Hi @ajd1
We were connected to Full Fibre aka FibreHeros just over a year ago. In our case the fibre is installed by OR, but arranged by Fibre Heroes who have an initial one year exclusivity deal. Fibre hero’s don’t deal with end users and you get a choice of about 6 ISPs. I opted for IDnet as they were the only ones I had heard of and they also give proper static IP4 address and proper IP6 network. Now the exclusivity period is ended we also get the choice of BT and the other OR networks. I think councils are making the arrangements so it may be worth asking them. I’m very pleased with IdNet, my neighbour went with BeFibre and less so.

Edited by DrBob (Tue 16-Apr-24 13:32:21)

In reply to a post by DrBob:

Hi @ajd1
We were connected to Full Fibre aka FibreHeros just over a year ago. In our case the fibre is installed by OR, but arranged by Fibre Heroes who have an initial one year exclusivity deal.
...
Now the exclusivity period is ended we also get the choice of BT and the other OR networks. I think councils are making the arrangements so it may be worth asking them. I’m very pleased with IdNet, my neighbour went with BeFibre and less so.

Are you sure? It sounds like maybe Fibre Heroes installed a fibre and then Openreach came along afterwards and made their network live. I'm not aware of any situation where Openreach are installing FTTP for other network providers or where BT are providing service over anything other than Openreach.

In reply to a post by ajd1:

Does this mean we are tied into BeFibre as a provider?

If the case then it does not sound right/fair, do they have an exclusivity period or do they have a permanent monopoly?

It's their fibre and their network; if that's the only network that goes past you at the moment, that's the only one you can connect to.

There's no monopoly though. If BeFibre have used Openreach ducts, then other networks are free to pull their own cables too, on the same terms.

It's up to BeFibre what services they sell. If they wish, they could decide to make it available for wholesale: i.e. allow ISPs X, Y and Z to connect to BeFibre's network, and BeFibre carries the traffic between those ISPs and their end customers.

However, since the cost to each ISP of connecting to BeFibre's network and integrating with BeFibre's ordering and support systems is high, and they'd only pick up a small number of customers this way, it's generally not commercially attractive and is unlikely to happen.

In reply to a post by ajd1:

Does this mean we are tied into BeFibre as a provider?

If the case then it does not sound right/fair, do they have an exclusivity period or do they have a permanent monopoly?

If you sign onto this ( once it becomes available, if it were ‘live’ , the door knockers would have been around ) then you are tied in the sense that only they will be available over that network, but as stated , other networks can ( and will in Openreach’s case ) eventually be available,

if ( for arguments sake ) 12 months after BeFibre install service for you , Openreach becomes available and are offering service to ISPs , then you could order service from an ISP that use Openreach, and have another fibre and ONT installed alongside the BeFibre equipment, once you cancel with BeFibre their fibre and ONT is ceased

Edited by Iniltous (Tue 16-Apr-24 14:46:27)

In reply to a post by daern:

They also offer a static IP address for a fiver a month (BT won't even offer this on a domestic connection), and can offer up to 8000/8000 so it should be significantly more future proof than OR too.

Personally, I'd be happier to see an altnet than I would to see OR fibre in my street!

This whole comment is horribly wrong, many OR based isps can provide a static ipv4 or ipv6 either as part of their package or you pay extra per month.

Many Altnets have just straight jumped to xgs-pon, whilst OR started with Gpon, it doesn't make an Altnet "more future proof" as OR will go to XGS-Pon in time.

In reply to a post by Taras:

This whole comment is horribly wrong, many OR based isps can provide a static ipv4 or ipv6 either as part of their package or you pay extra per month.

I feel that this is a trifle unfair.

Out of the top five ISPs by volume in the UK (BT, Virgin, Sky, Talk Talk, Vodafone), only Vodafone will give you a static IPv4 address on a residential service, with the others either declining full stop, or requiring a significantly more expensive business service in order to be eligible to spend even more to request a static IPv4 address. I'm using Vodafone today and when I requested a static address several years ago it was FOC and required just an email to request, but it looks like this too might now be trapped behind a business connection firewall.

Yes there are smaller providers who will provide this service, but most of them will be significantly more expensive or will introduce other limitations (i.e. data caps) which make them less favourable.

In reply to a post by Taras:

Many Altnets have just straight jumped to xgs-pon, whilst OR started with Gpon, it doesn't make an Altnet "more future proof" as OR will go to XGS-Pon in time.

I think you're a little more optimistic than me about just how long it will take OR to upgrade their network to match the newer altnet deployments. My guess is that it will be a significant time before they get close the current offerings being offered by the current generation of altnets.

In reply to a post by ajd1:

I just checked the Openreach site and it is telling me that "Build planned between now and Dec-2026" Pretty vague...

I have the same as you. But I email Openreach via this site: https://www.openreach.com/forms/fibre-broadband-avai...

and they email me back saying

I have checked your address and found there is a plan to bring full fibre to your house. The engineering work is scheduled by financial quarters and I can see the project that covers your address is scheduled to complete by the end of quarter 4 of 2024/2025. I realise this is still some way off and our plans and schedules can change but if this goes ahead as planned you should be able to order your full fibre broadband in early October 2024.

But not sure if they mean October 2025? Because of the wording - I realise this is still some way off. So, I guess more likely in 2025 not 2024. If it was in October 2024 live date, then that's great, if not, then it look likely in October 2025!

Edited by adslmax (Tue 16-Apr-24 16:29:46)

In reply to a post by adslmax:

In reply to a post by ajd1:

I just checked the Openreach site and it is telling me that "Build planned between now and Dec-2026" Pretty vague...

I have the same as you. But I email Openreach via this site: https://www.openreach.com/forms/fibre-broadband-avai...

and they email me back saying

I have checked your address and found there is a plan to bring full fibre to your house. The engineering work is scheduled by financial quarters and I can see the project that covers your address is scheduled to complete by the end of quarter 4 of 2024/2025. I realise this is still some way off and our plans and schedules can change but if this goes ahead as planned you should be able to order your full fibre broadband in early October 2024.

But not sure if they mean October 2025? Because of the wording - I realise this is still some way off. So, I guess more likely in 2025 not 2024. If it was in October 2024 live date, then that's great, if not, then it look likely in October 2025!

Surely by end of financial quarter 4 of 2024/25 is by 5th April 2025

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

Surely by end of financial quarter 4 of 2024/25 is by 5th April 2025


5th April 2025 is Q1?

I just found this site: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/q/quarter.asp


January, February, and March (Q1)
April, May, and June (Q2)
July, August, and September (Q3)
October, November, and December (Q4)

Edited by adslmax (Tue 16-Apr-24 16:49:36)

I thought the financial year started 6 Aprils and financial quarters would start from April as well (not from January) but I am no expert. Are fiscal quarters the same as financial quarters?