I would have thought the liability for council tax that would come about as a result of registering as new properties would offset any advantage as far as additional USO income. You'd be better off claiming to be sole traders to get the business voucher value, you could all become consultants or something.

I fact Cerberus tell me that BT says FOD unavailable to us so that leaves USO only (or perhaps the Community Broadband scheme when it reopens although BT might well not be prepared to do this either). but thanks very much for your help.

In reply to a post by Munrobagger:

I fact Cerberus tell me that BT says FOD unavailable to us

Three possible reasons I can think of:
1. You are not in an FTTC cabinet area
2. You are not in an FoD-enabled exchange area
3. Your properties are not single dwelling units

If it's case 1, there is supposed to be a coverage expansion trial which started on 19th March - see here.

Cases 2 and 3 are still exclusions though.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Three possible reasons I can think of:
1. You are not in an FTTC cabinet area
2. You are not in an FoD-enabled exchange area
3. Your properties are not single dwelling units

Is there such a thing as 2, for anyone under category 1?**

FoD is available on any exchange that native GEA-FTTP is available. Openreach sell it nationally, which should mean so do BT Wholesale.
I don't think there's a single Head-End exchange that doesn't have some GEA-FTTP.

Any property connected to an FTTC enabled PCP should in theory have FoD available, MDU's excluded.
I've come across individual properties that are excluded from FoD but never heard of an exchange that isn't "FoD enabled"***

*** By that I obviously mean NGA/Head-End exchanges.
All FTTC/FTTP/FoD comes from larger Head-End exchanges.
There are smaller rural exchanges with no FTTC, therefore no FoD, but that's not the point I'm making.

Edited by j0hn83 (Sun 24-Apr-22 12:21:22)

In reply to a post by Munrobagger:

I fact Cerberus tell me that BT says FOD unavailable to us

That's probably as vague an answer as you could get.

Who's BT? BT don't sell FoD. Do they mean Openreach or BT Wholesale?

I would be asking why it isn't available.

There certainly are non-FoD exchanges:

Cabrach for example.

Pulling the text:

Address TELEPHONE EXCHANGE , LOWER CABRACH, HUNTLY AB54 4EL on Exchange CABRACH
ADSL Products Downstream Line Rate (Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range(Mbps) Availability Date
WBC ADSL 2+ Up to 8 -- -- Available
WBC ADSL2+ Annex M Up to 8 Up to 0.75 -- Available
WBC Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available
Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available
Other Offerings Availability Date
ADSL Multicast Available
Exchange Product Restrictions Status
FTTP Priority Exchange N
WLR Withdrawal N
SOADSL Restriction Y

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

WLR is currently available at the exchange

SOADSL is restricted at the exchange

FTTP is not available.

And not even FTTC! And there are more.

In reply to a post by MHC:

There certainly are non-FoD exchanges:

Cabrach for example.

That isn't a Head-End/Handover/NGA exchange.
There are obviously smaller, rural exchanges with no FTTC, therefore no FoD.

No FoD comes from a non NGA exchange
Like FTTP and FTTC, FoD only comes from a Head-End exchange.
Cabrach's parent exchange no doubt has some FTTC/FTTP.

FoD has 1 requirement for availability, that a line is connected to an FTTC enabled PCP.
It has a few exclusions for availability, including MDU's.

I didn't think it was necessary but I'll edit my post above to clarify that I mean Head-Ends (where the FoD actually comes from) and those who actually qualify for FoD (connected to an FTTC enabled cabinet).

That's interesting. We are single dwellings and the exchange has fibre BUT we are exchange only lines which I suspect is the issue as therefore not connected to a cabinet. Other houses in the nearby village have FTTC from the same exchange. So looks like we could try again later. The expansion has obviously not reached us yet.

In reply to a post by Munrobagger:

BUT we are exchange only lines which I suspect is the issue as therefore not connected to a cabinet.

That's the issue. Exchange only lines are (currently) excluded from ordering FoD.

Openreach were supposed to be expanding coverage beyond the FTTC cabinet footprint on 19th March 2022 but my understanding is that was delayed and/or cancelled.
They are now consulting on dropping the FoD product altogether.

I'm assuming FoD doesn't show as available on the BT Wholesale checker and you just took a chance with Cerberus?

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

In reply to a post by candlerb:

2. You are not in an FoD-enabled exchange area

Is there such a thing?**

I wondered that too, but I simply repeated the wording directly from the article on ispreview.co.uk, section headed "FoD Coverage Expansion".

The official briefing unfortunately is password-protected (whereas the near-network trial isn't, oddly)

In reply to a post by candlerb:

** FoD requires a line be connected to an FTTC enabled cabinet.

Not for the purposes of the expanded coverage trial though.