In reply to a post by ft247:

The colour of the PVC tape used to coil the cable is unlikely to be relevant.

I didn't think yellow meant anything, just being whatever the technician had to hand - but a lot of CF cable around here is coiled with yellow tape too.

I happened across this PIA document yesterday. It's only a draft from 2018, so may not be currently relevant, but makes multiple references to the use of yellow tape to mark PIA cables and joints in the underground network. Perhaps as some kind of a 'this isn't yours' signal to Openreach staff.

In reply to a post by ft247:

I'd also say in another 18 months that 40/10 and 80/20 will more generally be offered on FTTP if available, decreasing prices closer to their FTTC equivalents. I don't see end-user prices for OR FTTP at 150/30 and above coming down much as they are already relatively competitive with VM. That will take longer until altnets are more established.

80/20 or 40/10? Having recently got FTTP installed by a local ISP - with not an OR vehicle in sight, their minimum entry level was 120/120Mb/s unlimited connection priced at £29 which was actually £5 cheaper than my then 80/20 FTTC connection. They don't offer 80/20 or anything like it. They had 3 levels in total, 500/500 and 1000/1000Mb/s being the other two for domestic customers. I settled on the 500/500.

There doesn't seem to be any local cabinet either. The main fibre connection seemed to be done in the man hole nearest to where the FTTC cabinet is located - they had a van parked there for the best part of a day. They went through both sections of the village (and outlying houses) at a tremendous rate. From the time that they pulled in the additional fibre cable into that manhole, it took just a couple of weeks for me to go live. Some cables that had been left dangling from various poles, ended up disappearing (connected?) about a week later.

So far, very impressed, with the FTTC experience already forgotten.

Quantum Air Fibre use the same passive optical network (PON) architecture that Openreach use, but they are at liberty to use whatever upstream and downstream speed splits they like, unlike service provider that are on the Openreach network. One of their main drawcards really.

Although they don’t have exchanges, the active fibre terminations will be at a cabinet (node) level (perhaps a few miles from you) from where they will backhaul to their datacentres. But not nearly as local as an FTTC cabinet would be.

In reply to a post by 69bertie:

80/20 or 40/10? Having recently got FTTP installed by a local ISP - with not an OR vehicle in sight, their minimum entry level was 120/120Mb/s unlimited connection priced at £29 which was actually £5 cheaper than my then 80/20 FTTC connection. They don't offer 80/20 or anything like it.

I agree that the sooner 80/20 and 40/10 can be forgotten the better! But I think they will live on on the Openreach FTTP network for a while yet, that way ISPs can sell what they'll call the 'same' products in both FTTC and FTTP areas.

Openreach are moving forward here at speed, a good few streets worth of CBTs are now mounted and a few pole mounted joints are showing up. Openreach have also been stringing much fibre between poles where they've decided unblocking the duct isn't worth it - in many cases with three parallel cables. I wonder if that would make noise in the wind.

Some of this has been done in areas where Community Fibre unblocked the ducts and installed subduct weeks ago! I guess one side of OR doesn't talk to the other, there must be some regulation-imposed Chinese wall between PIA and their own network planning.

I wonder why Community Fibre have this area on the back burner, there must be a delay with backhaul or duct blockages near the cabinets. Or maybe they know that it will take Openreach another two months to get to market and are concentrating their efforts where OR are closer to completion.

Seeing it all happen makes one appreciate the challenge for Openreach of managing this on a national level at high volume. It's impressive that they're going so fast.

After getting planning permission for the wrong side of the road last month, they are back today building the footway chamber. Tomorrow morning thy are unblocking a duct and then putting in the fibre in the afternoon to the Post. Interesting to see them going around the area and marking all the blocked ducts on the various streets. Seems to be quite a few. Last year Openreach didn't get permission from the Council to unblock the ducts on my street so this will actually benefit Openreach if they do decide to put FTTP on the street.

Is there a reverse PIA charge back to OR for a customer (service provider) to clean up their duct network for them!? 😎

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Is there a reverse PIA charge back to OR for a customer (service provider) to clean up their duct network for them!? 😎

I believe there are allowances for remedial works aka 'Network Adjustment', the rules have changed a few times as they were creating perverse incentives. See https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2021/01/openre...

Looks like the 2 block ducts have been sorted from the patchwork of holes filled in on the pavement. Next stage is the Fibre to be brought to the telephone post.

I reckon there's an issue in my area at the macro level, like delays with backhaul or a key spine route.

Most other experiences here have been that the service becomes available shortly after the pole-top box being mounted. In this area the first of those went up around two weeks ago and yet no addresses are live yet. As of the end of last week a good 40% of this build phase has the pole-top equipment installed.

It could be coincidence but that 40% just so happens to be where Openreach have built their FTTP to first, not where CF started their build (and finished unblocking/getting fibre to poles first). Openreach aren't live yet either.

The rough timeline here is:
Late 2020 - presumed spine route footway chambers built
December 20 - presumed spine route unblocking
Early 2021 - cabinets constructed
Feb onwards - sporadic duct unblocking.
Early March - microduct on most poles
Mid March - first blown fibre
April - increased intensity of duct unblocking works
Late April - more blown fibre. Pole-top boxes spliced (and left at low level) end of month
Early May - First pole-top boxes mounted in final positions. Further boxes spliced, more fibre blowing.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Is there a reverse PIA charge back to OR for a customer (service provider) to clean up their duct network for them!? 😎

Further to this, Openreach would be wise not to pay it in at least one case...

Community Fibre had several holes in the footpath on my street sorting out collapsed Openreach duct last month. It's a single run of Duct 54 (or some older version of approx. 100mm duct), and that section until this year contained only one or two 50 or 100 pair cables.

After at least two visits Community Fibre got their 7-way tube bundle down it. Last week fibre units were blown to all poles on my street.

Today I found Openreach making more (and bigger) holes in pretty much the same places Community Fibre did...

So either CF unblocked it 'enough' to get their stuff through but no more... or Openreach PIA didn't talk to Openreach FTTP and they sent a team out based on an old survey, who duly dug up the bit they were asked to in order to get paid.