FTTP 'coming' so won't progress FTTPoD order

New post rather than muddy the FTTPoD thread:

Had a desktop survey a couple of months ago for £18K, decided to progress to a full survey (with the hope it'll drop 50%) 6 weeks ago and Cerberus have just come back with a note from Openreach:

"Openreach have advised that the planned FTTP install is for March 2019, so they won�t progress FTTP on Demand order."

That is good I guess? Is there any way of validating this?

Thanks,

Steve

The usual advice - until its live in your property then things might change but the pace of native FTTP roll-out is increasing

In reply to a post by boxst:

That is good I guess? Is there any way of validating this?

https://www.homeandbusiness.openreach.co.uk/fibre-br...

might tell you on the OpenReach checker.

Do you know if you are in a Fibre First area or is it would likely be a BDUK job?

I only moved in a month ago, and have FTTC at 21mb (after scrubbing the internal crazed soldered wiring from the previous owner that caused the checkers to think I would get 10mb). I have a 1.5km line length. I am surprised that FTTP is 'coming' purely because I thought that they were concentrating on completely non-fibre areas. I am on Cabinet 2 in Halland.

The OpenReach checker does now say (as opposed to a month ago) that "Engineering works" are going-on on my cabinet.

I'd say that's totally awesome news. If you placed an FTTPoD order today you'd be unlikely to get it before March anyway, and now you're getting it for free as well.

Beers all round

In reply to a post by boxst:

I am surprised that FTTP is 'coming' purely because I thought that they were concentrating on completely non-fibre areas.

Openreach are also bringing native FTTP to slow FTTC areas, ie those getting < 25 Mbps on FTTC such as your property. So yeah you have every reason to believe Openreach when they say they have fttp planned for your address. But just be aware, that fttp rollout timescales can & do change.

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

In reply to a post by boxst:

I am surprised that FTTP is 'coming' purely because I thought that they were concentrating on completely non-fibre areas.

Openreach are also bringing native FTTP to slow FTTC areas, ie those getting < 25 Mbps on FTTC such as your property. So yeah you have every reason to believe Openreach when they say they have fttp planned for your address. But just be aware, that fttp rollout timescales can & do change.

Mostly the "clear ducting" is the major issue.

We are seeing a lot more FTTP infill in slow VDSL2 areas in the 6 to 8 weeks

Good news boxst, fingers crossed it hastens your way real soon.

In reply to a post by boxst:

That is good I guess? Is there any way of validating this?

Getting something for free you were going to pay $18k for? Yeah, I'd file that under "good".

Well, yes

It was more a case of whether they are enabling the exchange for FTTP but my house is still too far away. Even if that is the case I guess the cost for any on-demand will be still cheaper as the aggregation node will now be closer.

If your exchange was not already enabled for FTTP then you wouldn�t have been offered FTTPoD in the first place .

Andrew, are you seeing any FTTP in EO or ADSL only areas? I keep reading about FTTP being rolled out but only in FTTC areas, or cities where there is already a choice of superfast providers. I'm getting increasingly despondent in my ADSL EO area (particularly with delays to Gigaclear rollouts as they are my only hope).

Yes EO and ADSL only areas

That I didn't know. You see what happens when you take your eye off the ball for .... oh Goodness .... 15 years

I just had a chat with the chaps digging up the road outside my house and they are laying Fibre, so he reckons connection to the overhead cables within a couple of months. So surprisingly they are getting on with it.

Steve

Back in march I was in the 39K club, I never progressed to the full survey. Now I have a native WBC FTTP connection installed and working. Things definitely change

Much to my surprise checked Openreach website this morning and FTTP 300/50 is now live

Ordered with Zen straight away so let�s see how long it takes to activate.

Good luck Steve, keep us posted.

boxst

Post your postcode or drop Andrew a PM with it so he can update the FTTP coverage. Helps him keep on top of the rollout changes

Postcode is TN22 5RE / Halland cabinet 2.

Lucky you but I can see openreach have FTTP 1000/200 available how come u only getting 300/50?

Huawei head end = 1000/220
ECI 300/50

(Caveat that 300/50 can also be a bakhaul issue even on Huawei)

Edited by deleted (Sat 12-Jan-19 13:28:58)

In reply to a post by Garlic:

Huawei head end = 1000/220
ECI 300/50

I've seen people say this before. Then they also say FTTP doesn't depend on the cabinet type.

I thought with FTTP we moved away from the Huawei/ECI cabinet debate when it came to full fibre, or are ECI cabinet people still going to be limited when they move to FTTP ?

In reply to a post by bowdon:

In reply to a post by Garlic:

Huawei head end = 1000/220
ECI 300/50

I've seen people say this before. Then they also say FTTP doesn't depend on the cabinet type.

I thought with FTTP we moved away from the Huawei/ECI cabinet debate when it came to full fibre, or are ECI cabinet people still going to be limited when they move to FTTP ?

It is nothing to do with the manufacturer of the electronics in a street cabinet. It is related to the manufacturer of the optical line terminal (OLT) at the serving head-end exchange.

They specified Head-End.
The Head-end is exchange based equipment.
Nothing at all to do with your local street cabinet/DSLAM.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Lucky you but I can see openreach have FTTP 1000/200 available how come u only getting 300/50?

I don't think you can order that product yet? Even if you could, it would probably be out of my price range and at the moment I can't think what I would do would that speed anyway. I'm very much a "because you can" person (with regards to internet speed anyway), but even I would struggle to justify beyond 300/50 unless the price was < £100/month.

Fun this morning ... Openreach guy turns up is extremely helpful with the weird place I want the box. Wanders outside and then realises that the pole is 'UnSafe' (hasn't been tested for a while) so can't climb it to start the run of fibre.

He tried to get a picker who doesn't want to go to a field and it has been left that someone will come and test the pole which will require traffic lights (and a permit from the council) so time is unknown. Installation process will then start again when that is done.

Disappointed as was hoping to get things up and running today.

If the pole in question is in a field, why does it need local council permission to access it/close the road ??

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

If the pole in question is in a field, why does it need local council permission to access it/close the road ??

good point and also if its boxst's field even less so

Those sheep need orderly queues...

Proper answer is the pole is by the side of a busy but narrow main road with no pavement or curb but adjacent to a field. The fibre cable has to then cross the road to my house.

The landowner didn�t mind, but Openreach person got stuck in a field already and didn�t want to do it again. So has to be from the main road and apparently they cannot do that without traffic lights to block one carriageway.

On the face of it seems odd just to test the pole. They need access to the base of the pole before they can climb it.

Probably out of test date .... had one today, not been tested since 2003, couldn�t get a hoist to it. Part of the pre climb check innit.

Get it tested, if it passes, then it�s good to climb, if it fails, then asset assurance come replace it ...

Yes, out of date test certificate. Apparently a form A55 has been raised for traffic lights and a hoist.

As I am the first person to order FTTP on the whole run I do question the wisdom of putting fibre nodes on telegraph poles without checking if they are up to scratch. It would be logical to replace / certify at the same time.

Now I just have to wait for the council, OpenReach and then BT Wholesale to do their thing. A few more weeks at least I expect

In reply to a post by boxst:

Yes, out of date test certificate. Apparently a form A55 has been raised for traffic lights and a hoist.

As I am the first person to order FTTP on the whole run I do question the wisdom of putting fibre nodes on telegraph poles without checking if they are up to scratch. It would be logical to replace / certify at the same time.

Now I just have to wait for the council, OpenReach and then BT Wholesale to do their thing. A few more weeks at least I expect

They usually check them first. But i've seen it happen. Don't think the poles have been as good since they banned the good chemicals

Here I am three weeks later and am quite surprised at the disorganisation of Openreach. I have read tales on here, but have always had generally a good experience.

Zen escalated the install within Openreach to get it going again but every phone call I have had from them has been incredibly frustrating, They are fixated on replacing a condemned pole, but do not realise where it is (other side of the road) or that they could also just get a hoist to install the fibre. The last call on Friday was with a subcontractor who wanted to come to my house and replace the pole �on my land�: Was half tempted to tell him to come, but instead patiently explained where the pole was and now they have to go back at talk to the management as that might require traffic lights. So we are back to where we were three weeks ago.

Any suggestions as to what to do?

Just to say the actual Openreach engineer who originally tried to do the install was great and he even appeared last week as he was in the area to see how I was getting on.

Think I would have let him come out, if this subcontractor is going to be the person who actually replaces the pole (across the road) at least he would have first hand knowledge of where the pole actually is.

Well, Openreach replaced the pole opposite after I complained some three weeks after the initial aborted install. And a couple of days later the second install was arranged.

On Monday morning two vans turn up to do the install, discussed where I wanted the ONT and then wandered outside. A few minutes later came back, said it was a busy road and they couldn�t do the install without traffic lights. Unbelievable.

I�m so frustrated. Ordered on January 12th, three visits (engineer, pole people, two engineers) and now have to wait for them to get permission from the council for traffic management. I�m astounded a company can work like this as the road, position of my house and what is needed hasn�t changed from the notes on Bt wholesale (�busy road, needs two engineers�) and the first visit.

Is there and existing dropwire to your property ? Why couldn�t they just cut and draw that with the fibre ??

What�s the speed limit on the road outside ?

Hi

Yes there is a drop wire and I think they were going to do that anyway. The problem is that they didn't want to climb the pole, but use a ladder and (quite reasonably) didn't want to put that on the road. They could have gone to the field, but didn't want to drag the ladders for a couple of hundred meters or go over the hedge.

An exciting photo of the pole in question for your viewing pleasure

http://www.sadandlonely.com/fttppole.JPG

Not good.

Sure they could have easily done the work from the field, popped the ladder over the hedge and walked around.

Sometimes you can just tell when a workman wants an easy day.

In reply to a post by dect:

Not good.

Sure they could have easily done the work from the field, popped the ladder over the hedge and walked around.

Sometimes you can just tell when a workman wants an easy day.

When my fttp was done they refused to work from the field side in case their lorry got stuck. Ground was dry, hard and very stony, and I had a tractor on hand for a toe in some other universe where that actually had any chance of problems. Few calls later and the next morning a cherry picker turned up to do the work. Driver of that wasn't impressed they hadn't just done the job it was fine.

Sheesh.... so you put the ladder up at 90 degrees to the steps ... nae bother pal.

Busy road? I assume it gets a lot busier than your photo suggests then

No, not really. That was 'rush hour' too

(there is a car there if you look hard enough)

Edited by boxst (Thu 07-Mar-19 18:08:59)

It seems that I have my own alert on roadworks.org (with my house name) so that BT can put traffic lights. Hopefully there will be some confirmation from Zen (and Openreach) that an engineer is confirmed. Unless its an April fool of course.

That will be just under three months from going live (and me ordering) to installation mainly due to the lack of coordination rather than anything technical.

I managed to get the traffic management moved up to today and the traffic management people turned up, but Openreach didn't A few phone calls and they did eventually get here at lunchtime much to the annoyance of the traffic people who were just sitting outside my house for three hours.

Lots of discussion, complaining at the last Openreach people (as in fact they didn't really need the traffic management) and the ONT got installed where I wanted it. The Openreach engineers were really helpful and dragged 50 meters of fibre up and round through a wall, a ceiling and down into a cabinet.

It still isn't working, as there is something up with the registration of the ONT. It has a steady sync light, but gets a CHAP authentication error and Zen who I just spoke to thinks it isn't provisioned properly. Have to wait until tomorrow.

So getting there!

Lots of discussion, complaining at the last Openreach people (as in fact they didn't really need the traffic management)

Told ya.

My FTTP is live! It took about 3 hours this morning and was up and running instantly with the pfsense router/firewall.

Impressed with the speeds, im getting 312Mbps down and 31Mbps consistently and over both single and multi connection speed tests, happy days!

Happy days, well done!

As for me, I've just heard that the 164m of extra duct will require a road closure, which has a three-month notice period, with permit now requested for 24th of June.

However, Openreach have known this has been required since at least 10th January (that's when Cerberus first notified me of it). If they'd requested the permit straight away, the three months would almost be up already. Such a waste of time.

Was that with Zen ?

If so, did you speak to anyone there who might help the OP ?