TalkTalk FTTP

A friend in Chester has asked my opinion on the FTTP package she has been offered in Chester. Citylink have been busily digging up the place to install Fibre & now someone has been have been round (door-to-door by the sound of it) trying to sign people up today... to TalkTalk it turns out.

The package she has been offered is TalkTalk Fibre 65 Data Only (FTTP-CF) for £23

"You can look forward to an estimated download speed between 60 Mbps and 76 Mbps with a minimum guaranteed download speed of 40 Mbps and upload speed of 15 Mbps" It says on the blurb.

I've been asked my opinion but I haven't followed the ins & outs of FTTP very much as I'm consigned to slow FTTC ADSL (10Mb down/0.4Mb up) for the foreseeable future here. It doesn't sound particularly fast to me but isn't expensive. I've never been a fan of TalkTalk generally.

Any, more informed than mine, opinions would be gratefully received.

I think you might have meant CityFibre.

If so, she has a choice of ISPs, and speeds. Personally I've not heard anything good about TalkTalk. Vodafone offer services over CityFibre, as do Zen Internet and some other smaller ISPs.

Might be best to shop around for packages and prices. For example IDNet's prices are here: https://www.idnet.com/cityfibre-broadband.php

Adding to what AndyPandy said.

Cityfibre have just gone live as the only FTTP network where my son lives and it would seem that when they first go live in an area only a couple of ISPS are available with more becoming available at some point in the future. From what my son could ascertain that could be many months away so as he needs higher speeds for home working he only had the choice of TalkTalk or Air Broadband. In the end he has plumpt for the TalkTalk 150 service with the installation due to take place next week. Only time will tell how well that goes.

it would seem that when they first go live in an area only a couple of ISPS are available

Maybe those coming on board later need to get the correct links built at what ever CityFibre do head end wise ?

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Maybe those coming on board later need to get the correct links built at what ever CityFibre do head end wise ?

Various discussions elsewhere but yes that was the case until late 2021 when CF launched their national access product. It may be there are other reasons?
https://cityfibre.com/news/cityfibre-launches-nation...

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Maybe those coming on board later need to get the correct links built at what ever CityFibre do head end wise ?

Various discussions elsewhere but yes that was the case until late 2021 when CF launched their national access product. It may be there are other reasons?
https://cityfibre.com/news/cityfibre-launches-nation...

Thanks for the link to CityFibre (indeed, not Citylink - iirc they were a delivery company that went bust a good few years ago!).

From looking round the CityFibre site (https://cityfibre.com/availability) it appears that TalkTalk is the only choice at my friend's postcode at the moment.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Various discussions elsewhere but yes that was the case until late 2021 when CF launched their national access product. It may be there are other reasons?
https://cityfibre.com/news/cityfibre-launches-nation...

Many simply don't use their national access product.
Just like on Openreach providers can can choose to use their own backhaul , with no requirement to use Cityfibres backhaul.
This takes time to set up and install.

Cityfibres national access product is somewhat a mystery with conflicting info.
AAISP are using it to sell their broadband but only in England, claiming the CF national access product is England only.
Cityfibre disagree. So do the providers that are using it in Scotland.

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

Many simply don't use their national access product.
Just like on Openreach providers can can choose to use their own backhaul , with no requirement to use Cityfibres backhaul.
This takes time to set up and install.

That's a answer for "other reasons" Thanks.

Maybe it’s “national” in England and “national” in Scotland respectively. But not national across the UK 🤷

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Maybe it’s “national” in England and “national” in Scotland respectively. But not national across the UK 🤷

Nope. It's available from every FEX and they can carry your data to any of the handover points listed on the pdf I linked (including Glasgow, it's an old pdf).
There are Cityfibre providers using national access to carry data from Scotland to London.

No idea why AAISP aren't selling Cityfibre in Scotland.
Might be something more technical within the product or limitations in certain areas but it definitely isn't because the national access product is "England only".