Openreach cabling - timelines

Morning,

Just wondering if those more knowledgeable than me could provide input on potential timescales around FTTP availability.

Earlier this year – Jan 2020 - it was announced (https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2020/01/openreach-add-227-rural-uk-areas-to-fttp-broadband-rollout.html) that my local exchange Carmarthen was added as part of the rural FTP rollout plan. The area did have pockets of FTTP before this but was quite limited, we have had FTTC since around 2014 though.

Checking the OR fibre checker and other sites since though and it still says no plans for me personally and to register interest etc.

However for the past 2 days OR and a local contractor have been in my small estate (new build in 2011) running new cables. As a relatively new build everything is in the ground with multiple ground access points dotted around. They got to the access point nearest my house yesterday and on politely asking them, they confirmed they are running new fibre cables from the local cab.

One.network also shows work from 22nd-26th Oct by BT as “pulling cable into existing duct” and the path they are on confirms it is feeding the estate from our local cab.

I have two questions based on the above….
1) From the point of them laying new fibre cables, what sort of timescale might it be before being able to place any such order for services?
2) Given the above is there any chance that it’s not FTTP and so won’t be available to me? i.e. before I get too excited

Thanks!

Assuming FTTP then could be a few weeks or could be a few months depending on whether the links are in place all the way to the handover exchange

Things have progressed slightly on this since original post but still have some queries I'm hoping someone can answer.

Brief further background is that my estate (some 200 newish houses) comprises 4 different post codes and 4 different streets. Turns out part of the estate got FTTP in July but the rest of us are still waiting. Due to road layouts my next door neighbour has it available as they are physically next to us but on a different road so assume on different splitter. Further up there appears to be a specific split of where houses are connected as neighbours on the same street next to each other - no.70 can get it but 72 and above cant.

Since the initial work we have had sightings of Telent and OR engineers doing work in the chambers on our road, including seeing what looked like work on a splitter further up the street near the main road and a CBT near my house. During that time, I actually got a leaflet saying that the network had been upgraded and I could order FTTP but it seems this wasn’t the case as isn’t available.

It seems that the work being done on my estate may fall under retro new sites work? And even though work is taking place when I check openreach.com/fibre-broadband it says no plans yet. I also periodically check BT main site and the BT Wholesale Checker to see if that changes.

I had seen some comments on the forum about retro new build work not showing on the OR checker until actually live which would explain above, but wanted to check if this was the case? It wont give me any more info but may make me feel better as I wait impatiently.

Finally I last saw OR on the street 12th and 13th Nov, then a single OR engineer on the phone doing some visual checks a week later. Nothing since and nothing on one.network either. I am hoping that given half the estate is up and running that the wider infrastructure is in place and the recent work might suggest we are in the 'commissioning' phase or close to it?

Sounds very similar to my situation, see https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/fibre/t/4667079-fi...

At least you've had sight of splitters and CBTs, I have no idea if there are any down my chamber! You've also had sight of engineers and leaflets which sounds good. Better than some...

It’s the hope that kills you

Question - did my usual daily checks just now and noticed a change....

openreach.com fibre checker - no change says FTTC only, no plans in area
BT.com - no change FTTC only available for me
BT Wholesale checker - Under featured products, FTTP on demand has changed since end of last week from 330/30 to now saying 1000/220.

It still says FTTP is not available at bottom of the page and it's still listed as FFTPoD under the products but can anyone advise on what this means in the wider scheme of things?

Could this be part of the systems updating to reflect move to FTTP, or could it be bad news that progress halted and infrastructure there for 1000/220 but only FTTPoD?

You can't draw any conclusions from this.

FTTPoD is now 1000/220 for everyone(*), but old records still say 330/30, and don't get updated until the record is touched for some reason.

Hence they may have done a sweep of the availability database in your area. However that doesn't tell you whether they've decided to include or exclude you from FTTP, or not made any change at all.

(*) Except possibly ECI areas.

BT Wholesale checker - Under featured products, FTTP on demand has changed since end of last week from 330/30 to now saying 1000/220.

I just checked this, for my home and business (both at different states of the local fibre build) and home address is showing 1000/220 whereas work is still showing 330/30. Home is further along (from what I can see) with the whole street having CBT's and no work planned on one.network. Work has CBT's but more duct unblocking planned. Openreach showing not available to order for either.

Possibly means it's moving along?

In reply to a post by Wangmaster:

BT Wholesale checker - Under featured products, FTTP on demand has changed since end of last week from 330/30 to now saying 1000/220.

I just checked this, for my home and business (both at different states of the local fibre build) and home address is showing 1000/220 whereas work is still showing 330/30. Home is further along (from what I can see) with the whole street having CBT's and no work planned on one.network. Work has CBT's but more duct unblocking planned. Openreach showing not available to order for either.

Possibly means it's moving along?

That is the hope for me but as above it may not mean anything!

There is also no further work planned on one.network around here and so being optimistic I hope this might indicate the next step in the process confirming the infrastructure is in place.

3 years 8 month for my build.

It was a long way to the Agg Node and there were problems on the way including road closures, ducts clearing, new poles fitted and other mammoth jobs.