BT checker says I can get FTTP... what now?

Quite excited!

So back in July they were wiring fibre down my entire road, had a friendly chat with the engineers who told me my speed (FTTC) would increase (it hasnt, maybe I need to reset profile?) but also told me it is likely I can get FTTP as the telegraph poles are carrying it. There are boxes on these poles, and apparently they carry fibre, so the only distance from the nearest one to my house is about 10 metres. The pole is on my side of the road too which is handy...

So I did a random telephone number check today... it hadnt worked last few months, said number didnt exist, wierd as been on Zen FTTC at around 40/10 for a year.

I was greeted with this:

https://i.imgur.com/ErleRH4.png

Now I am wondering where do I go from here? Don't really wanna pay £300 a month for 3 years, seen places offering it for £180 instead.

Can't see install cost being too high.

I run a business from home so I am sorted there.

I wanted to stick with Zen as they are great...they have an FTTP section on their website but their checker doesn't say I can get it????

330/30 isn't mindblowing, most of my internet work is upload. But I figure if I can get that then I can not only get whatever speed they offer in the future but when I can afford a 1000/1000 leased line all the setup would be done already, as I believe leased lines use the same cabinet.

Thank you

That's not FTTP. That's FTTP On Demand. Pay a few thousand in install fees and they will run fibre to your property from the nearest fibre aggregation node. It comes with a 3 year contract.
Most properties with FTTC show the exact same as you. It does not mean you have fibre on your pole.

Currently Cerberus and Fluidone sell FTTPod.

There's a recent thread on here showing that the pricing structure for this product is changing in January.

To add to your post. No idea why the engineer said you would get a speed boost from them running fibre down the street. That will absolutely NOT happen. Unless you actually ordered FTTP the presence of the fibre on the poles won't make a bit of difference to any line.

If they have indeed installed fibre on your street, it isn't yet available. I would be very surprised if they did install FTTP as your FTTC speeds meet the superfast targets. It's pretty rare that they install both unless the FTTC speeds are low.

Edited by j0hn83 (Mon 06-Nov-17 08:30:14)

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/guides/fibre-fttc-ftt...

Read the above, covers your scenario, i.e. its only the Fibre On Demand

Three providers - FluidOne, Cerberus or in Wales Spectrum Internet. Pricing is all set to change, but a lot of unknowns so its order now or wait and gamble that on demand build charge will be lower.

If the boxes you refer to are native FTTP then the build charge may be small, but IMPORTANT NOTE, those boxes are built to cope with a demand for those with access to native FTTP, so needs someone to double check that those premises can order native FTTP (i.e. we've seen people confuse boxes that actually serve others 1km away)

Others have answered most of your questions. However, just one comment - leased lines don't use the same infrastructure as the FTTP/FTTC product sets so having an enabled cabinet makes no difference to leased line delivery.

Zen don't supply FTTPoD just native FTTP so that's why it says unavailable.


I'm surprised they have run fibre along telegraph poles when you are in a FTTC area (unless it was just passing through to another area that is FTTP) - I would be suspicious of what you've been told.

It's possible someone else has ordered FTTPod, if it goes along the poles it would make sense to install hardware for future connections.

Perhaps the OP could post a picture of said boxes.

Post deleted by MrSaffron

No idea why you've replied to me with this post? I said nothing about switching supplier.

Pretty sure this post breaks advertising rules here on the forums.

Sorry replied to the wrong comment, and I'm just trying to help someone out

If every ISP did the same this would be a very horrible forum to visit, sifting through the spam.
I'm just warning you it's against the forum rules to advertise.

Makes it worse that you registered just to make that post...

Perhaps you should read the forum rules before posting further?

I didn't register to approach customers, mainly just to help people, and when I read about those prices I just thought I would give some other options.

I will give a read through the T's & C's thanks for the heads up

In reply to a post by ian72:

Perhaps you should read the forum rules before posting further?

But he's ticked that he has done .

What appears to be a one-man band, with a very odd filing history since the company's incorporation on 21 June this year. 100 penny shares all owned by the founder, who is no longer with them. (Edit. I should have said those shares were transferred recently to the only current director).

With previous similar appointments. Possibly an accountant but I haven't looked into that question yet.

The company website doesn't seem to give the business name. Tut. I don't think the email address counts.

I like "�95% of calls answered in under 8 seconds". Because he has nothing else to do?

Edited by RobertoS (Mon 06-Nov-17 18:11:16)

Post above removed due to breaking forum rules on advertising

....and 4 years later that fibre infra is being used for Zen 900. Got there eventually!

It turns out my neighbour had FTTP installed. He died and his wife didn't want it anymore so she got some shears and just chopped the cable LOL

Being installed here early next month, I ordered the 300 one but I'm paying £65 a month inc line rental for a telephone and the 900 is £62 a month with "digital voice" so I'm not sure why I'm paying so much...I don't even use the phone much.

If you don't use the phone much, then get FTTP installed without phone - but *don't* cancel your existing phone service yet.

Meanwhile, order service from a VOIP provider - for example Sipgate Basic have zero monthly rental and pretty low per-minute charges for making outbound calls. It will initially come with a new number. Try it out with a SIP phone or ATA, or even a PC-based soft phone.

Finally: once FTTP is running *and* you're happy your VOIP connection works, then transfer your existing phone number to the VOIP provider. This will automatically trigger the cancellation of the voice line and any attached broadband service.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Finally: once FTTP is running *and* you're happy your VOIP connection works, then transfer your existing phone number to the VOIP provider. This will automatically trigger the cancellation of the voice line and any attached broadband service.

Is there any way to migrate a number to VOIP without losing the broadband service? I have just got FTTP, while I still have my landline in contract with EE for FTTC and phone. I want to migrate the old copper number to VOIP, but I want to keep the FTTC service as a backup, and I'm worried that if the line is ever ceased that I'll not be able to get a copper service again.

In reply to a post by jimbof:

Is there any way to migrate a number to VOIP without losing the broadband service? I have just got FTTP, while I still have my landline in contract with EE for FTTC and phone.

Yes. It's called "renumber and export", which will port your existing phone number and simultaneously assign a new number to your existing line.

Andrews and Arnold (aa.net.uk) support that process: https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-portin...

Google for "renumber and export" for RevK's blog with the details.

EDIT: I note they are now saying "We can port in numbers without the loss of the broadband and the copper pair service only if the broadband and copper pair are provided by us." Maybe it needs support from the losing side too (EE in this case). It's worth asking them about it.

Otherwise, I think a cease and reprovide should be OK unless you're in a town with >75% Openreach fibre penetration and they've done a "stop sell" on copper services.

Edited by candlerb (Sat 24-Apr-21 16:12:07)

It's only the losing provider who needs to support renumber with number export.
To a gaining provider it's just another migration.

If someone's current ISP does not support renumber with number export then there is simply no way to migrate a number to VOIP without ceasing the broadband.

Even A&A can't get round that.