FTTP Ramsgate and Broadstairs

Ramsgate and Broadstairs has been on the Fibre First map for many months now as build in progress. I know they've been doing parts of Ramsgate due to the notes on work permits.

But this morning I've opened the curtains to see white arrows pointing away from every BT chamber cover, presumably showing where ducts are, although I always thought we were direct in ground, but perhaps that's just the cable to the house.

If there are chambers most likely ducting also exists in the street at least

In reply to a post by R0NSKI:

notes on work permits.

Does seem to have gone quiet with regards to phone related roadworks from Openreach just lately. There was a batch a few weeks back for duct work, but this seems to have dried up!

Nothing in Broadstairs yet from what I can see.

Progress does appear to be quite slow at this stage but I guess there are works behind the scenes that we're not seeing (or all ducts are actually clear and ready for cabling!) - but when you look at other Fibre First areas, there's lots of phone related roadworks!

given the recent bad weather I expect a lot of OR staff are busy fixing faults rather than installing new fibre hardware

There certainly is ducting as they were roping and rodding it this morning, so that's good news, but the connections to the houses, or at least mine is not in ducts.

There's only one permit I've seen for Broadstairs that I think is fttp related, and that's siting of a welfare unit behind Tesco superstore, not sure if it's actually there though.

But all the the work I saw this morning is good news and progress.

As I was out for a walk today I noticed that there is RR and ND sprayed by the chamber covers with arrows.

Anybody know what this means?

Only thing I can think of it Roped & Rodded and perhaps No Duct

Edited by R0NSKI (Wed 11-Mar-20 17:21:31)

Has anyone in Broadstairs got FTTP yet?

I've just moved from Ramsgate and don't want to go and sign up for copper+FTTC if FTTP is imminent.

Where can we check for the work permits?

Murphy's Law, the Ramsgate address I just left now has shiny new FTTP with 1000/220Mbps.

Don't think there is any FTTP live in Broadstairs yet, some of Ramsgate is live though.

You can check work permits at one.network or roadworks.org which redirects.

You can also look on the TBB maps, but it does lag behind a bit for obvious reasons.

https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/broadband-map#...

I checked on the Codelook website and it appears there are some areas in Broadstairs that are now live (near Asda area).

These postcodes were added to the Think Broadband postcode checker and do appear correct but the map hasn't been updated just yet.

In reply to a post by Parker2:

I've just moved from Ramsgate and don't want to go and sign up for copper+FTTC if FTTP is imminent.

Can you not choose someone like Zen, who offer FTTC and FTTP, then regrade when it becomes available under a new contract?

As mentioned above, FTTP is now appearing in parts of Broadstairs so would imagine most of Ramsgate/Broadstairs will be covered by early 2021.

Thank you, that's helpful, guys.

It seems there are no works planned at my cabinet (25). It would be grueling to continue to work from home with 4G so I'm leaning towards taking a monthly FTTC plan and then switching when the FTTP lands.

Fingers crossed openreach isn't delayed with other priorities.

Hmmm, codelookup states "100% area full fibre 300MB or more" for my postcode and a lot of others on my estate. We certainly don't have FTTP, although we do have VM fibre.

Only option for those speeds on the TBB checker is VM

I did however see an OR engineer installing fibre in a chamber on the corner of Vincent Close on my way home tonight though.

I've been keeping a close eye on the roadwork map, and Northwood Rd is the only place in Broadstairs I've seen anything scheduled until now. Looking on the one.network there's now a load of work schedule in Broadstairs

In reply to a post by R0NSKI:

Hmmm, codelookup states "100% area full fibre 300MB or more" for my postcode and a lot of others on my estate. We certainly don't have FTTP, although we do have VM fibre.

Only option for those speeds on the TBB checker is VM

My bad in that case! Codelook is pretty unreliable to be fair, many places that do have Openreach FTTP are not being listed.

I'm still hoping that Margate will be done after Ramsgate & Broadstairs, although I've not heard anything.

It does seem odd that they are doing two thirds of Thanet, I'm sure it will be done though, just a matter of when.

They appear to be cracking on with Broadstairs now, although nothing scheduled on my estate which is direct in ground.

In reply to a post by rjh321:

I'm still hoping that Margate will be done after Ramsgate & Broadstairs, although I've not heard anything.

Good news for you: I spoke to an openreach subcontractor in Ramsgate yesterday, "Broadstairs and Margate are next"

In reply to a post by Parker2:

Good news for you: I spoke to an openreach subcontractor in Ramsgate yesterday, "Broadstairs and Margate are next"

As it's not part of any announcement, I would take the 'Margate' part with a very large pinch of salt and wait for an official announcement.

I would also say the same as Slimj, I've not seen anything FTTP related in Margate area on the one.network.

However there is roadworks scheduled for late August on Park Lane Birchington, and Acol Hill in October heading towards Acol, and whilst driving through Acol on Thursday I thought I saw some FTTP gear on one of the poles, but of course this could be FTTP on demand related.

Edited by R0NSKI (Sat 15-Aug-20 11:16:25)

Acol is being done as part of a community fibre partnership program. Should be done by early next year I’d imagine!

I think you've mentioned that before, and no doubt I'll forget again.

Was over Herne Bay yesterday, saw a lot of new poles with fibre on Whitstable Road heading out of Herne Bay, the easy give away is bright yellow tags which are easy to see on the poles, they state Caution overhead fibre.

In reply to a post by R0NSKI:

I think you've mentioned that before, and no doubt I'll forget again.

Was over Herne Bay yesterday, saw a lot of new poles with fibre on Whitstable Road heading out of Herne Bay, the easy give away is bright yellow tags which are easy to see on the poles, they state Caution overhead fibre.

Yeah that was on the Kitz forum!

I think it’s full steam ahead for the fibre roll out now, what will we talk about when it’s fully completed huh?!

Was in New Forest a couple of weeks ago (on the western side, south of Fordingbridge), there is a surprising amount of FTTP rolled out already there, and coiled up fibre ready for further expansion. The place we stayed at in the middle of nowhere had FTTP available but not yet installed, so it’s good to see the real rural areas being rolled out to!

In reply to a post by R0NSKI:

I think you've mentioned that before, and no doubt I'll forget again.

Was over Herne Bay yesterday, saw a lot of new poles with fibre on Whitstable Road heading out of Herne Bay, the easy give away is bright yellow tags which are easy to see on the poles, they state Caution overhead fibre.

I wouldn’t want my neighbours in the village to get too excited like that.

All the poles from my place back to the ag node are so labelled, and some even have A4 ‘overhead telecom infrastructure’ planning-type notices still stapled to them.

Only my nearest neighbour is fortunate enough to be able to order native FTTP everyone else would still have to order FTTPoD like me. But I suppose I have made it cheaper potentially, somehow by dragging the infrastructure out over 35 poles already for my oD service

Yes you are quite correct, just because there is fibre doesn't mean it's an FTTP rollout as I noted earlier in the thread it could be for FTTPod/CFP related.

But as you also state the mere presence means a future full roll out 'should' be easier, cheaper and quicker one would hope.

Mind you looking on https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/broadband-map#... should give an idea if it's a rollout or FTTPod, depending on the scale of CFP it may cover more than one postcode so impossible to tell if it's that. If you look on the mapped linked to you can see quite a few single postcodes, some are new builds, whilst some are old properties and therefore likely FTTPod. Mind you most people won't have a clue about any of this