Ultrafast broadband

I read this in our local paper tonight and it says "We’ll publish further location details and timescales on our website as the detailed surveys and planning are completed and the build progresses" are we talking months or years?

I wont get too exited i am expecting the answer to be the latter.


MORE Cumbrian towns are set to receive ultrafast broadband as part of major connectivity upgrade plans.

On Friday Openreach outlined plans to build ultrafast full fibre broadband to at least three million more homes and businesses – including around 100,000 in Cumbria - in some of the UK’s hardest to serve communities.

A total of 21 exchanges across the county are being upgraded, including Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, Ambleside and Windermere.

With download speeds of 1 Gbps, residents can expect a service up to ten times faster than the average home broadband connection.

The plans also include an extension to the company’s biggest ever recruitment drive, with a further 1,000 new roles being created in 2021 on top of the 2,500 jobs which were announced in December 2020 – of which around 255 were in the North West.

Robert Thorburn, Openreach’s regional director for the North, said: “Building a new ultrafast broadband network across the North West is a massive challenge and some parts of the region will inevitably require public funding.

“But our expanded build plan means taxpayer subsidies can be limited to only the hardest to connect homes and businesses. And with investments from other network builders, we’d hope to see that shrink further.

“This is a hugely complex, nationwide engineering project.

“It will help level-up the UK because the impact of Full Fibre broadband stretches from increased economic prosperity and international competitiveness, to higher employment and environmental benefits.

“We’ll publish further location details and timescales on our website as the detailed surveys and planning are completed and the build progresses.”

https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/19335489.ulverston-wi...

From initial announcement of intent to service being live: it varies hugely. However, I'd say if you set your expectation to be somewhere between 2 and 4 years, that's the most likely range.

The Openreach where and when page only divides into three categories:

- by April 2024
- by April 2025
- by December 2026

... and that includes all previously-announced areas too.

Just checking that you realise that news article was from May this year ?

Thanks candlerb -
looks like a long wait as i thought.

Thanks Andy -
i hadn't realised it was from May at least its 7 months nearer


.

Edited by Jack_Hackett (Sat 27-Nov-21 16:41:47)

If you go on roadworks.org, you may be able to see planned works by Openreach. This can give you an idea of if things are in build or still in planning.

Jack

If you look at the map you can see some of the places already covered. As the places mentioned already have some FTTP you may find build is faster than some timescales for some of the towns. But pot luck whether where you live is one of the lucky ones!.

It is always easier to rollout when some infrastructure already exists and Cumnria is surprisingly well served compared to some places.

Surprised no one sent this map yet
https://api.superfastmaps.co.uk/fibrecities/2.0/

Edited by 0007 (Sat 27-Nov-21 23:57:56)

Thanks to all, i have seen that map before and it says 2021 to 2026

In reply to a post by Jack_Hackett:

Thanks to all, i have seen that map before and it says 2021 to 2026

That is just a direct link to the map within the Openreach page previously posted.

I live in an area that isn't categorised, so I am assuming later than 2026. One of my neighbours wrote to our MP whom told him that this means Openreach won't be deploying FTTP in our town.

I understood that the uncategorised areas were "not yet decided" rather than "not planned, ever". But my neighbour is convinced the MP knows what is what. I tried to explain Openreach is a private company owned by BT Plc shareholders and their business decisions are nothing to do with parliament.

The openreach page even says:

It doesn't show everywhere that we'll build to reach 25 million premises by December 2026 - we'll be adding more locations over time

Edited by jchamier (Sun 28-Nov-21 13:00:38)

In reply to a post by jchamier:

I live in an area that isn't categorised, so I am assuming later than 2026.
...
The openreach page even says:

It doesn't show everywhere that we'll build to reach 25 million premises by December 2026 - we'll be adding more locations over time

The Openreach page is correct, and the MP is wrong.

The same time windows have been in place for a while, and every 3 or 4 months Openreach adds new places to deliver *within those same time windows*.

Hence it's quite possible that where you live might not be added to plans until (say) 2022, and then delivered in (say) 2025.