FTTP Rollout 2020 - Rural Towns

I read that my town would be on the list (Jan 2020 Rural town rollout announcement) for FTTP and it seems they are doing the work already.

Picture here

Unless I'm mistaken, that's a fibre connection point.

Downside is, they did 2 grids on the opposite side of the road. I have a grid my side which I assume they will be doing soon.

Good to see the speed of rollout. I don't suppose anyone could guess on how long until you can order?

I assume you can't connect to the opposite side of the road, so I will need to wait until my grid is done.

Thanks

Edited by oldskool (Thu 05-Mar-20 11:41:07)

That's a Connectorised Block Terminal (CBT), where fibres to individual properties connect, at the time a particular property places an order for FTTP service.

What you call "grids" are actually "pavement chambers".

I don't suppose anyone could guess on how long until you can order?

This year, next year, sometime, never. Plenty of examples where FTTP installs have been partially done then never completed, unfortunately. Also cases where orders are not taken until a whole area has been released.

I assume you can't connect to the opposite side of the road, so I will need to wait until my grid is done.

Indeed, almost certainly your property is served by the pavement chamber outside your house or one or two doors down.

Thank you

I guessed they would need to do my side too. Perhaps they are doing it soon or as you say its a few doors down.

Thanks for the info. I guess without delays the ordering should be ready by march 2021 according to the press release. Hopefully it is sooner. Just pleased to see progress already.

Today another flurry of activity. The 2 pavement chambers that got 8 or 12 port connection blocks installed last week on the other side of the road were re-opened today

The pavement chamber on my side of the road was also opened and from what I can see they used some sort of machine powered rodding to clear the channels I assume and then a blue rope was threaded across the road... So now I assume both sides of the road are connected up, as in if I order FTTP they will use the blue rope to pull fibre from a port to my property, under the road.

I just expected there to be another loop and connection block on my side.

Sound about right? If so, hopefully not too long until order.

Edited by oldskool (Wed 11-Mar-20 23:14:56)

as in if I order FTTP they will use the blue rope to pull fibre from a port to my property, under the road.

It's possible, however they'd have to pull separate cables for each of the properties on your side of the road, each time one of those properties is connected.

I suspect instead they're preparing to install a CBT in the chamber on your side, and the pull rope will be used to get the fibre cable to it.

oldskool

Best example we have so far is Caergwrle which has been done quite fast. ( Which area are you)

I think once each village is started the first houses to be able to order will be quite fast but the last 'tail' may be quite a way behind ( up to 12 months). So if your chambers have been done you should be early in the area.

You will just have to keep an eye on the checker to see when it goes live for you. Then let Andrew know, with postcode, on here so he can keep the maps up to date. ( It is a massive checking all the possible areas for FTTP so knowing where to target his looking helps).

Thanks all

I'm in Stone, (STAFFS) and Openreach are still on my estate today moving things through the pavement chambers.

But it was a sub contractor that actually ran the fibre last week.

They are replacing poles on roadworks.org all around Stone too, but our estate has the pavement chambers.

The same contractor is working on the verge on the main road which I'm pretty sure is the main cable route back to exchange, at a guess we will be the first to get connected up for our area.

They were doing cable route/length surveys all through feb and spray painted all of the grids. All in to this point its been 2 months, I'd say moving quickly since the announcement was Jan.

I'll keep an eye on the checker and post back when its ready.

As someone else said, perhaps the blue rope is to pull the fibre cable through to put a connector block on this side too.

Just to update

My area is now available to order FTTP

Result!
Now you have a problem as Openreach order book starts at 1st June, so its actually getting it installed in your house that will be a longer delay.

For the record from start to finish ours took Openreach 1.5 months from start to order date.
Managed to sneak my installation in last week by drilling hole myself and having a non-jobsworth engineer who did the bits outside.

Edited by Rolandrat (Thu 09-Apr-20 10:41:37)

Yes I can see that I can't even order it on the BT site yet. They don't even acknowledge that I can get it.

The Openreach DSLChecker informs me
WBC FTTP Upto 1000 Upto 220 -- Available KCI2 Assure --

But BT's site just gives me FTTC options. I don't know if this is a lag in updates or wether it just won't show this product until Openreach start accepting new installations.

I assume I will have to wait until June to order unless you can ring up and put an order in over the phone.

P.s. someone mentioned something about emailing think broadband so they can update the coverage maps?