Successful Community Fibre Partnership Query

Hi

I ran a successful Openreach Community Fibre partnership campaign in Winwick, Warrington. Openreach have now installed the fibre to 140 houses and we are just waiting for it to be activated.

However yesterday Freedom Fibre were on my estate installing there fibre network for TalkTalk which is great.

I am just wondering what happens, if someone signs up for TalkTalk via Freedom Fibre if they have claimed a voucher? Should I be encouraging everyone who pledged a voucher to be not using TalkTalk and instead use an ISP that will use the Openreach network.

In reply to a post by kingbiscit:

Hi

I ran a successful Openreach Community Fibre partnership campaign in Winwick, Warrington. Openreach have now installed the fibre to 140 houses and we are just waiting for it to be activated.

However yesterday Freedom Fibre were on my estate installing there fibre network for TalkTalk which is great.

I am just wondering what happens, if someone signs up for TalkTalk via Freedom Fibre if they have claimed a voucher? Should I be encouraging everyone who pledged a voucher to be not using TalkTalk and instead use an ISP that will use the Openreach network.

So this is where things get a bit dodgy from a DCMS standpoint.

Openreach will only get paid if the voucher holder actually takes up the service, but Openreach often has a 30% coverage rate on the vouchers over the build cost for this purpose. If OR can reclaim their build cost from voucher holders that's great, and any voucher pledge which does not take up a service is not likely to be penalised. However, if you fall short of the actual uptake of FTTP, Openreach will go after the pledges for the sum of the voucher.

You further recognise that if:

You violate the terms of the scheme, resulting in the RGC Voucher no longer being eligible

Allocate your RGC Voucher to someone else other than us; and/or
Do not take up service within 2 months of the availability of a fibre service to participating supplier
we will reserve the right to seek payment from you of an equivalent value to the RGC Voucher.

Essentially, make sure all your voucher pledgers take up the FTTP service!

Edit: TalkTalk offer a FTTP Data Only Service on the OR Network at 'Most Exchanges' so if they took that service, the voucher would count.

Edited by Whitehall11 (Tue 22-Jun-21 11:47:36)

In reply to a post by kingbiscit:

Hi

I ran a successful Openreach Community Fibre partnership campaign in Winwick, Warrington. Openreach have now installed the fibre to 140 houses and we are just waiting for it to be activated.

However yesterday Freedom Fibre were on my estate installing there fibre network for TalkTalk which is great.

I am just wondering what happens, if someone signs up for TalkTalk via Freedom Fibre if they have claimed a voucher? Should I be encouraging everyone who pledged a voucher to be not using TalkTalk and instead use an ISP that will use the Openreach network.

Was it a demand led CFP? so only vouchers or was it vouchers and cash?

In reply to a post by kingbiscit:

Openreach have now installed the fibre to 140 houses and we are just waiting for it to be activated.

Was it 'Demand Led' or did you sign a contract?

Demand led - Openreach carry the risk hence they inflate the required pledge amount by 30%. I think they expect those that were interested previously may not be now.

Contract - As I understand it, the risk is on the entity who signed the contract, those that pledged should proceed with installation via Openreach otherwise OR are likely to request the outstanding funds.

Vouchers only. I was given a target on number of houses I needed to claim a voucher. I needed £70,000 I got around £130,000.

Edited by kingbiscit (Tue 22-Jun-21 12:17:02)

In reply to a post by kingbiscit:

Vouchers only. I was given a target on number of houses I needed to claim a voucher. I needed £70,000 I got around £130,000.

Oh nice! Along as at least £70k vouchers are fulfilled by uptaking a service, then you're all good

My only worry is people getting confused and taking the TalkTalk service thinking its the service they have pledged a voucher for. They are offering 3 months free so a lot of people will jump on it.

In reply to a post by kingbiscit:

My only worry is people getting confused and taking the TalkTalk service thinking its the service they have pledged a voucher for. They are offering 3 months free so a lot of people will jump on it.

At the end of the day all you can do is inform them - They signed the T&C themselves, and when they order TalkTalk through freedom fibre it may raise some red flags, but also when your OR FTTP goes live they should all get emails explaining what services they can get.

In reply to a post by Whitehall11:

In reply to a post by kingbiscit:

My only worry is people getting confused and taking the TalkTalk service thinking its the service they have pledged a voucher for. They are offering 3 months free so a lot of people will jump on it.

At the end of the day all you can do is inform them - They signed the T&C themselves, and when they order TalkTalk through freedom fibre it may raise some red flags, but also when your OR FTTP goes live they should all get emails explaining what services they can get.

Makes sense, I think Openreach will launch quicker so hopefully vouchers will be hit pretty fast.

Luckily as its demand led its not your problem. Openreach will pursue it with those pledger if they deem it necessary.

Are there any known examples of OR actually pursuing 'pledgers' either with a Demand Led CFP or a contracted CFP ?

In reply to a post by mikegg:

Are there any known examples of OR actually pursuing 'pledgers' either with a Demand Led CFP or a contracted CFP ?

I personally don't have any examples, but its in the T&C's so they can if the chose too, in regard to a contract CFP they would go after the CIC for the shortfall amount.

Our CFP Hit its target November, my service went live last week (900Mbps) I've heard precisely NOTHING from BT nor Openreach. The only reason I found out is running our post code thru the checker every day (need a new hobby now, running speed tests multiple times a day? Lol).

I'll keep an eye out if I do get an email after the fact but it doesn't look like they are letting end users know. Anyone would think they don't want people signing up.

I'm quite impressed with my track record on broadband now:

2nd person in Norwich to get ADSL (remember the Frog)
1st person in our village to get FTTC (ordered 25th Dec 2014 thx for Xmas gift BT)
1st person in our village/area to get FTTP