Openreach skipped MDUs when they deployed on our street :(

Hello,

Openreach has completed laying fibre along our long street and done the splicing etc. I have just checked the postcodes of almost every home (SDU) along ours and the adjecent streets, and they are all able to apply for FTTP broadband now.

However, when Openreach was contacted to ask if they would like the Wayleave to deploy to our block of flats (MDU), they said they our development is a block of flats and they aren't looking at deploying right now.

What does this mean for us then? What would trigger them to deploy to the blocks of flats along these streets and will it happen soon?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as always. Thanks in advance.

Edited by squarecrumpets (Tue 25-Mar-25 09:55:22)

MDUs are complex and expensive, compared to single dwellings. It basically boils down to that.

That’s why Openreach will do the easy, fast street-based deployments first / in preference. It simply gives them more return on investment and less hassle when faced with cabling up 30 odd million premises. That’s the nub I’m afraid.

Getting the freeholder / land owner onboard and fully agreed wayleaves in place would be the first thing to get in place.

Good luck 🤞

(By the way it’s FTTP rather then FTTC, the latter is still copper from the cabinet to the premises)

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

MDUs are complex and expensive, compared to single dwellings. It basically boils down to that.

That’s why Openreach will do the easy, fast street-based deployments first / in preference. It simply gives them more return on investment and less hassle when faced with cabling up 30 odd million premises. That’s the nub I’m afraid.

Getting the freeholder / land owner onboard and fully agreed wayleaves in place would be the first thing to get in place.

Good luck 🤞

(By the way it’s FTTP rather then FTTC, the latter is still copper from the cabinet to the premises)

Hi, it was a silly typo. Of course I meant FTTH edited the original post.

The thing is, the freeholder tried to give them the wayleave but they weren't even interested at the moment.

Yeah of course there is a huge upfront cost difference. For SDUs they don't have to do anything until the subscriber(s) come on board. For MDUs they need to deploy the cable into the communal areas and install the splitter hub ahead of time. Having said that, I expected our government to include this cost as part of nationwide fibre deployment.

They're creating a chicken and egg situation because they haven't got any subscribers within the MDUs because it isn't available in the first place.

Edited by squarecrumpets (Tue 25-Mar-25 10:01:32)

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

(By the way it’s FTTP rather then FTTC, the latter is still copper from the cabinet to the premises)

Unless you live in a picturesque hamlet, and you have Fibre To The Cottage

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Unless you live in a picturesque hamlet, and you have Fibre To The Cottage

But in that case, the "fibre" is probably wet string

In reply to a post by billford:

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Unless you live in a picturesque hamlet, and you have Fibre To The Cottage

But in that case, the "fibre" is probably wet string

Or wool & still attached to the sheep

In reply to a post by candlerb:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

(By the way it’s FTTP rather then FTTC, the latter is still copper from the cabinet to the premises)

Unless you live in a picturesque hamlet, and you have Fibre To The Cottage

Grandiose: Fibre To The Castle in Scotland (or anywhere that someone considers their pad a castle) perhaps 🤣

In reply to a post by squarecrumpets:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

MDUs are complex and expensive, compared to single dwellings. It basically boils down to that.

That’s why Openreach will do the easy, fast street-based deployments first / in preference. It simply gives them more return on investment and less hassle when faced with cabling up 30 odd million premises. That’s the nub I’m afraid.

Getting the freeholder / land owner onboard and fully agreed wayleaves in place would be the first thing to get in place.

Good luck 🤞

(By the way it’s FTTP rather then FTTC, the latter is still copper from the cabinet to the premises)

Hi, it was a silly typo. Of course I meant FTTH edited the original post.

The thing is, the freeholder tried to give them the wayleave but they weren't even interested at the moment.

Yeah of course there is a huge upfront cost difference. For SDUs they don't have to do anything until the subscriber(s) come on board. For MDUs they need to deploy the cable into the communal areas and install the splitter hub ahead of time. Having said that, I expected our government to include this cost as part of nationwide fibre deployment.

They're creating a chicken and egg situation because they haven't got any subscribers within the MDUs because it isn't available in the first place.

Costs more to run in MDUs. Much, much harder to get permission / wayleaves agreed. The government (past and present) has been trying with changes to legislation to force unresponsive freeholders and lacklustre managing agents etc to the table - but so far of limited success.

It would be politically difficult (as well as economically in the current climate) for them to subsidise installation costs here - especially when there are competitive market pressures from other Alt Net providers etc. and there are competing pressures for rural deployments which also cost an arm and a leg.

It's not as simple or easy as you think it may be. Which is why we are where we are with MDUs

One of the reasons MDU’s are excluded from an area where the SDU’s are available to order FTTP is MDU’s are a different department within FND (Fibre Network Delivery) , the survey and build teams are different…..the SDU survey / build takes into account the potential demand of any MDU within its boundaries, so if a PON area had small /medium MDU with its boundary, that potential demand is included in the dimensioning (size) of the PON , and sufficient capacity is provided including the MDU , but that’s it , the FTTP network is effectively left outside the MDU ready for the MDU survey & build team to use , there isn’t necessarily any immediate follow up after the SDU build is completed, MDU teams they work within their own timeframes etc.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=...

Edited by Iniltous (Tue 25-Mar-25 13:10:23)

In reply to a post by candlerb:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

(By the way it’s FTTP rather then FTTC, the latter is still copper from the cabinet to the premises)

Unless you live in a picturesque hamlet, and you have Fibre To The Cottage

or have my naming 😂

Exchange fibre - adsl
cabinet fibre - vdsl2
home full fibre - fttp