FTTPoD costs with fibre cable already located outside home

Hey,

I am in a FTTC area that is not currently scheduled to get FTTP. However there is already a fibre cable and joint right outside my home and I already have an unconnected fibre cable running from my new house straight to the same pole. That would suggest to me a very reasonable price for FTTPoD, but I'd like to know more before I commit to spending £250 on a quote.

Has anyone else been in the same position?

Thanks,

They can't source the fibre from the joint outside.

Fibre will still come from the nearest Aggregation Node.

In reply to a post by pscassidy:

I already have an unconnected fibre cable running from my new house straight to the same pole.

Can you clarify this - do you know who put this fibre in, and what it was for? Can you show a picture of where it joins onto the pole, and what it looks like at the house end?

If it's a ceased leased line, it won't help you. For FTTPoD they'll run a separate fibre cable back to the aggregation node.

If you have a Connectorised Block Terminal on the pole - typically with 4, 8 or 12 round caps on it - then you might be in luck; but then I wonder why you don't have FTTP available to order already.

You can go ahead and ask for a free desktop quote, before you spend the £250+VAT, but the desktop quotes do tend to be rather random.

The description sounds like FTTP is on its way to you, or should already be available. Hence people asking for a picture of what you say is the unconnected fibre cable.

Thanks for the replies. I can't get a desktop quote for some reason so £250 is the only way to go.

This what is on my pole. No sure what it's purpose is for. There is a FTTC cabinet further up the road so perhaps it's for that?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PtXbgfxTMHmfBnsC6

That is a joint enclosure. what you are ideally looking for is this

that picture is a joint

In reply to a post by Fastman3:

that picture is a joint

there is a yellow stripe on one of the cables, again still only a joint enclosure ..

It's just a joint by the look of it. No CBT.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PtXbgfxTMHmfBnsC6

There's a FTTC cabinet further on up the road so possibly it's for that.

But the pictures of both ends of the fibre cable from your house to the pole?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

But the pictures of both ends of the fibre cable from your house to the pole?

To clarify the cable that is jointed continues past my house. My house was built recently and they supplied us with both copper and fibre cables. So I have a fibre cable which runs from my house to an underground chamber at the foot of the pole but is not connected to cable on the pole. I assume this is in anticipation for FTTP.

What buffoon fitted a CBT so [censored] close to overhead electrical equipment ???

To access the copper DP which is, as it should be on a joint user pole, below the ring head, you climb your insulated ladder, and the highest point should be you reaching at arms length to attach a curly whirly and dropwire to the ring head.

There are safety separation distances between oneself and electric for very obvious reasons. I would NOT be working on that CBT.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

What buffoon fitted a CBT so [censored] close to overhead electrical equipment ???

Thats the pole outside my house.

Is this 12 port cbt safe

Not ideal either, but looks more safely accessible than your CBT.

That’s a very old DACS unit next to the copper DP, a different manufacturer to the sort used round this way ..... damned if I can remember.** A job for Icarus or Partial I expect.






** ECI was it ??

Edited by Zarjaz (Wed 17-Jun-20 16:11:57)

The 8port cbt on that pole is gonna feed houses on two roads as it on the corner of two lanes .. I know one of my lines is dacs'd, would the unit be on the copper dp or on the nearest pole?

My copper dp is the 12port cbt one...

I guess part of the final field tests, they will flag this up in regards to the height issue.

Edited by Taras (Wed 17-Jun-20 16:32:10)

The DACS could be anywhere, but most likely near your copper DP.


Nah, it’ll come to light when some poor engineer has to provide service off it. Contractors are a false economy in my book. Fit it once, do it properly.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

The DACS could be anywhere, but most likely near your copper DP.


Nah, it’ll come to light when some poor engineer has to provide service off it. Contractors are a false economy in my book. Fit it once, do it properly.

As much as I don't want bods frazzled, I will probably be the first one on that cbt :| how much of a delay relocating the cbt is another matter.

It may be that it is ‘do-able’ its just that from the picture it looks dubious.

I’ve never seen that sort of DACS unit before. Looks much smaller than the usual kind.

In reply to a post by pscassidy:

I have a fibre cable which runs from my house to an underground chamber at the foot of the pole but is not connected to cable on the pole.

Is any of this fibre cable visible in or outside your house?

It's possible there is a CBT in the underground chamber, but you won't be able to see that of course.

It is/was. Certainly not in use round Thameswey

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

It is/was. Certainly not in use round Thameswey

I tended to remove the units if possible in more recent years. They were never in use round here anymore. And frees up space for FTTP which is being rolled out to the whole borough.

They can't source the fibre from the joint outside.

Fibre will still come from the nearest Aggregation Node.

If that is the case then why do BT give a discount for premises a FTTPoD order passes? My expectation is that this should drastically reduce an FTTPoD order as there is no cable laying? (I already have unused/unconnected fibre cable going from my house to the pole in question)

I'm pretty sure now that the cable outside my house is due to a FTTPoD order from a neighbour.

If it is what you suggest then you should be able to place a standard FTTP order without having to use FTTPoD.

You can't order and pay for FTTPoD when you have availability from your pole already.

Check the BT Broadband Checker for all the addresses served by the pole.
If none of them have FTTP available then it definitely isn't the kit you hope it is.

Take a pic of what's on the pole and link to it here and someone can tell you what it is.

If it's just a fibre joint then that won't help with a FTTPoD order.

If that is the case then why do BT give a discount for premises a FTTPoD order passes

They give a discount for properties passed as those properties get enabled for FTTP automatically, allowing them to order.
The network is also built to them.

If a neighbour on your pole had FTTPoD they would have built the network for you to order also.

Pics of what's on the pole is the best bet.

Edited by j0hn83 (Thu 09-Jul-20 13:47:17)

I can't order FTTP. What's on the pole is a simple fibre joiner not a CBT. A close neighbour has fibre to premises but for whatever reason it looks like BT decided not to add the infrastructure for all the houses the cable passes. It's quite frustrating. We can only get 10Mb via FTTC.

In reply to a post by pscassidy:

I can't order FTTP. What's on the pole is a simple fibre joiner not a CBT. A close neighbour has fibre to premises but for whatever reason it looks like BT decided not to add the infrastructure for all the houses the cable passes. It's quite frustrating. We can only get 10Mb via FTTC.

They don't add the infrastructure for properties the cables passes.

That's not what's meant by "properties passed". That term simply means properties enabled.

They only add a single splitter node and usually a single CBT for an FTTPoD order.
Properties passed is just those properties who share a CBT with the person who ordered.

I know of 1 FTTPoD quote (full survey paid for) that had native FTTP infrastructure in the same development (about 50 yards away) and OpenReach still priced for a build from the Agg Node.

You could always take a £250 gamble that it might be cheaper.

In reply to a post by pscassidy:

I'm pretty sure now that the cable outside my house is due to a FTTPoD order from a neighbour.

It's very easy to tell: put their address into the broadband checker. If it says native FTTP is available, then they have it.

*If* you were served from the same CBT, then you'd have native FTTP available as well.

If not, then FTTPoD would have to build a CBT for you. If the design topology means that it runs back to the same splitter node that serves the other property, then you're in luck - it may be cheap. If not, you may find you get your own splitter node which has to be run all the way back to the fibre aggregation node.

Could the fibre actually not be FTTPoD and maybe a leased line, a shot in the dark but possible.

We have no idea of the OPs area, which is fair enough. I don't disclose mine for instance.

Ideally the op needs to speak to the neighbour in question or at least get photos of the neighbour's nearest pole, or we are gonna go in circles.

Over on Ispreview there is a FTTPoD customer where, as soon as their line was installed, saw their neighbours given FTTP on their Openreach checkers. So there must be some instances where Openreach or BT treat a FTTPoD order as a way to give additional FTTP coverage in an area. What the criteria are for that decision is unknown.

In reply to a post by kommando:

Over on Ispreview there is a FTTPoD customer where, as soon as their line was installed, saw their neighbours given FTTP on their Openreach checkers. So there must be some instances where Openreach or BT treat a FTTPoD order as a way to give additional FTTP coverage in an area. What the criteria are for that decision is unknown.

It is known.

Anyone on the same Distribution Point (CBT) gets native FTTP enabled.

When ordering FTTPoD OpenReach tell you how many properties will be enabled along with your own line.
There's a £50 discount on the FTTPoD order for every property that gets enabled.
They will provide these addresses if you ask.

Edited by j0hn83 (Thu 09-Jul-20 16:47:54)