If it's anything like the new estates next to me with FTTP, the initial owners were tied into a 2 or 3 year contact from first activation with BT. Once that time is over, BT allowed them to switch to any ISP that would support them, but in this area that's just BT for now so it's a moot point.

I thought 3 year contracts were illegal for residential broadband users? Unless some users chose BT Business instead?

Edited by deleted (Mon 15-Jul-19 14:03:46)

I wasn't aware that BT did this, sounds very odd given the fibres are from Openreach and I didn't think that BT had any different access to Openreach than any other ISP. However I'm aware that a number of developers contract with smaller operators such as See the Light to provide FTTP resulting in tie ins and not necessarily just for broadband but can also include electricity.

They are

I'm interested in investigating this more, since Ofcom rules mean BT would not be allowed to do this.

People should have a choice of signing up to a retail provider, off course once you've done that you may be in an 18 or 24 month contract, so its possible there is some confusion.

Pretty certain that no customer is forced to go with BT Retail on the Openreach FTTP platform, even on new build estates. I imagine what regularly happens is that the developer simply tells the house buyers that "BT" is the only provider available, ie they have got BT/Openreach mixed up - and the customer treats this as gospel without doing any research themselves.

Edited by deleted (Mon 15-Jul-19 14:20:31)

In reply to a post by MCM:

I wasn't aware that BT did this, sounds very odd given the fibres are from Openreach and I didn't think that BT had any different access to Openreach than any other ISP.

Lots of ISPs choose not to sell the FTTP product, since (today) it represents such a tiny proportion of the reachable user base, and requires significant investment in systems, processes and training.

What's odd is the assertion that there is no choice apart from BT *in this particular area*. Maybe it's a Market A area?

Is any Openreach FTTP "Market A"? The local exchange may well be Market A but I would have thought that most if not all head end exchanges were Market B and would have hoped that if that were the case then Zen, AAISP, IDNet, Cerberus and other ISPs using the Openreach FTTP platform would be available.

Completely agree BF

For the vast user base they consider ISPs from mass market providers e.g. BT PlusNet Sky TalkTalk etc. e.g. AAISP is not an ISP the majority of people are drawn towards, hence considering the mass market listing AFAIK it's BT and/or recently EE. The advice is a little misleading but for the majority who will check only mass market ISPs, until recently BT has been the only mass market option.

Edited by ukhardy07 (Mon 15-Jul-19 15:31:51)