VM vs Openreach cables

Hello,
Apologies if this has already been answered elsewhere.

I'm currently with Sky FTTC on exchange NEWAS. I've been a customer for over 25 years. Recently there have been guys in our street marking out the pavements and pushing yellow sleeved cable (not sure what this is, DOCSIS or fibre cable?) through some existing ducts. I had a chat with one guy who said they are installing for VM. On checking the Openreach website they say they have a build planned for us by Dec 2026.

My question is: I'm not all that keen on VM, but would like faster speeds than the 55Mb I get now, so if I hold off on ordering from VM, will I get the chance to order Sky FTTP in due course via Openreach's (new)cables ?
Or is there any chance that I can order Sky FTTP using VM's cabling or is it different to Openreach's?

Thanks all.

VM's network is completely independent of any other ISP's so you'll need to wait for Openreach (or another alternative network) to provide FTTP in your street if you don't want to use VM.

You could sign up for VM when it becomes available I guess and see out the 18 month contract. Other options may be available at the end of that period?

Edited by ferretuk (Sat 17-May-25 18:25:51)

The yellow stuff was probably a cobra rod used to pull cable into ducts.

Virgin Media and Nexfibre's FTTP networks currently have no ISP options other than Virgin Media. If you want FTTP without having to take service from VM then you need to wait.

Magpie user ID living in Washington Tyne and Wear , shouldn’t your ID be Mackem ?

In reply to a post by magpie:

I had a chat with one guy who said they are installing for VM. On checking the Openreach website they say they have a build planned for us by Dec 2026.

I just tried https://bidb.uk/ using the house number 1 and postcode NE38 7RU as this is for a Sainsburys.

Looking at the map there is a lot of orange lines either side of Rickleton Way which is nexfibre for VM doing some works. Then Openreach blue lines are visible around Ayton road. Perhaps take a look here and then at https://one.network to determine who is actually building in your road.

Will give a bit of an idea what products are available.

That postcode even shows CityFibre as planned. If they come in then the OP can order Sky FTTP via CityFibre.

But indeed any work that VM is doing now is going to be Full Fibre and it will not be the old DOCSIS cable. They will be separate fibre optic cables.
VM currently is only being offered by Nexfibre. But giffgaff will be the next ISP that will join their network soon. We don't know, which other wholesale ISP will join Nexfibre. Only if Sky join them of-course, you will be able to order via Nexfibre.

But of-course there are wholesale networks that have exclusive ISPs that aren't on neither Openreach or CityFibre like those of OFNL, Freedom Fibre, Fibre Heroes, etc. They have ISPs that aren't on other networks. So, there's no guarantee that Sky will join Nexfibre.

It depends on the agreement and some agreements may never happen. E.g. I don't ever expect Virgin Media to join Openreach or BT to join VM Nexfibre, they are competitors!

Haha, there’s a mackem next door to me

Thanks that’s very useful. My street is in orange, so nexfibre.

Thanks for all replies so far.

Update: digging a trench and installing cables and Toby boxes has begun in my street.

How long on average might it take for VM to accept an order?

I currently have a landline via copper wire, will this be deactivated by a VM installation? I’d be quite happy if it did go and if I do order internet/TV in future via Sky (assuming Openreach also install their cables as planned) would not order VOIP.

Thanks in advance

Expect around 6 months. Could be more, could be a lot less.

It's easier to watch their progress if there's a nearby street where they're using Openreach poles so it's not all hidden underground.

In my area all these tasks were done at different times, probably using a few different teams:

Civils work
Installing grey cabinets
Pulling cables through ducts (large loop of cable attached to every pole)
Fitting CBTs to the cables (temporarily at head height on the poles)
Fitting brackets to the top of poles
Moving CBTs to the top of poles
Painting reference numbers on the grey cabinets

The longest gap was between the cables being installed and the CBTs being fitted, that was probably 2-3 months, and another 1-2 months before they moved them to the top of the poles. They went live not long after they moved the CBTs to the top of the poles and painted reference numbers on the cabinets.

VM reps were out knocking on doors and leaving postcards the same week they went live.

VM do not yet offer a telephone service in new fibre optic (nexfibre) areas so it's good that you don't want a landline. If you use the one touch switching service, your phone service should cease when your old broadband service does.

UPDATE

Thanks for your response. It seems things are moving fast(ish) although not as I expected. VM posted some fliers through letterboxes saying they can take orders yet when I phoned them they said they can’t (yet).
However, and this is my preferred option, Openreach emailed on 17/7 to say that full fibre is available in my area. I placed an order immediately with Sky (I’m contracted until late 2026). This was a nice surprise and it seems that cables are being shared.

Unfortunately my install date of today has come and gone. Sky contacted me to say OR “don’t have the equipment” to connect me and are in the process of rearranging the install date.
Frustrating, but hopefully won’t take too much longer.

Openreach and Virgin (or Nexfibre ) don’t ‘share’ cables , and physical infrastructure sharing is a one way street , Virgin/Nexfibre can use Openreach ducts etc , but Openreach can’t use Virgin/Nextfibre ducts etc.

You can check your Openreach availability by putting your address in here

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/...
The key parts look like this ( this example shows a very ‘easy’ address with existing ducts etc )

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range (Mbps) Availability Date FTTP Install Process
WBC FTTP Up to 1000 Up to 220 -- Available KCI2 Assure

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG Feed with no anticipated issues.

What does the return for your address show ?,

Edited by Iniltous (Fri 01-Aug-25 08:05:04)

I’ve copied what I hope is the relevant information:

WBC FTTP Up to 1000 Up to 220 -- Available KCI2 Assure
Other Offerings Availability Date
VDSL Multicast Available
Exchange Product Restrictions Status
FTTP Priority Exchange N
WLR Withdrawal Y
SOADSL Restriction N
Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG partial Direct In Ground.

FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.

Apparently you are in an area where the original copper pair distribution was buried armoured cables to the property (DIG , direct in ground , typically housing built in the 1960’s to the early 1990’s ) and it’s a two stage installation process (KCI2) … this doesn’t normally stop any ISP raising an order (Sky being your preference ) but with the proviso that it’s going to need ‘civils’ type work and therefore any date is provisional , the Openreach fibre infrastructure will be located in an existing footway jointbox , that could be upto 100m away (probably much closer ) , the process is , ISP makes an order , stage 1 of the two stages , Openreach visit to establish what’s needed and put that in place (excavation from the footway box to your house wall , or digging down onto existing duct and providing a ‘duct tee’ and duct to your property) once this is done a second date given for the installation of the CSP/ ONT etc .

I don’t know why Sky have said what they have , I suspect whoever you spoke to is not particularly well informed, the first date is for the installation survey and was never binding , when OR put the necessary infrastructure in place they tell Sky who give you a second date (KCI2 ) , they probably should have better explained the process.

Although you say VM/Nexfibre were providing Toby boxes etc , they are exclusively for their own use and of no consequence to Openreach , but it’s possible that they may have spurred OR on to develop the area themselves, potentially VM/Nexfibre have cleared any blocked or unserviceable OR ducts on their own rollout , making a slightly more attractive case for Openreach .

Edited by Iniltous (Fri 01-Aug-25 10:52:07)

Thanks for your explanation it all makes more sense now. OR were outside my house this morning and were doing some work inside one of their footway boxes. This one is the nearest to my property, approx 15m away.
My house was built in the 1980s and everything is underground including the (redundant) cables which brought an early form of cable tv to the street as well as the copper pair. Maybe as you say there are existing ducts which OR will use?
We’ll see.

Hello all,
Finally I got full fibre 500 installed! Openreach dug a trench in my garden and the ONT connection went well. I helpfully demolished a small wall which the guys were grateful for.
The connection is stable and after I got a Sky technical engineer to come out with some Sky max pods the Wi-Fi in the house is working well.
Relieved. Thanks for your advice and encouragement.

How long was it between ordering to having a service? We have three months left on our virgin contract, and are also KCI2, would quite like to time it to have fttp install as near as possible till we are out of contract with virgin.

Installation dates will vary across the country, and if it ends up requiring civils work it could be a long wait.
Personally, I placed and order on Monday, had someone complete the external works on Tuesday ready for installation later next week. But this is a home move to an area that's had FTTP for some time.
Areas that have recently gone live may have longer install dates due to high demand

I ordered the first day I got an email from Openreach saying I could, that was 17th July. The final installation happened on 22nd October, so just about 3 months.

Good luck

In reply to a post by DG834MAN:

How long was it between ordering to having a service? We have three months left on our virgin contract, and are also KCI2, would quite like to time it to have fttp install as near as possible till we are out of contract with virgin.

As has been said it can vary a lot, for me it was just 7 days from placing the order in an area that had just gone live with FTTP

Very similar installation to the op, no ducting between the house and street, nearest BT Chamber is 30m away on the other side of the street.

In reply to a post by DG834MAN:

How long was it between ordering to having a service? We have three months left on our virgin contract, and are also KCI2, would quite like to time it to have fttp install as near as possible till we are out of contract with virgin.

I suggest you order it now.

There is a risk of paying for some overlap, at worst nearly three months. But personally, I'd rather that than either the risk of paying huge out-of-contract rates for Virgin, or the risk of being left without broadband at all.

Also, there are plenty of "Black Friday" deals on at the moment which should make the overlap less painful.