Fibre, new build and confusion...

Hello all, wondering if you can shed some light on a bit of a tricky situation I'm having.

I currently live in a property which has FTTC (I have BT Infinity) but we're moving to a new build estate 600 yards up the road in around a months time.

It looks like the developers have already had BTO come and install the external lines, as the address now appears on the dslchecker. However, it doesn't show as having FTTC capabilities. The village that I live in has 100% FTTC coverage and it appears they all run off one cabinet.

Looking on the BTO site, it says 'Your cabinet is enabled for Superfast fibre however you're not able to order fibre just yet.' and the DSL checker only shows the following:

'ADSL Products

Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Downstream Range(Mbps)

Availability Date


WBC ADSL 2+ Up to 3 -- -- Available --
ADSL Max Up to 2.5 -- -- Available --
WBC Fixed Rate 1 -- -- Available --
Fixed Rate 1 -- -- Available --
Other Offerings




Availability Date


VDSL Multicast -- -- -- Available --
ADSL Multicast -- -- -- Available --'

Houses much further up the road also have coverage (and to this cabinet), so I don't believe there is an issue with distance.

Theres no FTTC listed, which (I think?) might be because theres no existing line installed - is that usually the case?

Anyway, this causes issues when organising a home move with BT, as the system says no - can't install Infinity, theres no infinity capability there! Sigh.

What would you suggest I do to resolve this - is this easily resolvable? Having read (and only being able to find) horror stories about house moves and FTTC into a new property, I'm wondering what suggestions you might have. I don't want to start the process with BT until I'm confident I know how best to approach it, if that makes sense.

Thanks all!

Edited by deleted (Thu 17-Nov-16 21:22:00)

If you could list the exchange name and cabinet number, possibly with your postcode, I'm sure one of the more informed users of this forum may be able to help you figure out the reasoning behind the lack of fibre services.

From what the message says, it's likely to be an issue with capacity or distance (I'd place my bet on distance, but you believe otherwise so possibly not).

In reply to a post by thebigdolphin1:

If you could list the exchange name and cabinet number, possibly with your postcode, I'm sure one of the more informed users of this forum may be able to help you figure out the reasoning behind the lack of fibre services.

From what the message says, it's likely to be an issue with capacity or distance (I'd place my bet on distance, but you believe otherwise so possibly not).

Sure thing - The exchange is Puriton and its cabinet number 4.

They get FTTC in the houses in the estate on the road next to the new estate being built, as well as much, much further up the road at reduced speeds on the DSL checker (where it starts to enter into rural territory) to that cabinet.

Very weirdly, I've also discovered that the addresses seem to be listed twice on the dslchecker. I can find them listed under the surrounding set of post codes, as well as the newly listed postcode for the estate. Strange..

Happy to provide the postcode(s) via PM to anyone learned with more information than I!

Edited by deleted (Thu 17-Nov-16 21:40:14)

Since you mention that the estate is still being built, there's a good chance that the telephone lines haven't been connected yet, or simply that the database has yet to be updated. I can't see any actual issue which would prevent FTTC services from being available other than that.

Edit:
The postcode you previously mentioned (and then removed) doesn't seem to appear listed on royal mail or google's services, which may cause the checker to think your address is much further away from the cabinet than it actually is. Give it a week or two for the database to be updated and everything should be fine.
If it still hasn't been updated, one of the staff members of these forums may be able to get in contact with Openreach to update the database for the specific postcodes.

Edited by thebigdolphin1 (Thu 17-Nov-16 21:49:22)

The estate has more or less been built, but it hasn't been 'handed over' yet so that could very well be the reason that the database isn't entirely up to date. I think there's just landscaping and the road tarmac left - they had the leading road up to the estate closed off to install services months ago, and (I think) Openreach were involved at that point.

I could very well be jumping the gun, I admit! Things will happen very suddenly once the estate is handed over and then we'll get to move in, which isn't going to leave us with much time to set the move in motion on BTs end (especially just before Christmas), so I was hoping to plan and book ahead.

How often does the database get updated and do you reckon its worth trying to contact Openreach and seeing what they say, for instance?

depends what conversation the developer had with openreach I around requirements, how many premises are on the development and whether there a shiny new green box at the entrance to the development

if there not a shiny new box they likely to still be on the same cabinet but probably not good speed -- if it does

I honestly don't know how often the database get's updated, you'd be better off asking someone more knowledgeable in these forums.

It's also extremely difficult (perhaps even impossible) to contact Openreach directly, you'd usually have to do it through an ISP, or a staff member on these forums (such as MrSaffron). Openreach's contact team basically just give you the information you can already find out on dslchecker and the openreach site, so they're pretty useless for situations like this.

In my experience, properties that have never had an active phone line don't show as having fibre available until after the line is connected and the database has been updated.

The new build I'm moving to next week doesn't even show ADSL is available in the checker although my new neighbour three doors up who moved I two weeks ago have fibre and his address in the checker now shows fibre is available.

To do anything meaningful, need the address and postcode so can figure out what might be going on

One the checker was it actually showing a cabinet number?

Gah, this is my fear.

Are you ordering new or is it as part of a move of services? I'm wondering how likely it is that BT will install the line and then figure out that Fibre is possible... I can't imagine they're going to be too receptive to deviate from their script when I give them a ring.

Some investigation has made me discover that the addresses listed under temporary postcodes (as in, before the new postcode was issued) don't seem to work (I can't pull the records up - they show different addresses, probably because theres duplicate postcodes/house numbers) but do have UPRNs listed next to them, while the listings with the new postcodes don't.

Searching for the house by UPRN provides this error:

Your address has been successfully matched; however we cannot determine ADSL availability at this address. Please try the Telephone Number or Postcode Checker.

So I'm guessing I'm just a little early to the show.