OR Fibre checker pages

What's the difference between this Openreach page (1) and this one (2)?

If I put my postcode into a box on (1) that says it checking for "Full Fibre", it tells me that "Ultrafast Full Fibre" is "build planned between now and Dec-2026" (and that Superfast Full Fibre, aka FTTC, is available now).

Whereas if I do the same the same thing in the "Check your postcode" box in the top LH corner of the map on (2), it tells me that "we[OR] don't have any major plans to build in this exchange". My exchange area appears on the map as a forlorn area of white completely surrounded by green, blue, orange, and black areas (it's by no means unique in that regard).

I understand that it is impossible to keep all pages of a website up to date and consistent at all times. But these pages have been like this for over 3 months now, and (2) claims that "Openreach will update the build information at least every three months" and this page "regularly".

Is it perhaps in the weasel wording? Maybe my exchange is "planned" but not "announced", whatever that is, which would qualify it for inclusion on (2). Or perhaps it's not in "major" plans but some other kind of plans. If so, what might these be?

I can't offer a definitive view of the difference, but I can say that in my area the 2nd link shows the same status of "we're building" for my actual address (where I was initially told that FTTP would be available in June 2023, subsequently changed to September 2023) and another area a couple of miles away where FTTP is already available (it's on a different exchange but this is often irrelevant for fibre provision, I know that the fibres into our FTTC cabinet do not come from our actual exchange but instead from the direction of the exchange supplying these FTTP customers).

I keep an eye on local utility activity using one.network, this shows roadwork-related sites. Openreach repeatedly showed activity in my village over the last few months but only 1 in 3 or 4 of these sites actually had any work done as scheduled. Then another scheduled site appeared for this last Wednesday, and now several telephone poles on the main road have fibre CBTs fitted. Another update shows 4 days of traffic-light-controlled work starting on Monday right where my road joins the main road. The lesson being that even this close to the service being made available things can move by 3 months at the last minute.

Given that your area is up to 3 years away from provision I can't suggest anything beyond keeping an eye on the various sites you already know about. There is also https://bidb.uk/ which allows you to see what is being worked on and existing installations, might help, or might just make you cry.

I believe one of them is for the Openreach postcode checker looking specifically at that address (postcode) to see if there are plans.

The other link is for the exchange area.

So for example if I enter my postcode it will show "Not yet available" and "Build not announced".

At the moment, our Ultrafast Full Fibre build plans don’t include your area but things can change and we're announcing new build across the country all the time.

Provide us with your information below and we’ll let you know immediately if our build plans change to include your area.

However, in the Where and When it will show "Great News! We're building in this exchange".

All of this is very vague. Although it may show plan for my Bishopsgate Exchange here in Central London my postcode has no plan. Initially it showed as plan last year but for only one of the Caretakers room address of my building but all other addresses showed as No plan.

This means that Openreach may upgrade certain postcodes within that exchange but leave out the others. So far from my research very few postcodes here in Central London were showing as plan now until December 2026. Almost all postcodes showed no plan!

In reply to a post by BLaZiNgSPEED:

I believe one of them is for the Openreach postcode checker looking specifically at that address (postcode) to see if there are plans.

The other link is for the exchange area.

Yup and they may be different.

The OR fibre checker now seems to be useless in Scotland. The exchange map shows completed exchanges (not many outside the main urban conurbations) and limited plans elsewhere. Most of the landmass shows "no plans". I am aware of the R100 programme but can find no way to check progress or even if any specific postcode is included.
I am lucky as I have recently moved to a full fibre area but I was trying to find out plans for friends and relatives who live elsewhere and are struggling with very slow ADSL speeds from distant exchanges.
One used to be able to enter a postcode at www.scotlandsuperfast.com and get some form of response. Now there seems to be no indication at all. Can anyone point me to a link that will provide any useful information on the plans for rural Scotland?
Maybe the powers that be are so embarrassed that the plans have gone the way of most political promises?

The 2 different results are correct the one with the date is generic no date yet set but we aim to FTTP the while country by december 2026 and the other is work has not actually started yet.

if that makes sense

I understand there could be a difference between connecting an exchange area and connecting individual postcodes within it. But as an explanation for the apparent discrepancy, it doesn't really stack up. In my case the postcode (1) shows as by 2026, but the exchange area (2) as no build planned. Refs to my OP.

As for leaving some postcodes unconnected, of course OR *may* do that, but they are incentivised otherwise (so that they don't just build enough of an exchange area to discourage Altnet competition, then move on somewhere else and do the same). They can't declare an FTTP priority exchange (the "tranches") and initiate a copper stop-sell until they have 75% coverage in an exchange area. And they will probably not be able to move further along the process of switching off copper completely until they have achieved very close to 100% coverage.

The long standing target was 25M premises (homes and business) by end of 2026, however that’s well shy of the entire country. That may take quite some time longer 😎

In reply to a post by Thaumaturge:

I understand there could be a difference between connecting an exchange area and connecting individual postcodes within it. But as an explanation for the apparent discrepancy, it doesn't really stack up. In my case the postcode (1) shows as by 2026, but the exchange area (2) as no build planned. Refs to my OP.

It makes sense, one is saying if your house is in OR's plans(by 2026/12) and the other is when Openreach are likely to start building in your exchange area ..

In reply to a post by Taras:

It makes sense, one is saying if your house is in OR's plans(by 2026/12) and the other is when Openreach are likely to start building in your exchange area ..

Sorry, still confused. How are you suggesting that OR will connect up my postcode (and several neighbouring ones that I've tried) by 12/2026 without building in my exchange area in the same timeframe?

In reply to a post by Thaumaturge:

In reply to a post by Taras:

It makes sense, one is saying if your house is in OR's plans(by 2026/12) and the other is when Openreach are likely to start building in your exchange area ..

Sorry, still confused. How are you suggesting that OR will connect up my postcode (and several neighbouring ones that I've tried) by 12/2026 without building in my exchange area in the same timeframe?

It is the difference between the strategy of having you connected by 12/2026 and tactics of how to get there. They have a strategy of connecting you to FTTP by 12/2026 but they have not yet firmed up the timeline of the various projects they have to undertake between now and 12/2026. They will have their own internal planned timeline but there are so many variables and things that can throw timelines into chaos that they are unwilling yet to put any firm date on your area in case they have to shift tasks about in the overall plan while still meeting the 12/2026 strategic target.

In reply to a post by Thaumaturge:

What's the difference between this Openreach page (1) and this one (2)?

If I put my postcode into a box on (1) that says it checking for "Full Fibre", it tells me that "Ultrafast Full Fibre" is "build planned between now and Dec-2026" (and that Superfast Full Fibre, aka FTTC, is available now).

Whereas if I do the same the same thing in the "Check your postcode" box in the top LH corner of the map on (2), it tells me that "we[OR] don't have any major plans to build in this exchange". My exchange area appears on the map as a forlorn area of white completely surrounded by green, blue, orange, and black areas (it's by no means unique in that regard).

Going to point you to the word I've emboldened in the quote. No weasel wording. Your exchange is not on the major build plans, so they have no announced plans to build to the bulk of the premises it covers, but that doesn't mean they aren't building to anything there. There's also that they update the plans to build to individual postcodes very frequently, the major build plans far less frequently.

My previous address was covered under their Retro New Sites programme before the rest of the exchange joined the major build plans, my current exchange over 10% of it had been covered by FTTP before it joined the major build plans through a combination of new build and RNS.

In reply to a post by Thaumaturge:

In reply to a post by Taras:

It makes sense, one is saying if your house is in OR's plans(by 2026/12) and the other is when Openreach are likely to start building in your exchange area ..

Sorry, still confused. How are you suggesting that OR will connect up my postcode (and several neighbouring ones that I've tried) by 12/2026 without building in my exchange area in the same timeframe?

OR are saying for their plans up to 12/2026, your premise is a viable development.
You are thinking in the wrong way. What the map is saying is that is four statuses

a) we are building now
b) we are building within next 12 months
c) we will build after 12 months

And
d) we have currently no major plans to build in this area.

The last one is a fudge, its a combination of two things - we are gonna build we don't know when, and we aren't gonna build in this area.


I would go to https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/project-...

and download the csv file and see what your post code says ... some of the data is incorrect so in that in itself is unhelpful.

Thanks all. Light begins to dawn, albeit dimly, and it all still seems mighty confusing. I did wonder in my OP about what the significance of "major" might be, OR don't define it and don't use the term consistently, but noone seemed to pick up on that at the time.

@Taras: Thanks for the link, which I hadn't found. My postcode status (and neighbours) shows as "Gigabit Under Review", with 36 grey premises and 4 under review premises, whatever that might mean.

There's no significant new build going on around here, and we already have 2 altnets live, so RNS, BDUK are unlikely to be complicating factors.

Small builds don't show up on OR maps. Have you tried contacting OR to find out if they can give you a better time frame. If your area build is in 2025 it won't show up until 2024!

Because timeframes can slip back quarters, (and thats a little slippage) you can see why OR don't want to be explicit beyond 12 to 18 months Our village build is taking a best part of 6 to 12 months and my little area which had been in and out of build since 2017-18, is sposed be going ahead this month, but i'm not holding my breath.

So i do understand your confusion and frustration, as do many more on here

Edited by Taras (Mon 16-Oct-23 09:08:37)

I registered for updates on the OR website, must be a couple of years ago now. Not heard a dicky bird since.

It's not for myself I'm primarily interested - I have FTTP with an altnet. But as an old man myself I have a number of elderly friends in our village who ask me for advice. Most of them are with BT, have been for ever, and are unlikely to change now. I like to keep a check on BT's progress so that I can best help them.

Ahh fair enough, I hope you friends get a swift resolve over this.. Good luck!

In reply to a post by Thaumaturge:

My postcode status (and neighbours) shows as "Gigabit Under Review", with 36 grey premises and 4 under review premises, whatever that might mean.

For anyone else who might be interested, definitions of white, grey, under review etc are given in the RFI page linked under documents, right at the end of @Taras's link. But I expect you all knew that except me.

Now I know what it should mean, I have to say that, certainly as regards my postcode, the info doesn't look very accurate.