Openreach New FTTP Map updated

Guys what do you think of the new map updated?

People visiting our online Ultrafast Full Fibre build map can now see the breadth and depth of our build represented by a simple three colour code:

Green - We’ve built to, or will be building to, the majority of this area

Blue – We’ve built to many parts of this area

Light grey – We’ve built to some parts of this area

https://api.superfastmaps.co.uk/fibrecities/4.0/

The map keep changing from version 1.0 to 4.0 and probably will see the final version 5.0 soon.

https://api.superfastmaps.co.uk/fibrecities/1.0/

https://api.superfastmaps.co.uk/fibrecities/2.0/

https://api.superfastmaps.co.uk/fibrecities/3.0/

https://api.superfastmaps.co.uk/fibrecities/4.0/

Edited by adslmax (Tue 28-May-24 10:46:24)

Impressive when you can see how much is green ie built.

One quick observation, can the colour overlay be a bit more transparent so that the map below is easier to see.

In reply to a post by threelegs:

Impressive when you can see how much is green ie built.

One quick observation, can the colour overlay be a bit more transparent so that the map below is easier to see.

Green is 'we have or will build', not 'has been built'. Two exchanges local to me have barely been touched, still have no firm date, yet are shown in green (Chandler's Ford and Shirley, Southampton)

In reply to a post by BertyBB:

In reply to a post by threelegs:

Impressive when you can see how much is green ie built.

One quick observation, can the colour overlay be a bit more transparent so that the map below is easier to see.

Green is 'we have or will build', not 'has been built'. Two exchanges local to me have barely been touched, still have no firm date, yet are shown in green (Chandler's Ford and Shirley, Southampton)

Quite. Same here, we've been "building soon" for about 3 years yet no activity.

Only way to get more information is to use the download of the exchange detail but even that does not give much.

I also note that OR have back tracked on the frequency of their updates. Was every 3 months now simply "We update this information throughout the year".

Green includes:
* Areas which have been built
* Areas which are in the process of being built
* Areas which haven't even been started to be built

So it's pretty useless now. It shows you how Openreach *hope* things will be in Dec 2026.

If Thinkbroadband with their huge dataset could provide an equivalent map by exchange area, but with different colours for the % of FTTP RFS in each area, that would be very interesting to compare. Right now it seems to be only shown at constituency level.

EDIT: if you click on an exchange area in the Openreach map, you still get different status messages for different exchanges. Even though they are all shown in the same colour now.

Edited by candlerb (Tue 28-May-24 21:44:51)

Agree that by lumping together we have built, we are building, and we might build one day all into one category, the info content of the map is now pretty minimal. It paints an overly optimistic picture of how things are now, which I guess is the point.

At least my exchange area has finally been included. My sympathies to those who are still left out in the cold; hopefully at least some have alternatives. Though since these are just plans which may well change, there are no dates, and no commitment to build everywhere even in the green areas, I think I'll leave the champagne unopened for a while yet.

It's not completely clear to me what the difference between "many" parts of an area (blue) and the "majority" of an area is (green). Perhaps majority means >50% of some metric, and many just means <=50%? And I couldn't actually see any grey areas (defined as "some", >0 total installations?), unless they mean the unshaded areas? Are they claiming that every unshaded area has at least one FTTPoD installation or other special build somewhere?

I think grey = unshaded. The messaging for these areas says:

Some homes and businesses in this area may be able to order Ultrafast Full Fibre

We're building Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband to 25 million homes and businesses. This involves a lot of planning and complexity.

As of now, we don't have any confirmed plans to build more in this area under one of our major programmes. We may build more in the future or under one of our smaller build programmes - or you may be in an area that's covered by Government funding. This doesn't mean your home or business won’t be able to access Ultrafast Full Fibre in the future and we'll update this plan throughout the year with the progress we make.

I suspect every exchange area must have at least 1 FTTP connection, even if it's just a few new-builds.

If nothing else, the vast expanse of green in the map surely sounds the death knell for FTTPoD.

Max, a question, who did this map?

In reply to a post by Taras:

Max, a question, who did this map?

Why ask me? This map is by Openreach! Not me!

In reply to a post by adslmax:

In reply to a post by Taras:

Max, a question, who did this map?

Why ask me? This map is by Openreach! Not me!

You are being asked because you write in the 1st person plural ['we']. If you are quoting, then quotation marks would avoid the problem.

Yeah thats how i read it this morning, and given how bad it is, asking questions is a good thing

just an update

https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/where-when...

so max's links were perfectly legit

Finally my exchange has been announced as part of this announcement! How long does it take from we are planning to build at your exchange to fibre becoming available to order? Roughly speaking here!

In reply to a post by Bobby_Valentino:

Finally my exchange has been announced as part of this announcement! How long does it take from we are planning to build at your exchange to fibre becoming available to order? Roughly speaking here!

No one know! Only OR will know but will not telling us! Could be anytime now up to 2 years or could be longer or could be never will.

Finally my village exchange is now included, however how does this effect BDUK rollout as my regional area (lot 23) is still classed as under procurement and no contract has yet been awarded?

Look at the csv files that Project gigabit have provided - they are badly out of date, but will give you an idea if your post code is gigabit white.

Nothing really changed with this map. Only thing updated is the aesthetics of it.
Example in my case when I enter my postcode, I am powered by Bishopsgate Exchange. Great News! We are building in this area already

Checker from the Openreach website will show "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."

Presumably the whole this is about wayleave agreement. In 2018 it was showing as planned but my building management refused wayleave and subsequently Openreach upgraded us to FTTC from EO Line in October 2019.

Exactly 3 years ago in May 2021 my management EastendHomes signed wayleave for Community Fibre and it took 20 months for the service to go live.
But just because a wayleave is agreed for one Altnet doesn't mean any other Altnet or Openreach FTTP will be granted as well.

It can take another 1-3 years for the service to go live after a wayleave has been agreed. So, for me to get Openreach FTTP by December 2026 is unlikely unless a wayleave can be agreed pretty soon, which I don't think will happen.

This map only concentrates on the Exchange area but not the individual postcodes within that exchange. It does not give detailed information for each premises.

My only assumption would be that if the checker shows "Build planned between now and Dec-2026" that a wayleave has been agreed in the process. If not, it will be just as meaningless as no plan at all.

Sound like I have to wait for FTTP around 2026 then.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Sound like I have to wait for FTTP around 2026 then.

Like I said in my earlier post, I wouldn't uncork the champagne just yet. If I get to order before Q2 2027, I'll be very pleasantly surprised.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Sound like I have to wait for FTTP around 2026 then.

Openreach already answered one of your weekly emails with a date of later this year. That is not superceded by random forum posts or maps referencing entire exchanges.

In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

Openreach already answered one of your weekly emails with a date of later this year. That is not superceded by random forum posts or maps referencing entire exchanges.

Only if the plan goes well without any issues like duct blocked? It's now pushed date back to July - Oct 2026 rather than this year or next year.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

Openreach already answered one of your weekly emails with a date of later this year. That is not superceded by random forum posts or maps referencing entire exchanges.

Only if the plan goes well without any issues like duct blocked? It's now pushed date back to July - Oct 2026 rather than this year or next year.

Is it or did you just get a generic email at the same time as the exchange was announced? Duct blockages are neither unexpected or a big deal most of the time. I'm not sure where you've the idea a blocked duct would put things back like that: it wouldn't.

There are all sorts of reasons for delays. I don't know if you live in an individual house or a residential building. Blocked duct is one thing and a wayleave agreement is totally another. Or it can be a combination of factors that play into it.

The date might be pushed back for you between July to October 2026 but the problem is that the FTTP Map is a little generic as it will either show no plan or plan between now and December 2026. That's the Openreach ambition to get 25 million premises passed.
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2024/04/openre...

NOTE: BT are investing up to £15bn to bring FTTP to 25 million premises by December 2026 (80%+ of the UK) and they aspire to potentially reach up to 30 million by 2030 (c. 25-30m).

Not everyone will get it by December 2026 and some premises might even get it earlier even if the map doesn't show planned! Others will be pushed until 2030.

For example, in this Openreach Fibre Cities Map for one particular exchange Stepney Green in London will show that the build plan is for the future and not right now. Postcodes within that exchange have no FTTP plan. Yet ironically recently one residential building got Openreach FTTP go live and taking orders within that very same exchange that isn't planned at all! That building is Winterton House in London, Shadwell area. It is a social housing and already has multiple FTTP network providers from Virgin Media, Hyperoptic and Community Fibre. I do not know the logic behind Openreach building FTTP there as well, but they probably know better than I or most people.

And there is also a case of economical viability. I still do believe Openreach tend to cherry pick areas that already have Altnets as they don't want to lose existing FTTC customers. Areas that have no choice tend to be delayed as Openreach know that they'll have them kept as customers using ADSL/FTTC/G.Fast by default.

Each case is individual. Even though I may live within a few minutes walk to the City of London that doesn't necessarily mean I'll get Openreach FTTP quicker than someone else in a rural area that is supposedly deemed less economically viable. Because like I said before it may be that Openreach are very much interested to build FTTP but the management is the obstacle for this agreement. Or in other cases the management is interested and very much happy to grant wayleave but Openreach is not interested.

Most of us don't know why some exchanges are unplanned that are very close to another postcode that is under a different exchange. Maybe Openreach want to build area by area at a time and then move on once those are complete.