In reply to a post by Pheasant:

You might want to consider some of the other pros and cons.

Yes, exactly. Starlink isn't available here until mid 2022. Which may be a year away... Didn't I recently read FTTPoD now has a very quick lead time? My big problem with Starlink is its slow uplink. It might be better looking at some sort of bonding over FTTC for much the same money with none of the satellite cons.

If I did have to wait 18 months for FTTPoD: a) do you pay upfront on order or when work starts? b) can you cancel before work starts when the whole street gets connected by OR or CityFibre and only lose the £250 survey fee?

FTTP will also be more reliable, have lower latency, and will consume less power than the Starlink ground station - so Starlink may be "cheaper" but not necessarily "better".

> FTTPoD (CBT only) is £2345 ongoing at £40 for a 115/20 service = £92 a month over 36 months.

If you remain with Cerberus it's £32.50 per month for years 2 and 3 if you stick at 115/20:

1625 + 60*12 + 32.50*24 = £3125, over 36 months that is £87 per month

If you pay £40 for years 2 and 3 then you get 300/50, nice upgrade

Really you need a crystal ball. Starlink wins if native FTTP comes to you within 2-3 years, since you can just turn it off and switch to FTTP (and possibly sell on the ground station, I don't know if you can do that). But if your area doesn't get native FTTP soon, then FTTPoD may increase the value of your property relative to others.

OR are aiming for 80% FTTP coverage by Dec 2026, so unless you're very rural, there's a fair chance of getting it within 5 years.

The lead time for FTTPoD delivery may also be longer than getting Starlink.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

If you remain with Cerberus it's £32.50 per month for years 2 and 3 if you stick at 115/20:

1625 + 60*12 + 32.50*24 = £3125, over 36 months that is £87 per month

Ah, yes, did say it was a beer mat. Misread the 'activation' price as the monthly fee.

OR are aiming for 80% FTTP coverage by Dec 2026, so unless you're very rural, there's a fair chance of getting it within 5 years.

I must be in the 20% already. Not rural, Scotland's biggest city. Check the map and see literally everywhere around has FTTP so if it hasn't come by now I remain pessimistic.

Remember also that Satellite is affected by weather conditions, and if something goes wrong it will be very hard to fix (beyond the dish)

Have you looked into fixed wireless ?

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Depends on the 'splitter' - are we talking the basic building block 32-way SASA optical splitter that snaps into splice tray (e.g. for one PON 32-way, up to 30 premises in OR GPON builds) fitting neatly inside an outdoor splitter enclosure.

Are we talking about a splitter node, which for an OR 'medium' splitter node contains a 2 x SASA splitters (primary & secondary) so feeding 2 PON's i.e. 60 connections.

The 'large' OR splitter nodes I believe have 4 x SASA splitters inside so 4 PONS or 120 end user connection from each node.

My trouble is a I have a little knowledge. I know there are splitters and I do know exactly what a CTB does. But now there is more than one kind of splitter!

My dangerous knowledge says there must be a splitter in the footway box around 300m away. Because I know OR dug a trench from it to take fibre to the next door estate. Or if its not in that box it must be in the other one another 100m away. Either way there is fibre under that pavement. It just doesn't come further up the road and into my street.

But @j0hn83 seems to be saying even if there is a splitter its not going to have capacity?

I'll start to think in terms of £2650 rather than £1625....

In reply to a post by Taras:

Have you looked into fixed wireless ?

There are no proper fixed wireless networks here only 4G mobile. That's pretty poor, two bars max dropping to 3G at times.

In reply to a post by Woolwich:

If I did have to wait 18 months for FTTPoD: a) do you pay upfront on order or when work starts? b) can you cancel before work starts when the whole street gets connected by OR or CityFibre and only lose the £250 survey fee?

1. Desktop quote (free). Indicative +/- at least 100%, gets the ball rolling. Takes about a week to ten days to get a ‘price’
2. Survey time. Decide if you want to progress beyond the desktop quite. Pay £250+VAT. Wait to get a survey date booked - a few days to a few weeks elapsed. Survey gets done, then wait a further 2 weeks to a month to get pricing back to your provider
3. Provider sends you the quote to proceed. You have as I recall 3 months to accept. You must pay the full amount (less any vouchers etc.) in order to progress the order.
4. At the point your funds are receipted, the “build” clock starts ticking. Openreach now go off and build your FoD service. This is part takes months typically. I would not bet on less than 6 months.

As far as I’m aware once you pay your connection cost, that’s it you’re fully committed and there’s no changing your mind or refunds. I have heard of the odd isolated situation where between the full survey completing and quote then being accepted which could be up to 3 months, Openreach have subsequently decided to roll out FTTP natively (within a 6 to 12 month window). Only in that particular situation I believe they will not proceed with your FoD build and monies get refunded.

In reply to a post by Woolwich:

for a (maybe?) 120/20 service

I've been on Starlink a couple of months and I'd say that 20 is optimistic. Yes it does hit 20 and more up (I saw 33 once), but more common is 10-15 and it can often be under 10.

That isn't an issue for me, as the only other option is unreliable 4G or 15/5 FTTC, but if you are relying on sustained 20 up you might have issues.

Down is a lot more reliably fast, rarely see under 150, mostly is is >200.

In reply to a post by andynormancx:

I've been on Starlink a couple of months and I'd say that 20 is optimistic. Yes it does hit 20 and more up (I saw 33 once), but more common is 10-15 and it can often be under 10.

OK, thanks, that's helpful. I already have 12 up on FTTC. Maybe time to knock the Starlink option on the head. As I've said, it's not a lot more for a guaranteed 115/20 FTTPoD.

In reply to a post by Woolwich:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Depends on the 'splitter' - are we talking the basic building block 32-way SASA optical splitter that snaps into splice tray (e.g. for one PON 32-way, up to 30 premises in OR GPON builds) fitting neatly inside an outdoor splitter enclosure.

Are we talking about a splitter node, which for an OR 'medium' splitter node contains a 2 x SASA splitters (primary & secondary) so feeding 2 PON's i.e. 60 connections.

The 'large' OR splitter nodes I believe have 4 x SASA splitters inside so 4 PONS or 120 end user connection from each node.

My trouble is a I have a little knowledge. I know there are splitters and I do know exactly what a CTB does. But now there is more than one kind of splitter!

My dangerous knowledge says there must be a splitter in the footway box around 300m away. Because I know OR dug a trench from it to take fibre to the next door estate. Or if its not in that box it must be in the other one another 100m away. Either way there is fibre under that pavement. It just doesn't come further up the road and into my street.

But @j0hn83 seems to be saying even if there is a splitter its not going to have capacity?

I'll start to think in terms of £2650 rather than £1625....

Splitter node discussion starts around 24 mins in this video. Similarly in this video they did in conjunction with Zen (see from 9:00).

That is a "medium" Openreach splitter with 2 x SASA inside (SASA = splitter and splitter assembly / splitter array sub-assembly ..depending on who you ask) noted as the primary and secondary splitter in the video. Each SASA splitter is an optical 32-way split. Openreach leave 2 spare. So in such a node they could serve 60 connections with 30 connections on each 'PON'. The PON going back to a single optical GPON port on the OLT at the headend.

This 2017-era video from Prysmian (but with BT logos on, and Adastral Park in the opening) gives another look at what's inside these joints. Openreach use these joints not just for FTTP but also EAD/leasd line connections etc. (just perhaps not the same ones!)