How does FTTP work, does it just take fibre from your cabinet to replace the last run of copper with fibre? My cabinet is just round the corner from me (like 200 metres by road) and the phone pole is in my garden which services 2 streets, it feels like skipping us but giving other people in town FTTP would be weird but I don't know how these things go. My cabinet was the first to get FTTC back in 2014 but I'm guessing that means nothing for the FTTP rollout. I'm right beside the local school though which I assume would be a priority for it?

As I say though every postcode I've checked now says "Not yet available" so going by that no-one in town is getting FTTP but "they're building in the exchange" and there are roadworks listed here saying Openreach are laying new ducts this month so who knows, it makes no sense😅

I'm guessing (well, hoping!) that we'll all get e-mails soon-ish saying fibre is available 🤞

How does FTTP work, does it just take fibre from your cabinet to replace the last run of copper with fibre?

Unlikely. Some areas are fed from the cabinet using a remote headend in a pod , then onto the GPON splitter , then to the CBT in a footway box , wall or pole mounted near the serving premises. But the vast majority are fed directly from an aggregation node which is a large fibre node that connects back to the headend exchange, bypassing the cabinets completely

Not surprising, been late in a rollout is risky as purse strings tend to get tightened late on.

In reply to a post by witchunt:

How does FTTP work, does it just take fibre from your cabinet to replace the last run of copper with fibre?

Unlikely. Some areas are fed from the cabinet using a remote headend in a pod , then onto the GPON splitter , then to the CBT in a footway box , wall or pole mounted near the serving premises. But the vast majority are fed directly from an aggregation node which is a large fibre node that connects back to the headend exchange, bypassing the cabinets completely

Ah that probably explains why the new ductwork they're laying is outside of town coming into town, they're probably taking new fibre in from somewhere else? No idea if that makes me less likely to get it or not, I'll just have to wait and see 😅

In reply to a post by Findlay:

How does FTTP work, does it just take fibre from your cabinet to replace the last run of copper with fibre?

No.

The Openreach FTTP network runs like this:

Text
1	Headend exchange ===> Fibre Aggregation Node ===> Splitter node ===> Property

The FTTC network runs like this:

Text
1 23 4	Headend exchange ===> Fibre Aggregation Node ======> Cabinet ------> Property                                                         ^                                                        |                                                  Local exchange

where ===> indicates fibre and ---> indicates copper.

Fibre Aggregation Nodes and Splitter Nodes are completely passive, i.e. unpowered. They are usually underground - although splitters on poles or on outside of buildings are also used. But the important thing to note is that the (Openreach) FTTP network almost always does't use cabinets(*). The FTTC cabinets themselves *are* also fed from fibre aggregation nodes, but when the copper network goes, eventually those cabinets will be removed - and the local exchanges too.

To be more accurate, "cabinet" is often a pair of cabinets: a passive Primary Connection Point which is the original connection between the local exchange and the distribution network; and a separate powered cabinet that contains the electronics for the FTTC/VDSL. However, it's also common to have an all-in-one cabinet that does both jobs, or a PCP with a side pod for the electronics.

(*) The exception is in a few ultra-rural areas, where a cabinet contains a "subtended headend" - essentially the same sort of electronic equipment that lights the fibre that you'd find in a headend exchange, but in a much smaller form. It's only used when the property is too far from the head-end exchange to light the fibre directly. This is in the order of 20km+

Altnets are a mixture: some use passive cabinets, some use active cabinets, and some don't use any.

Just to be clear, subtended headends are not confined to ultra rural or rural areas, there are quite a few in urban areas where they are used to save on spine fibres.

The same thing has happened to us, on 7th March we were told they've added our building to their plans, and a week later on 15th March they said they cannot provide a FTTP service.

The thing is, we're already running on a fibre leased line (100Mbit over a 1Gbit bearer) that was installed last year by Openreach. When the engineers were installing the service, it took longer than expected because they said our connection went from our building to the local exchange (Hawarden), then to the Connahs Quay exchange, then back to the Hawarden exchange.

Why? They told me that's just how it's been designed by the department in charge of infrastructure.

Down the road from us, the council building has a fibre terminal box (similar to the ones at top of the poles) attached to the building outside, with a single fibre coming from the manhole and another from the terminal to an Openreach CSP around the back.

Further down the road, half of Hawarden/Ewloe has the fibre terminals on the poles with a reel of fibre cable left dangling half-way down each pole. I'm guessing they are awaiting connection, or could those poles be subject to the same restrictions that we face?

What is your postcode? I am CH5 3HS and just about every pole has a coil of fibre on it, other than the new poles only recently put up.

On Gladstone Way (A550) a pole at the junction with Fieldside, had the ivy removed leaving a naked pole, just a couple of weeks ago.
Keep an eye on https://bidb.uk/

Cheers!

In reply to a post by davidenco:

The thing is, we're already running on a fibre leased line (100Mbit over a 1Gbit bearer) that was installed last year by Openreach.

The leased line network predates, and is completely separate from, the FTTP network - except that newer leased lines are apparently now able to use the same fibre aggregation nodes as FTTP.

It's likely OR will want to stop using local exchanges for leased lines, so it makes them easier to close down.

In that case, maybe your leased line actually goes to a fibre aggregation node *near* Hawarden exchange, and from there to Connahs Quay - so that it can avoid the local exchange itself.

So in the last couple of weeks i have now received 3 emails from openreach.
First one on the 9th saying
"we've started the build in your area and Full Fibre should be available soon."
Then on the 14th
"We’ve reviewed our build plans, and currently we can’t deliver Full Fibre"
Now again today another email
"we've started the build in your area and Full Fibre should be available soon."
Have seen build dates before Christmas of between now and end of December 2022 and again in January it said between now and end of March 2023
Checker still says not available with no build date so who knows whats going on.

Edited by charliehorse101 (Sat 18-Mar-23 16:12:55)