Confused on FTTP availability

Hey everyone. So recently i was comparing broadband deals and i noticed it was saying that we could get FTTP.

I live in a smallish town where most areas cables are underground but ours are on telegraph poles. We are quite far from the cabinet so on FTTC we get around 40 mb down max and 6 mb up.

I had checked ages ago and it said FTTP was planned for around 2025. So while checking these deals i noticed on SKY and TALKTALK it said we could get FTTP and speeds of up to 500mb. I thought surely this is an error so i checked the openreach website and that said we can. I check BT's website and it says we cant ...

So i signed up for that newsletter on openreach and that letter said we dont have FTTP yet, i email them and they say we do and can order it now ... im so confused lol

BT doesnt even show us FTTC now so i didnt want to risk trying to order FTTP and then we lose our spot on a full FTTC cabinet or something like that

I decided to check the bt dsl checker and it says this? https://ibb.co/Mk0QTtS

A few months back i did notice them putting this big new black box on the telegraph pole right near me but thats all iv seen. Anyone have any ideas with this?

You should be able to place an order.

There may be some further work to do - hence the comment in the wholesale checker against WBC FTTP - so possibly not an immediate connection (at least using a BT Wholesale backed connection) but certainly not 2025! TalkTalk and Sky use their own backhaul provision at the serving handover exchange, so that is more than likely why it shows available to order from them and not via BT wholesale backed ISP’s.

The big black box on the pole is more than likely the CBT (connectorised block terminal) from which the drop-wire connection to your premises will come from.

It could be that it has become available so recently that all the suppliers checkers haven't yet updated with the new information. You could well find waiting a short while would allow them all to get updated and be in line with the install.

In reply to a post by sunzz31:

BT doesnt even show us FTTC now so i didnt want to risk trying to order FTTP and then we lose our spot on a full FTTC cabinet or something like that

You can order FTTP completely separately from FTTC, so you have both services side by side - and the FTTP can come from a different supplier than your FTTC.

The question then is what you want to do about your voice service and phone number, if you use them.

The ideal option (IMO) once FTTP is working, is to port your voice phone number to a VOIP provider. When this happens, it will automatically cease the underlying FTTC and PSTN; and your phone number will be forever yours, and future FTTP migrations won't touch voice. You can also use whatever router you want on your FTTP line, and it gives you a wider choice of FTTP providers, e.g. Talktalk who don't do voice.

Make sure you're close to end of contract on your FTTC though, or you'll be hit with a hefty early termination charge.

The alternative is to migrate from FTTC to FTTP in one go, which will migrate your voice number from FTTC on the same day. You are currently limited to BT, Sky and Zen who can do this. You'll almost certainly be forced to use the router they provide, as that's where your phone will plug in.

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/8620-a-walk-in-a...

You also need to think where in your property the ONT box (Bit like a Modem) is going as it needs a 240v mains supply so near a twin 13A socket (one for ONT and the other for your router)

If the network is recently built and you'd consider a supplier other than BT, check TalkTalk, Sky, Zen and Vodafone. All have beaten BT (wholesale and retail) to market at my address by five months and counting.

If anyone with BT contacts is reading, I'd be interested to know what the delay is. I'm well served by Community Fibre, and the backup 80/20 won't be out of contract until mid-2022 - but there must be something peculiar going on for BTw not to be on sale yet.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

You should be able to place an order.

There may be some further work to do - hence the comment in the wholesale checker against WBC FTTP - so possibly not an immediate connection (at least using a BT Wholesale backed connection) but certainly not 2025! TalkTalk and Sky use their own backhaul provision at the serving handover exchange, so that is more than likely why it shows available to order from them and not via BT wholesale backed ISP’s.

The big black box on the pole is more than likely the CBT (connectorised block terminal) from which the drop-wire connection to your premises will come from.

I think youre right about the CBT block, as i had a google and it looks like that. Would it take longer if no one orders FTTP?

In reply to a post by ft247:

If the network is recently built and you'd consider a supplier other than BT, check TalkTalk, Sky, Zen and Vodafone. All have beaten BT (wholesale and retail) to market at my address by five months and counting.

If anyone with BT contacts is reading, I'd be interested to know what the delay is. I'm well served by Community Fibre, and the backup 80/20 won't be out of contract until mid-2022 - but there must be something peculiar going on for BTw not to be on sale yet.

Yeah i checked quite a few and it seems sky, talk talk and zen offer it, BT and our current provider plusnet doesnt. I assumed BT would be the first company to offer it to be honest

sunzz31

The last line on the checker results explains the difference.

"FTTP is in planned status. An order may be placed which will be processed when the network is ready."

BT will not take an order at that status but others will. None of them will progress until the network is compete but you can place an order in advance of this. This may mean you are the first on the equipment which may mean that you will hit any failures. I would suggest that you do not cancel any FTTC service until the FTTP has been working for a couple of weeks if this Broadband is critical for you.

Would it take longer if no one orders FTTP?

Not really. The ‘catchment area’ for FTTP locally is thousands of properties served.

Whether it’s just you connected in your street, is I’d argue not relevant in the slightest. The ISPs that want to offer service, will make a judgement call on that before anyone places an order. Seeing as Sky and TalkTalk allow you to order then they’ve already made the call.

BTW used to typically be the first off the bat when the infrastructure was ready, but now increasingly, as noted, they’re beaten to the punch by the other guys. If you really want to use a BTW backed ISP, then you could try placing an order with them.