FTTC - New Build Estate (Enabled Area)

I have just come across this forum after a bit of googling and seen a few members providing extra details on cabinets and upgrades for Fibre.

I have had a nightmare with broadband having come from VirginMedia. There is a cabinet on my estate which was done in phases so it actually took me 6 months to get a phone line. The good news is that I now have broadband but sadly it is only 2Mbps.

I have spoken with open reach engineers and also looking at "Connecting Cheshire" which says my area should have Fibre but since I am a new build I don't know how this would work. 1 engineer told me my cabinet is "provisioned" for Fibre so not sure what that means.

The open reach site says I am in an enabled area but for about 2 weeks it did say under review but it is now back to enabled area.

Does anyone have any idea on how long a new build estate takes before the cabinet has fibre? I would love FTTP but I would gladly settle for FTTC

The estate has 300+ homes now I think, a guess would be 200 remaining if that makes any difference.

This is my cabinet ;

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.381292,-2.550803,3...

This is on Powder Mill road, not sure how to get the cabinet number so if that is needed will I find it on the box externally?

There is also a Fibre cabinet just outside the estate around 200 yards away on Thelwall Lane. I think Virgin media is also on the same road but I am still stuck with 2Mbps.

Can anyone help?

I am considering satellite broadband which is a 12 month contract but if it is likely I get FTTC within the next 6 months I would wait to save the cost.

Thanks

Best way to get your cabinet number is https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/main.html and enter your telephone number.

Believe the cabinet at 17 Powder Mill Road, is actually cabinet 205 on the Warrington LVWAR exchange and it is not currently fibre enabled. Believe there are plans from the Cheshire BDUK project to add a fibre twin, and without visiting the area to see if the fibre twin is in place difficult to say, contacting the Cheshire people directly should be the correct route.

WA4 1NS which is just around the corner is on a different cab (42) and that is enabled, which may explain the 'area' stuff.

A new build estate will depend a lot on what the developer did, it could be anything from a month to never, i.e. there are no guarantees and while the presence of cab 205 (if that is your own) on the Cheshire plans is a good sign, still no guarantee that the plans will not change.

The fibre cabinet at https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.381256,-2.553067,3... on Thelwall Road will be for cabinet 102 and nothing to do with you.

Seems that your possibly on cabinet 205 but that's just a guess.

What's your postcode?

If your on cabinet 205 then your area may be "Under evaluation for fibre upgrade" I cannot see any dates.

*** update 1 ***
It also seems that there is a DSLAM listed: S/O 11, STREET SIDE DSLAM CAB NNCJJN, POWDER MILL ROAD, WARRINGTON, WA4 1GB for cabinet 205.

*** update 2 ***
And the only BT work I can see on your exchange is way away from the cabinet you linked to.

Date: 19 Jun - 2 Jul
Location: S/O 52 STRINGER CRESCENT, WARRINGTON, CHESHIRE, WA4 1QL
Description: ERECT AN NGA 96 STREET CABINET, EXCAVATE AND LAY 24M IN F/W, PERFORM EXCAVATION FOR POWER JOINT, AWAIT JOINTER, REINSTATE

So I don't this that's for your cabinet.

Paul

Edited by PaulKirby (Fri 19-Jun-15 19:35:41)

My postcode is WA4 1GE but for some reason on the open reach site when I search for that it has me 10-15 miles away so it would be best to search on WA4 1GF.

Bot side of the road (both postcodes) seem to be served by cab 205.
According to
http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLChecker.Addres...

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

Bot side of the road (both postcodes) seem to be served by cab 205.
According to
http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLChecker.Addres...

Thanks, I have tried searching for number previously but it never worked,said it didn't exist.

So is it looking unlikely that I will be getting Fibre any time soon?

Also thanks to all for such speedy responses!!!

Edited by deleted (Fri 19-Jun-15 20:11:01)

In reply to a post by eiblek:

My postcode is WA4 1GE but for some reason on the open reach site when I search for that it has me 10-15 miles away so it would be best to search on WA4 1GF.

We only needed your postcode to locate what cabinet your on, and my guess was correct, seems you are on cabinet 205.

Paul

In reply to a post by eiblek:

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

Bot side of the road (both postcodes) seem to be served by cab 205.
According to
http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLChecker.Addres...

Thanks, I have tried searching for number previously but it never worked,said it didn't exist.

So is it looking unlikely that I will be getting Fibre any time soon?

Also thanks to all for such speedy responses!!!

I will PM you...

Paul

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

In reply to a post by eiblek:

My postcode is WA4 1GE but for some reason on the open reach site when I search for that it has me 10-15 miles away so it would be best to search on WA4 1GF.

We only needed your postcode to locate what cabinet your on, and my guess was correct, seems you are on cabinet 205.

Paul

You can check here for you cabinet.

https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm

In reply to a post by Nightglow:

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

In reply to a post by eiblek:

My postcode is WA4 1GE but for some reason on the open reach site when I search for that it has me 10-15 miles away so it would be best to search on WA4 1GF.

We only needed your postcode to locate what cabinet your on, and my guess was correct, seems you are on cabinet 205.

Paul

You can check here for you cabinet.

https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm

Thanks Paul, just checked and it says; FTTC Planned (exchange ready 2nd June 2014) P205 100%.

Could they be doing work because I know my connection is slow but for the last 5-7 days I have been getting loss.

I might just be turning that into wishful thinking I will be getting Fibre any time soon

In reply to a post by eiblek:

In reply to a post by Nightglow:

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

... nested quotes trimmed ...

We only needed your postcode to locate what cabinet your on, and my guess was correct, seems you are on cabinet 205.

Paul

You can check here for you cabinet.

https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm

Thanks Paul, just checked and it says; FTTC Planned (exchange ready 2nd June 2014) P205 100%.

Could they be doing work because I know my connection is slow but for the last 5-7 days I have been getting loss.

I might just be turning that into wishful thinking I will be getting Fibre any time soon

Read my PM

Paul

Does anyone have any idea on how long a new build estate takes before the cabinet has fibre?

I think the answer is how long is a piece of string - my experience is

The town I live in has been fibred for some time, but It was 18 months after I moved in (about 300/ 400 houses at time - will be aprox 1800) for FTTC to be available,some houses had been up 3 years struggling on about 1m at best. It took a lot of pressure on the builders, involved the MP, local papers etc. and BT promised it 6 months before it actually arrived

The FTTP houses on site have only just started being connected to phone/broadband 7 months after first being completed - with everyone blaming everyone else

One thing that helped was someone set up a local forum for the estate - so anyone googling it found info on broadband

In reply to a post by Kenneth:

Does anyone have any idea on how long a new build estate takes before the cabinet has fibre?

I think the answer is how long is a piece of string - my experience is

The town I live in has been fibred for some time, but It was 18 months after I moved in (about 300/ 400 houses at time - will be aprox 1800) for FTTC to be available,some houses had been up 3 years struggling on about 1m at best. It took a lot of pressure on the builders, involved the MP, local papers etc. and BT promised it 6 months before it actually arrived

The FTTP houses on site have only just started being connected to phone/broadband 7 months after first being completed - with everyone blaming everyone else

One thing that helped was someone set up a local forum for the estate - so anyone googling it found info on broadband

Well we have been waiting over 3 years for ours to be completed, it was started back in end of 2011 where half our road and side roads got FTTP, we even have all the fibre hardware in the chamber/pit and up the pole just no blown fibre, this has been like that since end of 2011, so come October it will be 4 years wait, but not all bad, I have been told by BTOR via email that we are due very soon for our fibre, so lets hope.

Paul

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

I have been told by BTOR via email that we are due very soon for our fibre, so lets hope.

Fingers crossed, I don't envy anyone dealing with BTOR from what I heard about it.

In reply to a post by Kenneth:

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

I have been told by BTOR via email that we are due very soon for our fibre, so lets hope.

Fingers crossed, I don't envy anyone dealing with BTOR from what I heard about it.

Well they are not too bad, now talking to BT can be funny when they think they are right about something and you prove they are wrong and they sort of either find an excuse or go all quiet and change the subject LOL.

As for BTOR, this was what she told me via email "I have checked the details of the FTTP upgrade in your vicinity and all being well you should be able to order your FTTP at the beginning of July." so I am hoping everything goes well, not sure what exactly needs to go well, but I hope it does LOL.

Even talking to BTOR on the phone when I reported a few vandalized cabinets to them, they was all nice to talk to even had a laugh and joke to one for 20 odd mins.

Its all luck of the draw on who you get and if they have had a good or bad day I guess.

Paul

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

Its all luck of the draw on who you get and if they have had a good or bad day I guess.

I think for people on my estate when planning time frames went out of window BTOR became a wall of silence, even for the MP - which is far more frustrating than being told sorry things aren't going right. Of course it could just be one area/PM's communication skills.

I just hope it happens soon!

I don't think I will ever get FTTP but I don't understand why all the work to get copper lines is being done in batches why not include fibre.

I suppose it could be the developers fault on the estate more than BT

In reply to a post by eiblek:

I suppose it could be the developers fault on the estate more than BT

Being of a cynical nature - I think developers just want cheapest option and BT want someone else to pay for as much of their infrastructure as possible. I suspect developers have started realising faster broadband is a selling point for some people.

Kenneth

not as simple as some have made it out to be -- so may be worth actually checking the facts around your development !!!!

In reply to a post by Fastman2:

not as simple as some have made it out to be -- so may be worth actually checking the facts around your development !!!!

Unfortunately what I found is checking facts around a new estate can be quite difficult and misleading, by the time I found out the true situation it was either back out, loose money and think of looking for a new rental property or accept broadband issues.

I'd suggest getting sales office to confirm what is present in writing and ensure your solicitor asks the questions from builder's. If it isn't going to be a FTTP estate, then walk around and find the telephone cabinets and check they are FTTC capable would be a good check - hindsight is however wonderful.

This is a nightmare, I was told Connecting Cheshire would publish new updates but I haven't heard anything.

If OpenReach quoted October but didn't say what was happening, could that just be a review date for my cabinet?

A couple of neighbours have opted for Vispa wireless broadband which I am considering now but it isn't cheap or unlimited usage with a 12/18 month contract so not sure what is best.

Good Afternoon

Hope all is well.

I too live on Powder Mill Rd and are having a nightmare with slow broadband speeds, I've looked into this with tweets to Connecting Cheshire but nothing conclusive.

I do have a contact at BTOR who tells me BTOR are awaiting permission from Morris Homes to put in a Cabinet stand, all the cable work is complete.
It's all ready to go, just need this cabinet connecting\building.


This is really frustrating to say the least!!
Please PM me if you think we need a chat, and maybe bang our heads together to see if we can progress this, all the best, lets hope it's not too long now.(been at PMRoad 2 years).

LNC

Sent you a PM.

I also heard cabling is done but I don't believe BT. They have made loads of mistakes on this estate just providing phone lines never mind fibre.

hhhmm be interesting to see if this is the case -- there are a umber of this that could determine whther then cab will be enabled, was there a postcode when the intervention aire / SCT was defined by BDUK then it might form par of a later phase of BDUK

If yes was there enough premuses as that ppstcode to meet value for money criteria. Is there a green copper cabinet at entrance to development if that is the case that assume the developer only asked for voice and openreach would have supplied voice and paid the developer under the SOD playmentt -- if that is the case then unlikley the cab will be enabled unless developer wants to fund it

be very interested to e what they were told by developer -- think more that one so assume one developer came and said cab we have X copper and then a few weeks later Y developer comes and says can we have Y copper -- if X and y happened at same time you might have a different view on how you service it -- the more information you have the better -- the more developers involved in a consortium sire the greater the change of an issue

I too live on this estate, wondering if anyone has tried petitioning Morris Homes on this. Or perhaps we could get together and petition them representing a consortium of residents to get a shift on.

Also (possibly unrelated) - If you look at the connectingCheshire.co.uk site, it seems to suggest we are in the next phase for their role-out, but spring 2017 is the official date for completion!

Hi,

I live on powder mill road too, been here for 2 years now and the broadband is so bad i have to use an EE hotspot when i work from home.

I can see we are cabinet 205 and it's showing that BT is in the build phase switching this to fibre. Does anyone have any more information? I've contacted connecting cheshire too for an update

Lee

looks like codebook is saying live by june 2016

think being funded by CDS (BDUk programme for connecting devon and Somerset

Optimistic I reckon

In reply to a post by bluemoon87:

looks like codebook is saying live by june 2016

Codebook?

OpenReach told me Oct 2015 and then around Dec they said it had been delayed until Feb 2016.

This never happened either so I contacted BDUK and connecting Cheshire told me they are waiting on more updates but their map shows my area as being Summer 2017.

I have also checking the "when and where" site and this under the build phase but I can't see any planning permission or actual work in my area to get this done?

June 2016 would be great, this would be amazing news but I am very doubtful this will happen unless someone can confidentially tell me otherwise

I meant to type codelook whoops. A quick Google and you should find it, how accurate is is may be another question but if it is in the build phase then hopefully you are talking months not years.

As far as roadworks I'm under the impression that planning permission / roadworks notification may not always be necessary, depends on how much work needs to be done and where it needs to be done, but others may be able to provide a more definitive answer. 1 day you could just turn up and a new cab is there...that's the dream anyway

there is another cabinet next to the existing one on my street, doesn't look like fibre but fingers crossed

codelook had June so maybe that information was right?

The existing cabinet wasn't big enough or something, I had heard that before when I was waiting for a phone line so I am just hoping this isn't just a 2nd cabinet for more phone lines.

If you can post up a picture we'll be able to tell you what it is.

Probably a small huawei dslam

Definitely fibre then cause it's changed from "Build" to "Connect" now so hopefully I have fibre soon

I've noticed this has now changed to October...I had Vispa wireless out over the weekend as this provides 60MB fibre speeds with a small mast installed at the back on the house. Unfortunately, they could not get a line of sight to the mast so are looking at others in the PMR development who use the service to get a repeater installed (they would then get the service free)

i can be reached on lhaworth @ sharepointlee.co.uk

Lee