FTTP external work requires new telegraph pole installed

Hi,

A while ago I had posted a link about the Likelihood of FTTP becoming available in our area.

Between posting that, and now, there's been some advancements, although somewhat confusing.

Earlier in the year Jan 2025 I had contacted Openreach regarding the area and that we don't have overhead telegraph poles, they said that the copper cable is laid direct in the ground with no ducting and we'd need 330 metres at £100 a metre if we really wanted it for our street.

A few weeks back in early July several hundred metres away at the end of the street on the main road I'd noticed yellow paint near the foot covers with "OR" abbreviated near it.

And then, about 2 weeks ago shocked to discover that I had an email from Openreach saying FTTP up-to 1.6g is now available at our address, but there's been no digging, sign of works or any new telegraph poles installed.

So, contacted EE, our service provider to put an order in and within a week they've had an external surveyor come around to the area who recons they can install a new telegraph pole on our side of the road, run a cable from the other side to our side, and then drop the FTTP line from there to our bungalow, he'd recon we'd be the only line on that pole to begin with but other properties would start popping up on it over time.

The funny thing, he came around yesterday July 25th, and EE has given us an activation date of Aug 4th, so what's the chances of getting a new telegraph pole installed externally by then, and a cable dropped to our home? And, is this overhead cable likely to be reliable in the long term and provide 1.6g speeds?

EE claim that we will get a minimum of 1.3g on the 1.6g plan, which, considering we only get 20mbps maximum right now will be a game changer.

Pretty unlikely I would imagine.
The speeds won't be a problem though, once it's connected

As Witchunt says, the speed won't be a problem, also thousands like us are taking FTTP from overhead lines, our nabours line runs through a tree which moves about a lot in the wind and no problems.

Please report back on what happens on the 4th August

In reply to a post by witchunt:

Pretty unlikely I would imagine.
The speeds won't be a problem though, once it's connected

They really need to stop with this practice of massaging the RFS figures and cost per premises passed with properties that need new poles and apartments with no wayleave and fibre only to the curtilage.

Needing a new pole to extend the network doesn't strike me as RFS, having to get wayleave and wire the apartments up definitely isn't. It does, however, mean the cost to actually complete the build ends up in install cost and they can claim to have more premises RFS faster.