Is this fibre being deployed?

Hello all,

Openreach Fibre Checker says my property is due to be built before Dec 2026. Today, I've spotted their van doing something nearby:

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/YC8bSCx7/IMG-5473-3200.jpg[/img]

Does anyone know whether this reel of cable is fibre?

Thanks in advance.

It's a cobra - used for pushing through the duct (and any obstructions) ahead of roping & cabling.

Edited by hunnymonster (Thu 11-Jul-24 11:52:21)

It's a good sign anyway

Mine was scheduled by 2026 too but recently it went live without warning and I can order.

In reply to a post by hunnymonster:

It's a cobra - used for pushing through the duct (and any obstructions) ahead of roping & cabling.

Agreed.

What the rope will be used to pull through afterwards is anyone’s guess

Ohh ok thanks everyone for your responses

In reply to a post by SpeedySlow:

Mine was scheduled by 2026 too but recently it went live without warning and I can order.

Is yours SDU (house) or MDU (block of flats)?

One thing to note - were they Openreach (or their contractors) doing the work? Good way to tell is to check the van or even just walk over and chat to them!

The reason I ask is that more and more altnets are using PIA to put their own fibre through Openreach's ducts and it may be that this *is* preparation for fibre, but it won't be from Openreach. This is exactly what happened in my street and all of the duct clearing work (and digging required to achieve this!) were done by contractors from the altnet, not ones from Openreach.

(Since earlier this month, I now have lovely 1G/1G fibre and Openreach are still yet to come up my street)

In reply to a post by daern:

One thing to note - were they Openreach (or their contractors) doing the work? Good way to tell is to check the van or even just walk over and chat to them!

The reason I ask is that more and more altnets are using PIA to put their own fibre through Openreach's ducts and it may be that this *is* preparation for fibre, but it won't be from Openreach. This is exactly what happened in my street and all of the duct clearing work (and digging required to achieve this!) were done by contractors from the altnet, not ones from Openreach.

(Since earlier this month, I now have lovely 1G/1G fibre and Openreach are still yet to come up my street)

OK I wasn't aware independent companies use the same ducting. However as I live in a flat, I'm not sure whether those would be up to deploying to the block. Not sure if the management company would be happy with multiple companies setting up communal distribution boxes either.

Sadly Openreach won't deliver symmetric speeds like yours as they use GPON. I'd rather go with a 3rd party in this case (if possible).

In reply to a post by squarecrumpets:

OK I wasn't aware independent companies use the same ducting. However as I live in a flat, I'm not sure whether those would be up to deploying to the block. Not sure if the management company would be happy with multiple companies setting up communal distribution boxes either.

Sadly Openreach won't deliver symmetric speeds like yours as they use GPON. I'd rather go with a 3rd party in this case (if possible).

You're quite right about MDUs (i.e. flats) - they are a more complicated connection than a freehold house. Something to discuss with your management company probably, but I'd still recommend chatting to people working on your street to find out who they are working for. These days, it's as likely to be a third-party as it is to be Openreach and it can sometimes be tricky to know which third party services you can get.