In reply to a post by jpm:

Cityfibre do *seem* to have fallings out with their contractors quite a lot - whether this is just because it's reported more is unknown. The reasons for falling out with their contractors is also unknown - maybe it's a cynical negotiating tactic because they want to pay less than was originally agreed, maybe the contractor simply can't fulfil their agreed terms - nobody really knows. I'm not sure reading into it too much without these facts is going to help much.

Coming from first hand experience, the contractors they use are appalling at their job, and the amount of rectifications that are needed when they have completed a job, is monumental.

The time it takes for all these remedial works, would have seen a small town wired up.

Also, CF have just gone through a major restructuring and have laid off quite a few staff.

In reply to a post by Alucidnation:

Coming from first hand experience, the contractors they use are appalling at their job, and the amount of rectifications that are needed when they have completed a job, is monumental.

Is it the same as Openreach where their contractors sub the cabling work to other contractors which then causes inconsistencies in the quality of the work?

CityFibre build in Brighton comes to a juddering halt according to local press. This could also include other builds in Sussex and Kent.

https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2023/09/14/faste...

Looks like Kent too.

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/we-ve-ha...

Not good reading and it appears they have been told to "re-instate" so not even lay ducts. Makes you wonder ...

In reply to a post by MHC:

Makes you wonder

If it was just one CityFibre contractor you could say its bad workmanship causing the contract to be terminated but isn't it a fair few so more of an issue with CityFibre.

It's not looking great for them to be frank.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by candlerb:

At least in some areas, Cityfibre are using PIA. So I guess they have plenty of data about how the costs of self-build and PIA compare.

I think they use PIA to get to homes where cost effective and use their own trenches down the road. They are certainly 'hybrid'.

Same with the cost of building a FeX versus renting space in an OR exchange.

Some Alt Nets just use a big shipping container in a central town location. Not renting in OR exchanges is likely cheaper if OR plan to decommission that location.

No-one does that besides CityFibre. Everyone else either shoves kit in cabinets and rents backhaul from there, usually to the nearest Openreach headend exchange, or uses their own dark fibre to get to somewehre with national backhaul.

CityFibre are building their own feeder network with the distribution network branching out from that. The rest of the distribution network is hybrid but the feeder network, the 'core' of each build is all their own ducts.

Which is part of the reason they've so far burned well over a grand per premises passed.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

It's not looking great for them to be frank.

Their accounts when combined with their build number don't make for the most pleasant reading, do they?

Still there are some that are worse. One that digs everything, no PIA, and seems more concerned with the amount of towns and cities they've presence, building as they are small areas of dense population in many, usually overbuilding the big 2 and at least 2 altnets rather than actually building a viable network comes to mind.

Hampshire's altnet has their "head end" at the back of this car park. Its not CityFibre.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gL5WU3NsKtzBEX7D6