FTTP and Openreach confusion

For several years now our telephone line has been shown on both the Scottish Government's Scotland Superfast and Openreach websites as being included in the plan for a FTTP connection. The timetable for this has moved regularly over the years. Then in 2017 Openreach contractors installed all the infrastructure in our village for fibre. Large complex looking distribution boards in the access points to the ducts and fibre across all the poles in the village out of reach of the ducts. Nothing happened after that until May this year when contractors returned to change all the connection points on the poles to the latest type. The Openreach fibre checker told us we would be connected soon and to tell all our neighbours. The exchange went officially "live" for fibre. All lines on this exchange are EO, i.e. no cabinets but we were sure we would get connected soon as after all, Openreach has spent lots of money installing the infrastructure in the village. Now suddenly the message on both websites has changed, telling us that we are not included in the plan. Nobody can tell us what has changed and I have yet to find a way to communicate with Openreach. Using their web enquiry form just brings standard meaningless answers. Has the world gone completely mad? Why would any business spent thousands installing infrastructure and then stop at the last hurdle?

To the final question yes. Because there is a possibility that if the current contract has ended they will not get paid, and thus the final bits of works needed don't go ahead e.g. the local stuff may all be done but may be more work needed to link this small exchange to the main handover exchange in the area.

Which exchange? An exchange going live for FTTP means nothing unless there are some properties that can order.

Similar happened in Wales at the end of its phase 1 roll-out.

Thanks Andrew, this is the same exchange that you kindly enquired on my behalf a short while ago - Madderty. I know of at least one property connected to this exchange that has had an order for FTTP accepted by BT Retail and has been given an installation date of 1st July. It is a couple of miles away from us in what is a very scattered rural area. As you suggest it is probably all about money as technically there are now some properties on this exchange that can now get FTTP. This means that they can tick a box somewhere.
Our little community in the middle of the exchange area is the largest cluster of properties and represents a substantial percentage of the total lines connected to it.
I am now going to try and use our local Scottish (MSP) politician to see if she can get some sensible answers.

OK thought I'd replied to the email, but reason on this one is that project has ended i.e. BDUK phase 1, so waiting on phase 2 getting going or gainshare extensions.

For the tick box, only those properties that can actually order FTTP will get a tick.

i.e. if exchange covers 500 premises but only 5 can order, then only 5 will count in terms of payment or Superfast/fttp figure tracking. Not 500.

Thanks again Andrew, you did reply. I was, however, assured by the Scottish Government's Superfast Scotland enquiry staff that we were included in their DSSB programme and would therefore get connected within that programme's deliverables.
What I cannot understand or accept is that for weeks we are told we are about to get connected, the fibre is sitting on the pole outside my house and then someone suddenly shouts "STOP" . Why raise expectations and lie to customers if you don't plan to finish the job?

Looks like a bunch of postcodes on the Madderty exchange are down as being in plans for FTTC.

A few examples postcodes are

PH7 3NJ
PH7 3NR
PH7 3RT

There's currently not a single FTTC cabinet on the exchange.
Sounds like they will be moving some EO lines to AIO FTTC cabinets.

It's not unusual for FTTP plans to be downgraded to FTTC or for plans to disappear completely.

There's not much FTTC being deployed now so it's pretty unfortunate your local plans seemed to have been changed.

Thanks for your comment. I am not sure exactly where your information came from?
I can understand a cabinet being put in PH7 3NR as that is a small close knit community (Fowlis Wester) up a hill with very poor ADSL now. No ducts, just an inadequate cable to the village in the ground. PH7 3NJ is close to the main A85 and I would be very surprised to see a cabinet there. Some people I know in that area use 4G from a conveniently sited EE mast. As for PH7 3RT - that is very close to Crieff and I think the properties there are connected to the Crieff exchange which does have FTTC.
PH7 3NH is the area that can get FTTP now (New Fowlis).

Those postcodes aren't where a cabinet will be placed, but postcodes that will be served by a cabinet.
The cabinet can be a up to a couple km away and still provide service.

They often put All In One FTTC cabinets for EO lines right outside the exchange building.

I get that info from the OpenReach website.
Enter those postcodes and pick a couple addresses, it shows they are in plans to get FTTC.

I only checked a handful of postcodes on the exchange.

Edit: PH7 3RT is indeed another exchange I'm wrong on that 1

You can see the postcodes of the EO bundles on this page

Edited by j0hn83 (Fri 19-Jun-20 14:21:29)

It may be they are referring to phase 2, or there are plans to do you in the gainshare system.

Alas what one group plans can take time to travel down the chain to checkers and actual on the ground work.

Issues are around contracts and procurement programmes and who pays for what. For example BT might not get a phase two contract and someone else may win it for an area.

Thanks, that is very helpful and would make sense. They could put a cabinet on the main A85 road where there is ducting already 2-3 Km along from the exchange and then use the existing copper wire up the hill for the last Km and significantly improve the service to the village of Fowlis Wester without having to install new cables.
If, however, the plan is to eventually give everyone fibre one wonders if this interim stage will ever happen?