New build with no FTTC/P

Hi,

I have recently move into a new build housing estate. FTTC has been rolled out to cabinets 1-8,12 and 13 in the town, but we are on cabinet 9. Planning permission was granted for this estate on Tue 08 Mar 2016. The OpenReach website says they're no plans for FTTC to this cabinet. The same has happened to another new build estate that is on cabinet 10.

Connected Counties (http://www.connectedcounties.org) seem to have provided the funding for FTTC in the town. I have no idea what happened to cabinets 9,10 and 11. I assume they must have existed as cabinets 12 and 13 were given FTTC.


It seems strange that the older parts of the town now have FTTC, yet the new builds do not. I am not sure who we should complain to. Is it the developers fault, OpenReach or Connected Counties?

I would have thought new builds would get FTTP, but maybe I am just being optimistic. I did read this announcement from the government, but again, I am not sure if it was a hope or promise (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-build-homes-superfast-broadband-connectivity-options)

If anyone else has faced this or knows the best next steps I would love to hear from you.

Best wishes

Michael

Which town ?

A postcode would help.

Paul

Sorry about that, Buntingford, Hertfordshire. SG9 9GL.

Strangely the same cabinet for post code SG9 9FL is in scope for FTTP. I believe this to be an error.

Thanks for the help.

It's down to the developer to select what type of infrastructure they install - sadly they invariably go for the cheapest.

If you're fairly early onto the estate, perhaps you and some of your new neighbours could try to put some pressure on the developer to look at a fibre infrastructure to take you straight to FTTP?

We have spoken to the developer and they have washed their hands of it. We are on phase 2, and other phases are opening up. It will be 350 houses by the end. I would say we are about 150-200 built now. We regularly see the OpenReach engineers installing the copper to the new houses.

It is very annoying. I'm still confused about who could have paid for this, and who could pay for it going forward. We are going to look into the Community Fibre Partnership, but it seems odd that we would have to do this when the rest of the town has been supplied with FTTC. It has been no secret that these housing estates are coming.

Why do you think it's an error?

It's quite likely Openreach have decided that the area will be served by FTTP rather than FTTC even though they are installing copper to the properties on the development. OK it might change to FTTC at a later stage.

Also according to Novembers Database the quoted postcode wasn't allocated a cabinet number.
The current database is now showing a cabinet number, this may or may not of been due to the copper lines going in.

I say give it a while longer say Jan 2018 and see then.

Paul

I am in a similar position so providing info based on my experience.

The blame for this is with the developer, they are the ones who decide which infrastructure to install. Which developer is it?
You may want to contact openreach fibre enquiries to find out if there are any plans for your area, I�m not sure the current form link but A quick forum/google search should give you something. The area around me had 1000 or so houses with varying post codes and BT basically waited until a considerable number of houses were completed before installing the fibre over the top of copper so that they knew where all the ducting was going to be especially so for the larger developments. My impression is that FTTP requires more upfront planning to determine the best way of running the fibre.

In terms of connected counties I was told from my local BDUK team that new builds were not eligible for funding if the postcodes were not created as part of the last Open Market Review (OMR) I�m not sure when this was last done for the county. I would give them an email along with openreach, my scheme has contacts within BT if further details are required on specific areas. Hopefully it�s just a matter of time but if the developer hasn�t engaged with BT then unfortunately you�re at their mercy.

I suggest contacting the above 2 places first to see what they come up with and then escalate to MP to make a complaint and only after that engaging with community fibre as it can be a lot of work to organise.

Good luck

In reply to a post by bazcurtis:

We have spoken to the developer and they have washed their hands of it. We are on phase 2, and other phases are opening up. It will be 350 houses by the end. I would say we are about 150-200 built now. We regularly see the OpenReach engineers installing the copper to the new houses.

It is very annoying. I'm still confused about who could have paid for this, and who could pay for it going forward. We are going to look into the Community Fibre Partnership, but it seems odd that we would have to do this when the rest of the town has been supplied with FTTC. It has been no secret that these housing estates are coming.

I think if a group of you was to regularly protest outside the show houses and get the local papers involved they may well decide to dig into their pockets once it starts affecting sales!