After several months of campaigning, wrong turns, and seemingly interminable deadlines, FTTP fibre was finally run into our block of (4) flats yesterday

I strongly suspect that the CSP is going to sit there unused, and if that's the outcome, what a waste of effort all round.

A strange conflict in your two posts ? The first being that you were looking forward to rising above sea level (I can do puns too ) in terms of internet speeds, the second that you aren't doing to use a service over it......

I wonder if you can get any redress using ......
http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/submitFeedback....
this form from the Openreach site ?

Hmmm... the conflict is indeed deeply ironic, and I was really looking forward to at least cruising altitude speeds. However, currently it looks to me as though the means of getting from the CSP to any of the potentially four user locations will present what appear to be substantial obstacles, not the least being fibre/ Cat 5e runs plus ONT and other hardware when the domestic acceptability criteria are factored in Maybe I'm being unduly pessimistic, but I'm open to suggestion.

Thanks for the link to the OR form; I will certainly give that a go.

Update - complaint submitted!

Edited by Mygri (Mon 02-Feb-15 19:03:14)

Who owns the leasehold? Maybe needs some planning and consultation of the Openreach developer docs to find something that is suitable and can be installed to a standard that will satisfy all the owners/tenants/landlords. In short supply the location and ducting to reach the four flats and house the hardware now you know what is involved.

It is a fine line between making it easy and neater and making it so difficult for the network operator they don't bother. My temptation if was my gaffe would be small utility box built above the duct housing stuff, and then run fibre externally as unobtrusively as possible to each flat, unless there is already some thing like a floor void with space to get a fibre tube between rooms indoors.

These things are the exact sort of reason why FTTP is done so little, you spend a long time getting it just right.

These things are the exact sort of reason why FTTP is done so little

And also why BT generally won't supply FTTP to flats or divided properties unlike say Hyperoptic. For example FTTPoD, where available, specifically excludes such properties. I suspect that the OP, were it not for the Cornwall BDUK project, might have been left out entirely which could perhaps then have led to a post complaining about lack of decent broadband whereas a neighbour had FTTP.

Hi Andrew,

All flat owners are directors of the management company which owns the building freehold, so we all have an involvement and a responsibility in this. That said, I know that at this stage two flat owners are not interested, but obviously potential future owners could well be, so any steps forward need to take account of that possibility.

My strong suspicion is that the difficulties involved will indeed cause potential providers to file it under too hard, but your suggestion of a small utility box above the duct outlet does give me a glimmer of hope. I need to check the building layout details, but if we can use external pipes (rainwater, soil) to provide pre-existing external runs, something might just be possible. This is a conservation area, so changes to any external features have to be well camouflaged or there is a serious risk of planning restrictions coming into play.

These things are the exact sort of reason why FTTP is done so little, you spend a long time getting it just right.

This may be simple minded, but it seems to me that OR should provide their developers' guide to all potential FTTP users to give them the opportunity to fully assess the implications; they should also have appropriate personnel available to advise those who are not technologically conversant. If I as an engineer can get so comprehensively caught out by this, what chance do non-technical people stand? I would hazard a guess that a lot installations are going to stand unused because OR simply haven't understood the end users' needs.

Thanks for your comments

Addition: I should have added that as far as I an aware, they are no suitable voids, and we have the additional complication of underfloor heating which makes digging around under the flooring not a good idea, even if there were some space.

Edited by Mygri (Mon 02-Feb-15 18:34:41)

Spot on - sadly. Without establishing contact with Superfast Cornwall, I don't think I would have got this far, abortive though it may well turn out to be.

Openreach Developers' Guide.

Edit - As BatBoy just pointed out, you linked to this in your OP.

Edited by RobertoS (Mon 02-Feb-15 22:23:04)

As linked in the OP

So true. Therefore I answered a strange question .

I have read the whole thread, but I'd just like to add a vote for the "That installation is completely unacceptable, coming from a professional employed by Kelly Comms. or whoever else" party. I dare say OR won't be that pleased, either, when water starts to pour down the external grey duct whenever it rains heavily.

I know the background and other possible outcomes of this situation have been talked about because the OP has mentioned the details, and indeed asked about more suitable solutions; but if it was me, I'd currently be assuming that this work is going to be un-done and then re-done.

Ignoring the appalling work that has taken place, if OR/Kelly Comms./Superfast Cornwall can't or won't discuss a more suitable way to install things, with regards to the exact location of components, then the tenants will have to decide on a bit of a compromise, obviously... but after all of this rubbish has been put right.

Kelly essentially (or totally) contract for OR, don't they? So the work is being done in OR's name. I don't think OR would like that very much; in fact, they might even appreciate knowing about it and having the photos. I only recently posted (about a different problem!) that I'd write to the CEO of OR, because although it might seem like an unreasonable response, I don't think anyone else is going to do anything about it. Trying to get Kelly (or whoever else turns up on the day) to modify things will surely only muddy the waters if you do have to escalate things, and of course no ISP has been involved at this stage. What I don't know is how much Superfast Cornwall are directly involved in this, because obviously I don't know who you've campaigned to in the past.

Edited by deleted (Tue 03-Feb-15 03:14:57)