How to find out if an FTTC cabinet is full?

I understand the issue of FTTC cabinets being full / at capacity.

However this is not an issue I've (yet) come across myself. How do you tell if a cabinet is full?

I'm guessing information might be gleaned via BTW's Broadband Availability Checker - if so, how does it show up?

Also. is there any way of looking up if an FTTC cabinet is nearing capacity?

This is regarding a potential house move, and I've only got an address to go on.

Edited by binary (Tue 31-Aug-21 00:05:58)

When it’s at capacity / full, the wholesale checker shows “waiting list” against the lines for VDSL section for the address or line. If it does not then you should be OK to place an order successfully.

When I last saw this, it only showed "waiting list" if I used the *address checker* option.

When using the *phone number* checker, because I already had VDSL, then it just showed it as available. (This may be of concern if you are considering migrating to another ISP and are worried you might lose your service)

If you don't already have VDSL, then I'm not sure what the phone number checker will show you.

Presumably as the OP says:

In reply to a post by binary:

This is regarding a potential house move, and I've only got an address to go on.

Then using the address checker (as that's all the info he has) should show whether the cab is full or not.

Indeed.

As for "nearing capacity" there's no direct check. It's possible that there is capacity at the time you check (because someone has just ceased a service) but will be snapped up shortly.

What might be worth doing is to look for the cabinet on codelook and see if it's scheduled for expansion. Of course, once it's expanded you're fine, but it may give a hint that you have to do without for a while.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Indeed.

As for "nearing capacity" there's no direct check. It's possible that there is capacity at the time you check (because someone has just ceased a service) but will be snapped up shortly.

What might be worth doing is to look for the cabinet on codelook and see if it's scheduled for expansion. Of course, once it's expanded you're fine, but it may give a hint that you have to do without for a while.

I would just say to the OP, if FTTC looks to be available, then as soon as they are confident of the property purchase / property move proceeding, then to place an order for a broadband service with their provider of choice ASAP

Edited by Pheasant (Mon 30-Aug-21 20:52:39)

Definitely DON'T do that without the property owner's permission.

Most VDSL services are bundled with PSTN these days, and there will be huge data protection problems if they use the phone - e.g. you'll see what phone numbers they are calling. You'll end up paying for those calls too

It will show "waiting list" usually and if you see this then you won't be able to order the service until it becomes available again.

Also further clues such as highest and lowest broadband speed estimates will be an indicator if there is crosstalk.

If speed availability is high usually there is no crosstalk issues so less customers.

Also checking other broadband Altnet FTTP or Virgin Media availability would give clues as to how many customers are using FTTC. If there is no VM or Altnet/Openreach FTTP and FTTC is the only choice, capacity filling is more likely to occur.

You have to check the post code before moving house. It's very unlikely to go full right after your house move.

Just ask here.

If it is done without the owners permission then the owner will receive a letter saying a request has been placed and they have 10 days to cancel it. If they cancel it then the order will disappear - so as you say getting owners permission is vital.

In reply to a post by BLaZiNgSPEED:

Also further clues such as highest and lowest broadband speed estimates will be an indicator if there is crosstalk.

If speed availability is high usually there is no crosstalk issues so less customers.

If speed availability is high it doesn't mean there is no crosstalk. It means it's a shorter line.
The estimates are mainly based on line length/attenuation.

Every single line on every single cabinet suffers some degree of crosstalk.
Even those on cabinets with Vectoring are affected by crosstalk.

From your description someone could conclude that a line with an estimate of 80Mb has no crosstalk. There are many people who used to have 80Mb sync with 140Mb+ attainable rates and very high SNRM who now only just scrape 80Mb with a 3dB SNRM target.
Crosstalk has knocked over 60Mb from their line but they still get 80Mb.

The estimates take crosstalk in to account.
You cannot however look at a lines estimates and get an indicator of how much crosstalk there is.
It is in no way as simple as high estimate = low crosstalk, low estimate = high crosstalk.

You have to check the post code before moving house. It's very unlikely to go full right after your house move.

It's just as likely to full after the house move as it is any other day of the year.

In reply to a post by witchunt:

Just ask here.

i.e. if you post the exchange and cabinet number (which the checker will give you), someone here with deep access into Openreach systems might be able to give you the answer you're looking for.

Reply to Witchunt's post below quoting the Exchange and Cab number and someone may give you an answer.

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

It's just as likely to full after the house move as it is any other day of the year.

I am not so sure. Statistically it is less likely to be full as it is likely a port will just have been freed by the previous occupants of the property ceasing their broadband

AIUI:

The port is allocated to the top of the "waiting list" as soon as it is freed. Assuming there is an entry in the waiting list. Some providers use it.

Otherwise it goes to the first order to request a port. Which even though the migrator in question may be the lucky one, this is not guaranteed.

If on the same FTTC cabinet, we know from these forums the released port is often taken before the system dealing with the migration requests one. Ouch!

Yucky system design. The migrator should be added to (the top of) the waiting list before the port is released.

If moving to another cabinet it's just pot luck.

I needed broadband for a house purchase during last summer and placed an order for the day after completion but made sure it was for a new line (with Vodafone, no charge for this IIRC) so as not to run into any difficulty with the existing occupier/service if something went wrong. I was relocating back to the UK so had no existing/in contract service I was worried about moving.

All went fine, the engineer told me that the old line was actually still active but was happy to cut them off & swap the wiring over to my new line (no idea if that is official practice!) If I hadn't completed by then I'd have called and cancelled/changed the appointment.