Openreach community fibre project ISP & package availbility

We are just in the process of setting up an Openreach Community Fibre project to (hopefully!) have FTTP installed - using the Rural Gigabit Voucher scheme - to our quite rural & spread out village, which probably has very little hope of any commercial fibre rollout. People are currently struggling by on 1Mbps DSL and/or 4G routers in attics etc! I will shortly be trying to persuade enough villagers to sign up to try and ensure the installation cost is wholly covered by the vouchers.

For some reason, it really doesn't seem as straightforward trying to compare potential ISPs & packages for FTTP as it does for other broaband technologies. I already know that not everyone is going to want to sign up for a 500Mb or 900Mb connection at £50-60 a month. For the avoidance of doubt, are BT's cheaper/slower fibre packages such as "Fibre Essential" and "Fibre One" also available over Openreach FTTP, or are these plans only available for FTTC? https://www.bt.com/broadband/deals

We're still many months away from having to actually choose things like ISPs - and I'm aware the likes of TalkTalk & Sky are predicted to add Openreach FTTP plans in the near future - but it would be very useful to see a comparison of what is available right now. I've looked at other providers such as Zen and Cerberus, but as far as I can see BT is the cheapest. However, I can't work out if their slower/even cheaper plans are also available over FTTP & the various postcoder checkers are currently no use to us!

Openreach list all the currently available providers here.

On a practical level BT will be the cheapest current provider, price will be the same for the lower speeds whether provided over FTTC or FTTP. Would expect Sky and TalkTalk prices to also be the same as their FTTC prices when they finally launch.

BT Fibre 1 (50/10 / £27.99) and Fibre 2 (80/20 / £31.99) are definitely available as FTTP.

Other popular options include Zen and Aquiss. For more choices see:
https://www.thinkbroadband.com/packages/fttp-broadband
http://openreach.com/fibre-broadband/fttp-providers

I'm not sure about Essentials. The thinkbroadband link above says it is available for FTTP, but for my property, https://www.bt.com/broadband/deals is showing me FTTC speeds for this option. It's only £1 cheaper than Fibre 1 anyway.

If you're only just starting a CFP, by the time you're done almost certainly Sky and Talktalk will be on that list.

Correct, at present BT is the cheapest for Openreach based FTTP. Their Fibre Essential package (40/10 FTTP) is £26.99/m, you might get this cheaper over the phone or if going through a cashback site such as Quido or topcashback. Sky & TalkTalk FTTP packages should be similarly priced once released.

https://postimg.cc/Yjxp9QQ6

Thanks all of you for your prompt & clear replies. This is good news - I thnk I will have more chance of persuading most of the neighbours of the benefits of 50Mb for £27/month (50x quicker than we get here currently on DSL!) than I will with the higher speed plans. Especially when people will be able to ditch line rental in favour of VOIP too. The rural voucher scheme seems to require a minimum 30Mbps connection and at least a doubling of existing available speed. Everyone here would already meet the second requirement (comfortably!) and it appears from the link above that all currently available FTTP ISP plans would also meet the first requirement. Just need Openreach to crack on with the quotation now!

If your FTTP connection has been installed via CFP, you can buy any 'fibre broadband' service from any ISP which provides FTTC (VDSL or GFAST) connections through Openreach. You do not need to go and buy an FTTP specific package.

Just stating this in case it can save some pennies.

In reply to a post by godsell4:

If your FTTP connection has been installed via CFP, you can buy any 'fibre broadband' service from any ISP which provides FTTC (VDSL or GFAST) connections through Openreach. You do not need to go and buy an FTTP specific package.

Just stating this in case it can save some pennies.

He's talking about requirements of the rural voucher scheme.

I think (not sure) anyone applying for the voucher must take an FTTP connection.
FTTC and G.Fast wouldn't qualify as not gigabit capable.

Of course anyone who benefits from having FTTP available via a CFP who haven't applied for a voucher doesn't need to take FTTP.

Having the premises passed might be enough, no idea. I can't find the terms.

Edited by j0hn83 (Mon 29-Jun-20 17:03:42)

In reply to a post by PaulG77:

.... Especially when people will be able to ditch line rental in favour of VOIP too.

Unless I'm very out of date I don't think the cost is much different when using VOIP. Line rental doesn't just disappear.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Line rental doesn't just disappear.

Exactly, the costs are just included in the cost of the service delivered over any of the options:
* Openreach copper for DSL
* Openreach FTTP
* Alt Net FTTP (e.g. Gigaclear)
* Virgin Media DOCSIS over HFC
* Virgin Media DOCSIS over FTTP

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Line rental doesn't just disappear.

Exactly, the costs are just included in the cost of the service delivered over any of the options:
* Openreach copper for DSL
* Openreach FTTP
* Alt Net FTTP (e.g. Gigaclear)
* Virgin Media DOCSIS over HFC
* Virgin Media DOCSIS over FTTP

There is no concept of Line Rental in a Gigaclear service. You just pay for the fibre connection. If you want to make telephone calls via the Gigaclear connection you have to make separate arrangements with a VOIP provider. Gigaclear suggest the use of Vonage who offer a hold your hands type product, priced accordingly.