How can I know if a neighbour has ordered FTTPoD?

As I've mentioned elsewhere we are in an area too far from the cabinet for VDSL according to BT (though I am actually on VDSL via PlusNet at 3-4mbps). The BT checker suggests that Fibre on Demand is available but I have been assuming it will be pricey as we are at least 3km from the nearest aggregation point.

A rumour just came to me this week that a neighbour who runs a wedding venue just over the road from us is in the process of arranging for a fibre connection. The route this rumour came to me means I can't just go and talk to them about it but I am guessing that the fibre in question is FTTPoD which would extend the OR network to just outside our house.

Is there a way I can find out if this is being planned by checking our own quotes? I have gone onto Cerberous and requested a quote for FoD but I doubt that will take into account another planned installation.

Am I right in thinking that, under the new pricing, when the network does pass my house the checker will start to say FTTP available (without the on Demand bit)?

I do know that Gigaclear are due to install down our road some time next year but I can't see the wedding venue waiting that long.

If the order for FoD is under the new system and you are served by the same PON then yes you will gain native FTTP and thus the usual £30 and upwards services will become available.

With rumours it is also possible that someone has warped the Gigaclear appearing and the wedding venue planning to order a business gigabit option from Gigaclear.

FoD tends to have a long timeline, of a few months to a year for install.

"Arranging for a fibre connection" could also just mean they are getting a leased line.

If so, it's of no benefit to you. It wouldn't activate you for FTTP - it wouldn't even activate *them* for FTTP either.

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I know they *COULD* be referring to Gigaclear but that is not due until Q3 2019 so it seems unlikely a business will want to wait that long (missing out on two summers when presumably the viewings/bookings go up).

It could be that they are looking at a leased line but, given that it is a joint residential/business address where the owner is currently on normal ADSL I am hopeful they will have looked at the OpenReach options first and seen FoD available.

The property only changed hands this year so the FoD won't be under the old system (when exactly did that come in?)

I guess I wait to see some road work and then check again to see what I can get.

If it IS FoD what does that do to the planned Gigaclear rollout? Presumably they won't run both sets of fibre down the road will they?

Why not just ask the person directly?

In reply to a post by Snake:

Why not just ask the person directly?

yep, that would be a good idea

also, he could look at their webpage
http://littleeastonmanor.uk/meetings-and-conferences/
which boasts 100mbit connection
and tested today, running at 42mbit download (1.6 up) and a ping of 1ms.

To support your business meetings and conferences we have invested in private dedicated internet access so you don�t miss a moment if you need to keep in touch

Edited by ggremlin (Wed 30-May-18 17:45:20)

In reply to a post by andyhurley:

The property only changed hands this year so the FoD won't be under the old system (when exactly did that come in?)

mid-February this year. If they got a quote in before that point, they'll be on the old model, where OpenReach will connect only one property. Even under the new model, there's no guarantee that you would be included in the "Properties passed" by the connection: for example they could do a few properties on one side of the road but not the other.

The only way to find out is to ask, and ask in particular if the quotation gave the "number of properties passed".

BTW, a leased line is in many cases is *much* cheaper in the short term than FTTPoD; setup costs of FTTPoD range between £10K and £39K, but they might be able to get a leased line for £4K per year.

In reply to a post by andyhurley:

If it IS FoD what does that do to the planned Gigaclear rollout?

Very little. Each FTTPoD installation only covers a small number of properties - from the quotes posted on the other FTTPoD thread I think hardly any had over 20, and most were just a handful.

So the total number of properties out of the whole Gigaclear rollout will be small; and in any case Gigaclear can still compete on price and service over OpenReach-based service providers.

The chances of it being OpenReach FTTPod are slim in my opinion.
It's a very niche product that is not advertised much. There are pretty extreme order limits (20 per month?) but it's so niche I don't think this limit is even reached (it certainly hasn't been in the past).
You're talking £30-40k without any SLA's, asymmetric speeds and long lead times for orders.

Leased line are much more common and much much much cheaper to install, especially at the distances you are describing.
You can get symmetrical upload/download and an SLA.

My understanding is that it's the "properties passed" in the OpenReach quote that will show Native FTTP after the FTTPod order is completed.
That's not every property the fibre passes, but those who would have all the necessary infrastructure installed (minus the final drop cable).
I've always assumed this is anyone who shares the same DP and/or splitter.

Edited by j0hn83 (Wed 30-May-18 18:27:57)

Presence of FoD will not stop Gigaclear rolling out.

In reply to a post by ggremlin:

In reply to a post by Snake:

Why not just ask the person directly?

yep, that would be a good idea

also, he could look at their webpage
http://littleeastonmanor.uk/meetings-and-conferences/
which boasts 100mbit connection
and tested today, running at 42mbit download (1.6 up) and a ping of 1ms.

To support your business meetings and conferences we have invested in private dedicated internet access so you don�t miss a moment if you need to keep in touch

Like I say - I heard the news via a confidential route and I don't actually know the owner but it seems you know plenty ggremlin.

I guess it must be a leased line then although there was no digging up of the roads or verges so when it was done is a mystery. Ah well, Gigaclear it is then - just in time for us to move house again...