Fibre "node"?

My local exchange (Netherend) is currently being upgraded for FTTC. However, I'm on an exchange-only line which I've been told won't be upgraded (all my near neighbours are in the same situation). I've been moaning to our BDUK body (fastershire) for a while, but they won't say what their plans for exchange-only lines are.

However, they have blown the fibre through the ducts past my house, and I spoke to the engineers that were jointing the cable. I'd assumed that the fibre was the backhaul to/from the exchange since there isn't any other obvious reason for the fibre to be there. They told me that there were plans for a "node" in the large manhole just outside my house.

Now, they didn't say what type of "node", but I wondered whether it could possibly be a distribution node for FTTP to serve the nearby cluster of homes and businesses? Does that sound possible/likely? If not what else could it be?

It might be, or could just be a passive component in the fibre run to a remote cabinet.

Projects are often reluctant to say much due to the level of moaning when/if things are delayed or plans change.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

It might be, or could just be a passive component in the fibre run to a remote cabinet.

Projects are often reluctant to say much due to the level of moaning when/if things are delayed or plans change.

I doubt projects need things to be delayed or changed to get moaned at simply being left towards the end of the rollout will be enough.

I'm fairly confident that whilst I've had to wait and am still waiting for fibre to come it'll be FTTP. Indications

1.>Codelock says the premises served by the cabinet I'm connected to are down for FTTP
2.>Coils of cables behind telepgraph poles saying FTTP on them
3.>Several of these have been cabled up to new nodes on the telepgraph poles. (Not on mine though, however the pole which serves me is adjancent to a BT manhole so mine might be underground

The generic architecture models of the access network can be seen in some pictures:

FTTC = http://postimg.org/image/yavaye8ol/
FTTP = http://postimg.org/image/5heiytevt/

In both architectures, the fibre out of the exchange, as far as the "aggregation node", is common to both models; the "node" they mention could be one of these - in which case it is just part of the fibre spine on the way to the cabinets.

Another node could be a "splitter node", which is used exclusively in an FTTP deployment.

If you want to see what the nodes can look like, here are some manuals:
http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/fibre/4375161-fibre...

and some photos from Mr Saffron:
http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/fibre-milton-keynes/

There's also an update to the FTTP architecture that BT are trialling:
http://postimg.org/image/gps0ysfbt/

My guess is that it is an aggregation node, and part of the backhaul to the exchange, so wouldn't help you directly. However, if ever a "fibre on demand" product became available, you'd probably end up with the lowest construction cost - because it is based on distance to the aggregation node.

Interesting. In this case I don't think there are any cabinets served by my exchange that are south of the exchange at all - if there were one I'd probably be connected to it. So there isn't any obvious cabinet that the fibre could be running to. STOP PRESS: I've just had a look at CodeLook, and there are actually more cabinets than I knew of, including some that are further from the exchange than my house - so it could be just running to those (via a slightly indirect route...).

I'll have to wait to see what happens, but the suspense is killing me. I have a "plan B" of using a microwave link to a friend that is FTTC enabled, but if I could get FTTP that would be better.

Edited by sheephouse (Wed 23-Dec-15 12:50:02)

Well looking at those images, what's on some of the poles down my street is what looks like the 7 or 12 BFT manifold, hard to tell from the image. But looking on the poles they are roughly tube shapped black and about 7 inches high, with a cable which reads FTTP running into them.

I often wonder how often Codelook is updated. It says we're "FTTP Planned" still, and that 21CN isn't available. I've been on FTTP for 2 months, and had BTw ADSL2+ for 5 weeks prior to that.

I often wonder how often Codelook is updated.

The date of each dataset used is shown when opening Codelook. For example today it states:
Creation Date: 16th December 2015
Source: Ofcom CodeList numbering database dated 16th December 2015
Source: BT Electronic Price List dated 16th December 2015
Source: BT Wholesale broadband datasets dated 2nd December 2015

So to answer your question. It is currently using a BT broadband dataset dated 2 December.

Remember too that the fibre head-end isn't necessarily located at your specific exchange. The fibre spines might be running out of a different exchange building, and routed in directions contrary to your expectations.

If they are manifolds, the cable running up to them will be black with a yellow stripe - indicating it contains (or will contain) fibre rather than copper.

Did you see the photos from Cornwall?

http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/fibre-cornwall/

Photos 12-17, in particular.