FTTPoD desktop quotes and final prices Part 3

Thought I would start a new thread as the previous one was getting quite long. Links to the old threads

FTTPoD desktop quotes and final prices Part 1

FTTPoD desktop quotes and final prices Part 2

In reply to a post by Feejus:

Dear All,
I just wanted to give you my update as i think it is well worth a read. In October 2018 i requested a desktop quote for FTTPoD.

The area is Totteridge, in High Wycombe.

The first response is a desktop quote which is super expensive.

We have now received the estimate of the charges from BT. These are detailed below.
Estimated Build Cost: £17,100.00 ex VAT
The build charge includes the estimate for the work and materials required to deliver the service. It also includes the connection charge.
Number of premises passed for FTTP: 5


I have followed it up with a full quote, which i am expecting within a week, however here is the twist I also got a letter from "Virgin Media" who said they want to expand into the area I live. I am wondering if there is some back handling of my data and someone has leaked information to Virgin Media that someone in my area is looking at FTTPoD and this raised their interest.

Mind you that 3 houses down they are able to get G.Fast however i am just a bit to far away. Few houses down the road is able to get 145 Mbit down. I would have been ok with this but i am on a 46Mbit right now with BT.

I keep you all posted on this as i get the final quote.

Thanx
Feejus

1) Have you only just got the desktop quote? If so, waiting ~ 4 months seems to have been a long time.

2) VM's plans/interest in your areas will be unrelated to what Openreach are doing or have done in your area.

Well Openreach have been busy.

The jointing team 'finished' last week and installed the ONT to speed the process up. But no green flashing light. Further investigation led to a problem with a supposed 750m straight run fibre actually being three partial lengths. Overtime was authorised for last Sunday and out they came. Spent all day making two extra joints in the middle and testing. Still no luck. They were approved to carry on Monday and eventually diagnosed a fault at the exchange (their words). This was repaired this morning and a flashing green light appeared followed by the jointer to check all was working. I now have a flashing green PON light!

As the ONT is installed I just need the ONT installer to visit and scan but new regulations require all FTTP to have an audit post installation and prior to the ONT being commissioned. So now I must await an audit, followed by the audits paperwork. Then the appointment for the ONT to be commissioned.

I already had 6 joints in my fibre run plus another couple, so I suppose the audit team have plenty to look at.

To go:
- Audit
- Commissioning of ONT
- FTTP service go live (solid light)
- Cerberus can place order for FTTP

On the plus side my brothers site has just had its site survey and we await the full quote before proceeding. So I will get to do it all again!

Dave

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

In reply to a post by Feejus:

Dear All,
I just wanted to give you my update as i think it is well worth a read. In October 2018 i requested a desktop quote for FTTPoD.

The area is Totteridge, in High Wycombe.

The first response is a desktop quote which is super expensive.

We have now received the estimate of the charges from BT. These are detailed below.
Estimated Build Cost: £17,100.00 ex VAT
The build charge includes the estimate for the work and materials required to deliver the service. It also includes the connection charge.
Number of premises passed for FTTP: 5


I have followed it up with a full quote, which i am expecting within a week, however here is the twist I also got a letter from "Virgin Media" who said they want to expand into the area I live. I am wondering if there is some back handling of my data and someone has leaked information to Virgin Media that someone in my area is looking at FTTPoD and this raised their interest.

Mind you that 3 houses down they are able to get G.Fast however i am just a bit to far away. Few houses down the road is able to get 145 Mbit down. I would have been ok with this but i am on a 46Mbit right now with BT.

I keep you all posted on this as i get the final quote.

Thanx
Feejus

1) Have you only just got the desktop quote? If so, waiting ~ 4 months seems to have been a long time.

2) VM's plans/interest in your areas will be unrelated to what Openreach are doing or have done in your area.

Weren't Openreach closed for new requests from September until December? Or was that just full quotes/orders rather than desktop.

Very interesting reading your FTTPoD updates.

In reply to a post by F00tS0re:

Weren't Openreach closed for new requests from September until December? Or was that just full quotes/orders rather than desktop.

Only orders were suspended for a few months, non-binding desktop quotes were unaffected.

Will be interesting to see if Openreach really do ramp up the capacity to a maximum of 100 FTTPoD orders per month from April 2019:

https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/products/ultra...

Edited by baby_frogmella (Tue 12-Feb-19 19:45:23)

Not sure if this is the right thread but here's my current progress:

Recently there was an issue with installing a new underground cable chamber because of electricity/gas where it was meant to go, so they refilled the hole and put the pavement back (albeit a bit cracked/loose).

Two or possibly a bit more weeks later, after some chasing and escalation from Cerberus to Openreach, a surveyor re-appeared for a while and was busy outside around the location where the work couldn't be done. They appeared to do some marking and now today there's two large Openreach vans outside doing work on the pole. When asked if they were doing fiber optic they said yes with a grin (hooray!). I guess they worked around the problem, somehow, hopefully I'll know later this week.

So, hopefully I might be looking at a timescale of 3 to 6 more weeks before it's live?

In reply to a post by Ixel:

Not sure if this is the right thread but here's my current progress:

Recently there was an issue with installing a new underground cable chamber because of electricity/gas where it was meant to go, so they refilled the hole and put the pavement back (albeit a bit cracked/loose).

Two or possibly a bit more weeks later, after some chasing and escalation from Cerberus to Openreach, a surveyor re-appeared for a while and was busy outside around the location where the work couldn't be done. They appeared to do some marking and now today there's two large Openreach vans outside doing work on the pole. When asked if they were doing fiber optic they said yes with a grin (hooray!). I guess they worked around the problem, somehow, hopefully I'll know later this week.

So, hopefully I might be looking at a timescale of 3 to 6 more weeks before it's live?

Timescales are elastic and almost impossible to tell.

I have an ONT installed with a flashing green light. But a new process that means all FTTP orders need an audit means the progress is handed off to another team with unknown timescales to complete the audit. Then the ONT can be commissioned and I can move forward again.

Prior to this the jointers though they were complete but testing proved otherwise and another week was taken getting things working. I got lucky and they were approved overtime to complete on a Sunday otherwise I would have been back i the work queue waiting for resource allocation.

I wouldn't pin your hopes on any given timeframe.

I see, that is a shame, so could still be months away if I'm unlucky. Well, thanks for sharing anyway. They're back today working again.

Edited by Ixel (Thu 14-Feb-19 10:18:14)

In reply to a post by Ixel:

I see, that is a shame, so could still be months away if I'm unlucky. Well, thanks for sharing anyway. They're back today working again.

From what I have seen with mine each team is quite diligent on their own task and work through till it is complete, or they reach a sticking point.

Sticking point would be a blocked duct, or a chamber that won't fit. They then report this back and the right team (a surveyor, a duct unblocker, ground works) gets scheduled based on their availability. Once the sticking point is passed the original team get scheduled back on. But each time you are reliant on the availability of the relevant team, and take your place i their queue. They don't hold a slot open expecting team A to finish at x date so team B can take over. Plus the black hole of scheduling doesn't help the nerves.

Plus just because they are doing the bit on your pole doesn't mean they have done the bit upstream. And if even if that bit goes to plan doesn't mean the next bit will.

Best advice I would suggest is get out with kettle in hand, biscuits if possible, and talk to the guys doing the work. Ask them how it works, what things are, is it a difficult install or bread and butter for them, mine have all been great. Don't ask them when it will be done, show an interest in what they are doing. We have provided parking for trucks, toilets (we have guest/public ones), tea, offered biscuits (declined). I have the email/phone of one the teams responsible for putting in the fibre, his updates have been great.

You will get a better idea of stages remaining from the guys on site than Openreach's communication system.
(Mine keeps telling me they are going to arrange stores deliveries for the ducting I am due to install - it was delivered October and installed November).


Good luck.