FTTP install stalled - weird delays

In early May, we placed an order (through a seller which buys from Zen) for an 80/20 FTTP connection from Openreach. This is to a business, in an industrial unit. FTTC is <5mbit, so FTTP available we figured was a much better bet.

The order was accepted and an engineer turned up about 10 days later to run the fibre in. On arrival he found the duct (very old) was blocked somewhere underneath the building - inaccessible, but it was agreed they'd send a team out to dig down to the duct in front of the building and create a new exit for it to allow a fibre to be installed.

Early the next week the dig team turned up, dug down and installed a new ~30mm duct exit at the front of the building and said someone would be along to install the fibre into the duct 'soon'.

Early the next week again, we spotted a fibre had been run in and was now coiled up in front of the building, but no engineer had arrived to install it into the building.

Eventually we get notice (via Zen, and my supplier) that there was 'additional civils work' required to make the connection and that they'd get that sorted before engineer came to install the fibre into the building.

A couple of weeks later we get notice that civils stuff is complete and they are sending an engineer on 24th of June to install the fibre into the property and connect the ONT. Sure enough, a Kelly's Communications guy turned up that day, installed ONT (very messily, rawl plugs weren't even all the way in the wall..), installed the fibre into the building and terminated it to the ONT, except it didn't work and he went away saying 'something needed in the street chamber and I can't touch it'.

Eventually getting the message via OR/Zen/supplier that "Suppliers advise they installed the service on 24/06 but the external CBT is showing high light readings." and that an engineer would attend it 'by 01/07/2021' to resolve and "once fixed the service will be live".

01/07/2021 came and went and still a red light on the ONT - no connection.

New message pops up on the order system saying "An engineer attended to complete the work, but it has been establish that further duct work is required to provide the service." - how is that possible? If our fibre is run between the CBT and the ONT what else could need more duct work? Anyway.. a further message pops up a few days later saying they need a 'PTW' (permission to work?) from the landlord of an adjacent set of units as the BT pole/CBT/chamber is on a private area of land owned by them.. this is the latest message we've gotten and no sign of any movement in the last almost 2 weeks.

Is this seriously how poor an experience FTTP install still is? Is there anything we can do to move things along - we supplied Openreach (via our supplier/Zen) with the landlord contact details, and those of the site manager as soon as we saw that message, we contacted the site manager at the end of last week and apparently they have had no contact from Openreach requesting access to do the work at all..

So we've got an ONT that apparently goes nowhere and apparently needs work to connect us - but why was an order even accepted in the first place if the CBT isn't even working? This is just getting farcical at this point.

The order was accepted because on paper everything is ready, and OR so far has installed new ducting, installed the end piece of kit (ONT and like), and is now trying to piece the jigsaw all together.

If there is an issue with a CBT, owing the nature of them, Openreach won't find out about them until they open up the manhole covers / climb the poles to see what the issue (yes, some are remotely monitored but not all).

Wayleaves / Permission to work are the biggest blockers for any form of infrastructure work, and rules etc are in place to make sure things are fair to all. Not to defend openreach but they've probably got 1000's of cases just likes yours occuring each week. My best advice is to stick close to your supplier and Zen to chase Openreach, i had a similar issue with a ONT in one of our freeholds, so i know your frustration.

It could be that the CBT was not properly tested, or it was tested and then there has since been some damage upstream.

Either way, just stick with it. It won't cost you anything (while it could be costing Openreach thousands to fix), and eventually you *will* get your shiny new FTTP service.

If the only alternative is 5Mbps FTTC then you definitely want this

Surely Openreach wouldn't have installed a CBT in a location for which they didn't hold a wayleave?

Also, if light levels are too high and an attenuator or change of split ratio is required, surely that would take place at a splitter node and not at the CBT?

Damage subsequent to installation is highly unlikely to increase the light level, it would only reduce it. So that rules out damaged cable on third party land for which a wayleave would be required.

Something doesn't add up.

Ah, I read it wrong. Permission to work and wayleaves are different things.

The red herring is the additional ductwork notice, but needing PTW for the splitter node sounds fairly normal.

High light levels is incorrect it should be low light levels it’s measured as a negative but people get it confused with “high” light when it is lower than -25dBm (I.e negative 26dbm or worse).

This can and does happen post installation of the CBT’s, there’s so many people/contractors in the Openreach network now with PIA and other ISP’s standing on everything including fibre cables! This could require a new cable to be put in and if duct is congested it may require duct replacement.

Probably, though high light levels will also cause issues, up to burning out ONT photodiode. I think they'll shut down to prevent damage and you get the same LOS light if the power is too high.

But then the fix would involve installing an attenuator at the headend exchange, not digging up the roads?

Also unless OP was the only one on the particular PON, other users would have noticed/reported the issue?

Does seem an odd resolution given the information about the problem. Something lost in translation or miscommunicated perhaps.

In reply to a post by unknown101:

High light levels is incorrect it should be low light levels it’s measured as a negative but people get it confused with “high” light when it is lower than -25dBm (I.e negative 26dbm or worse).

This can and does happen post installation of the CBT’s, there’s so many people/contractors in the Openreach network now with PIA and other ISP’s standing on everything including fibre cables! This could require a new cable to be put in and if duct is congested it may require duct replacement.

This!