try Plusnet - thanks for the tip

The postcode given RG7 1BL seems to be cabinet 2 and cabinet 17

Does not show FTTC, but shows FTTP on Demand - possibly too far for FTTC or waiting on new line card to expand capacity but if willing to pay FTTP on demand is possible.

Other parts of Grazeley Road does have NATIVE FTTP available
WBC FTTP Up to 330 Up to 30 -- Available
and says line is connected via cabinet 17. Which is obviously a new cabinet, as exchange only had 16 cabs until recently.

Without full address it is hard to do much else on this one. If the original poster wants to email me the details I can chase with BT and see if something can be figured out.

- I must be -

If correct, your neighbour has a new black Golf.

Good luck in your hunt, it is the only option for fast broadband down there, they are not going to put FTTC in to cab 17 (at the top of Sika Gardens) and there would appear to be FTTP infrastructure in place for all of Mitford Fields.

Native FTTP on the whole estate, a few addresses in Grazeley Rd are new builds on the same estate. All served off PCP 17.

Try the BT web team by putting a post on the BT forum stating what you have told us.

They'll sort it out.

I couldn't order FTTC, it kept saying it was not available and BT telephone support were about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. The web team sorted it out.

Yeap looks that way.

Have prodded the right people once I got the full address and hopefully the checkers will be updating and ISP happy to take order.

Checker was not even offering ADSL2+ for the address, but both ADSL2+ and WBC FTTP for addresses either side.

Sounds as though your neighbours have had a perfect install!

Nice one @MrSaffron


You need a [like] type option on the forum!

Good work Mr.S. Hopefully be seeing the OP soon !

Are you still installing the Huawei HG8240 ONTs or different ones now? I read not so long ago on a BTW roadmap that they were due to remove the battery backup unit (integrated to the ONT now?).

Also, have you heard anything about 10G PON? Cost difference between GPON and 10G-PON is negligible now - just need to change the exchange OLT cards and some settings.

Thanks

In reply to a post by AndyHCZ:

Are you still installing the Huawei HG8240 ONTs or different ones now? I read not so long ago on a BTW roadmap that they were due to remove the battery backup unit (integrated to the ONT now?).

Also, have you heard anything about 10G PON? Cost difference between GPON and 10G-PON is negligible now - just need to change the exchange OLT cards and some settings.

Thanks

10GPON optics are somewhat more expensive still and really no need for the foreseeable. The ONTs can't do it without some upgrade and CPE that'll handle it and aren't enterprise class don't exist.

This is BT, they have decided ~90% of the country are going to be happy and fine for the foreseeable on 80Mb, chances of them spending the extra on 10GPON are pretty slim!

Edited by deleted (Sat 10-May-14 12:50:21)

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Good work Mr.S. Hopefully be seeing the OP soon !

You will be expecting more than a coffee and bacon roll!

In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

10GPON optics are somewhat more expensive still and really no need for the foreseeable. The ONTs can't do it without some upgrade and CPE that'll handle it and aren't enterprise class don't exist.

This is BT, they have decided ~90% of the country are going to be happy and fine for the foreseeable on 80Mb, chances of them spending the extra on 10GPON are pretty slim!

Are you sure about that?

From what I read on the Huawei website (www.huawei.com/ilink/en/download/HW_077443), the upgrade from GPON to 10GPON is very straightforward. It just requires different OLT cards and a configuration change further upstream. The 10GPON line cards are less than £1,000 and the existing Openreach Huawei OLTs should support them.

I think the current ONTs will support 10GPON, from what that article says.

The beauty in the upgrade should be that you can go from GPON to 10GPON without having to do anything beyond the exchange.

I suppose the bigger issue is the backhaul - our exchange does have issues with capacity every few months.

Edited by deleted (Sat 10-May-14 18:28:50)

In reply to a post by AndyHCZ:

Are you sure about that?

From what I read on the Huawei website (www.huawei.com/ilink/en/download/HW_077443), the upgrade from GPON to 10GPON is very straightforward. It just requires different OLT cards and a configuration change further upstream. The 10GPON line cards are less than £1,000 and the existing Openreach Huawei OLTs should support them.

I think the current ONTs will support 10GPON, from what that article says.

The beauty in the upgrade should be that you can go from GPON to 10GPON without having to do anything beyond the exchange.

I suppose the bigger issue is the backhaul - our exchange does have issues with capacity every few months.

1Gbit isn't a problem over the existing networks. The ONTs have as far as I know 1Gb Ethernet and aren't compatible with XGPON. Not much of a case for going to XGPON, the PONs aren't going to see capacity issues for a while given most of the people using them are taking 40Mb or 80Mb and the upstream speeds available on the FTTP products suck so the return paths are pretty safe.

I don't see anything in the linked PDF to suggest that BT have installed XGPON-compatible ONTs?

BT did a small-scale proof of concept trial of XGPON in Cornwall; I struggle to imagine that before, during and after that trial they've been deploying XGPON-ready ONTs in the field.

Here it is (http://www.huawei.com/uk/about-huawei/publications/communicate/hw-081018-36541-30856-hw_076443-hw_076458.htm):

There are several factors that are key to expanding the existing network to 10G GPON. They include the addition of 10G GPON cards to the OLT, software upgrade and data adjustment, ODN reuse, replacement or addition of 10G GPON optical network units (ONUs), modification of BRAS/AAA user data configurations, NMS upgrade, and OSS resource management system updating.

I don't think Openreach can go beyond 330/30 for the moment, purely because of the GPON shared bandwidth between the 32 users on the splitter. I am curious though what happens if everyone is hammering their connections and the download bandwidth required by all users on a splitter exceeds 2.4Gb.

All the GPON only kit has now been retired by Huawei - everything comes 10-GPON compatible.

In reply to a post by AndyHCZ:

Here it is (http://www.huawei.com/uk/about-huawei/publications/communicate/hw-081018-36541-30856-hw_076443-hw_076458.htm):

There are several factors that are key to expanding the existing network to 10G GPON. They include the addition of 10G GPON cards to the OLT, software upgrade and data adjustment, ODN reuse, replacement or addition of 10G GPON optical network units (ONUs), modification of BRAS/AAA user data configurations, NMS upgrade, and OSS resource management system updating.

I don't think Openreach can go beyond 330/30 for the moment, purely because of the GPON shared bandwidth between the 32 users on the splitter. I am curious though what happens if everyone is hammering their connections and the download bandwidth required by all users on a splitter exceeds 2.4Gb.

All the GPON only kit has now been retired by Huawei - everything comes 10-GPON compatible.

Sorry still not seeing where this indicates BT have been deploying XGPON kit in the field I see advertising blurb about how easy it all is but has anyone actually deployed XGPON in production environments, not a proof of concept? If not, why not if it's so relatively inexpensive as an upgrade?

Openreach can go way beyond 330/30 comfortably, there is just no commercial case to do so. The odds of 32 people on a single split using 2.4Gb/s between them are basically zero. Virgin Media sell 50Mb, 100Mb and 152Mb on 400Mb downstream service groups split between 250+ people without capacity issues.

Should be noted Openreach can go to 64 or even, depending on the kit, 128 people on the split. They could offer a 500Mb/100Mb tier without major issues in residential areas even with 128 premises on the split. Most people on FTTP take 40Mb and 80Mb, relatively few people have their broadband running at more than single figure Mbps for any length of time.

Alternatively look at the 1Gb services being sold on GPON. Overbooking of the PON is genuinely not a problem and there is absolutely no need for any operator to be afraid of overselling quite strongly. A few megabits per second per customer are ample for now.

What happens when the downstream is saturated is people slow down a bit and latency goes up slightly. The OLT allocates downstream bandwidth between customers. The upstream getting saturated is a bit more interesting. PON networks use TDMA so latency rises quite ungracefully as upstream capacity goes closer to saturation.

Congestion on PON looks an awful lot like congestion on DOCSIS networks and for good reason, their behaviour is pretty similar.

You will be expecting more than a coffee and bacon roll!

Aw, come on, you know I do it for the love !

Are you still installing the Huawei HG8240 ONTs

Yes. Not heard anything about units with an incorporated BBU, but then we are the last to know anything !

Also, have you heard anything about 10G PON?

Ditto !

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

You will be expecting more than a coffee and bacon roll!

Aw, come on, you know I do it for the love !

Does the OP know what is really expected!

Newton fig rolls!

OOOOOh err, missus !

Rare, but maybe not as fleeting a beast as FTTP

Interesting enough, this thread came up since I'm in a the same problem in the same area.

Relatively new build area (under 10 years), but being a slightly less densely populated area it appears that we won't FTTP/FTTC which is mildly annoying.

Distance the exchange apparently isn't bad, but our little cabinet (16, Spencers wood) needs upgrading.

I'm considering going down the leased line option since it is a last resort, how did others get on?

Thanks

You could go down the gap funding route, where you pay Openreach to upgrade the cabinet. May work out cheaper in the long run than a leased line, especially if you can get others on the same cabinet to contribute. Info on the Openreach site here: http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/rural-broadband.... The rural bit is a bit misleading, as there are plenty of non-rural areas left out of both roll-outs.

We started off by setting up a website and doing a leaflet drop to everyone on our cabinet. Also been in local press, local radio and regional news. Still trying to raise funds, but thanks to the involvement of our MP both BT and Fastershire are currently reevaluating our cabinet. All info is on our website if you want a look: www.cheltenham151.com