My observations round my way where extra capacity is required seems to depend on whether the original cabinet was part of the commercial rollout or BDUK, with BDUK cabinets taking priority.

BDUK cabinets have been upgraded or second cabinets installed within weeks of reaching capacity compared to the cabinet I'm connected to, which was part of the commercial rollout, and had to wait 17 months for a second to be stood and be commissioned.

Someone will be attending soon to rectify the faults on the existing ports. The cabinet is not likely to be due expansion yet.

Your question makes the assumption that all full cabinets gets capacity added. That is not always the case.

If a cabinet serves 300 premises and a 288 Huawei fills up then they may not feel it is justified to pay for an extension for such few properties.

I know many cabinets at capacity that have had a waiting list for a year or 2 and still have no plans to be expanded or have a 2nd cabinet fitted.

I know other cabinets that have had extensions/2nd cabinets added before they even reached capacity and have never had a waiting list showing.

To answer your question though it can take many months to add a 2nd FTTC cab.
A High Density upgrade can be done I a matter of weeks in some cases.
Usually both take months of planning though.
There's a lot more work involved in adding a whole new FTTC cab compared to an HD expansion.

Important to add that existing ECI cabinets that reach full capacity can't be expanded and would need a 2nd Huawei cabinet placed next to it.

Edited by j0hn83 (Tue 14-Aug-18 13:08:56)

Right. Waited in all morning as 8-1 app to then be told by Plusnet that all external work has been done and the engineer never needed to attend property. Now been told next Friday for internal phone socket to be fitted at house. Annoyed really as had the day off for no reason. Cabinet has also gone back to waiting list which I�m hoping means my port was reserved today when work carried out for the FTTC service.

I take it you managed to get another FTTC order placed then?

The last you mentioned Plusnet were going to install a phone line and the cabinet was on a waiting list.

Again it went to available and when they finished it went waiting list so assume it may have been reserved. Talking to Plusnet fuming as waited in all morning and then adv at 2pm all work was external and no need to be in😡. I�ve been giving a months broadband free but adviced when all sorted I will be raising a complaint as I was told broadband would be working by the end of the day also. Next Friday they are going to put a socket in and hopefully then my FTTC will be sorted. Again nothing set it stone and confirmed yet. Anyone been in this situation before. The previous line was a talk talk line and cease on that it actioned for 21st. Maybe there gonna reuse that on 25th.

Do you have any further info I if the cabinet is full or faulty ports as of now? Also I think the area is a BDUK area who I have emailed to ask if there�s anything in the worls to increase fibre avalibikty on p7. Any info appreciated.

Once cabinet is built the onus is fully with Openreach with regards to adding capacity, since by its nature strong take-up proves the viability

It was a commercially funded cabinet. All i can add is that the DSLAM is not at capacity so the waiting list is possibly due to pending capacity upgrade e.g. additional card/copper.

Brilliant. I can stop worrying ha