FTTP query

I wonder if anyone can help with the following query...

About to move to a new home (old house on old road in a semi-suburban location) and the internet connection appears to be not great with downlaods of 1-15mbps and uploads on upto 1mbps (especially with adults working from home some of the time and 3 kids gaming etc...) so keen to see what we can do to bring service to the house into the 21st C

Looking at the speedchecker for houses on the same street most report the same poor service but there is one new development to plots away that has 5 new houses on it and all have speeds of 1000/220.

Presumably when the developer built those houses at some point in the last few years they were able to get FTTP service to be installed by Openreach or is there another service that delivers those speeds?

Can other houses daisychain off this or is a new aplication to/instllation from Openreach needed for FTTP to other properties on the same road?

If it is the latter does One have to apply to Openreac for a survey and quote or is the a guide to pricing?

Thanks in advance for any guidance that can be offered.

C

What does the BT checker say for the address you are moving to?

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/...

You're looking for a line mentioning WBC FTTP and/or a line that says 'FTTP is / is not available'

Hi there

From that website there is a whole table of stuff that I cannot post a screenshot of onto this response as far as I can work out. However one of the lines has the following (which got me thinking there might be an option beyond what the ISP checker tools show for the address):

Featured Products: FTTP on Demand
Downstream Line Rate(Mbps): 330
Upstream Line Rate (Mbps): 50
Downstream Range (Mbps): --
Availability Date: Available
FTTP Install Process: --



It then gives the following lines of info (which got me thinking that there might be a solution):

FTTP is not available.
The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme
WLR is currently available at the exchange
SOADSL is restricted at the exchange
For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL or G.fast) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.
For all SOADSL services,the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.
Actual speeds experienced by end users and quoted by CPs will be lower due to a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.
In order to be eligible for handback, downstream speed should be less than Downstream Handback Threshold values.
If you decide to place an order for a WBC fibre product, an appointment may be required for an engineer to visit the end user's premises to supply the service
Mildenhall exchange:Only single order products are available and ADSL and ADSL2+ products are not shown as available.However for premises that can only be served by SOADSL, BT will continue to accept ADSL and ADSL2+ orders until SOADSL is available.
Thank you for your interest

I guess I need to talk to OpenReach?

C

In reply to a post by cralster:

Hi there

From that website there is a whole table of stuff that I cannot post a screenshot of onto this response as far as I can work out. However one of the lines has the following (which got me thinking there might be an option beyond what the ISP checker tools show for the address):

Featured Products: FTTP on Demand
Downstream Line Rate(Mbps): 330
Upstream Line Rate (Mbps): 50
Downstream Range (Mbps): --
Availability Date: Available
FTTP Install Process: --

I guess I need to talk to OpenReach?

C

That is fibre on demand, a very pricey solution.

what does it say for the new house's exchange area https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/where-when...

that will tell you roughly if the exchange area is going to fttp'd up. and roughly when

this one will tell you if the house is on their to do list (which may change) https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/ultrafast-...

Me, I’d say, don’t move there, unless you absolutely have to.
For many households, a decent internet connection is a must. The house you are currently looking at seems unlikely to provide for your households needs.


Openreach don’t/won’t do the ‘daisy chain’ thing you suggest.

In reply to a post by Taras:

That is fibre on demand, a very pricey solution.

To be more specific, the *minimum* you can expect to pay for FTTPoD installation is £8,000+VAT; and it could be substantially more. There's more info in the forums if you search, but I'd say you rule that out.

When you say "downlaods of 1-15mbps and uploads on upto 1mbps", does this mean the broadband checker says only ADSL is available? What you really need to know is whether VDSL (FTTC) is available, and if so what the speed ranges are.

You should also check separately whether Virgin Media is available at that address. It's also theoretically possible that an Altnet might have built there, and you can check on the TBB checker and on bidb.uk - but in the outskirts/semi-rural areas I think it's pretty unlikely.

Apart from those options you can see whether there's decent 4G/5G coverage from any of the providers.

Otherwise, FTTP will probably come along eventually - but if you're unlucky it might be 5 years or more; and if you're stuck with ADSL at 15M/1M all that time then that would suck.

If you really love the house, then you could think about a gigabit leased line, which is a business-class service. Typically you might pay £375 per month with a 3 year contract, which you could think of as £13,500 on top of the purchase price. But you'd need to get a quote first, because if there's no leased line network nearby there could be hefty Excess Construction Costs as well. And the risk is after 3 years, if FTTP hasn't come along, you're left paying for additional years at that high rate.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

If you really love the house, then you could think about a gigabit leased line,

Or a 4G / 5G service.

This forum is littered with people who have moved house to areas that do not have the internet speeds they need.

My advice is. Do not move house and expect providers to change their existing services to suit.

In reply to a post by FibreBubble:

This forum is littered with people who have moved house to areas that do not have the internet speeds they need.

There's the odd person that moved to a place that had full fibre, though

In reply to a post by FibreBubble:

My advice is. Do not move house and expect providers to change their existing services to suit.

Or include the cost of FTTPoD in your moving budget

In reply to a post by MarkLeman:

In reply to a post by FibreBubble:

My advice is. Do not move house and expect providers to change their existing services to suit.

Or include the cost of FTTPoD in your moving budget

And factor in a potential 12 to 18-month wait for provision.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Me, I’d say, don’t move there, unless you absolutely have to.
For many households, a decent internet connection is a must. The house you are currently looking at seems unlikely to provide for your households needs.

I’ve been reading about vacancy rates in many commercial offices and premises are at an all time high.

Given the once in generational shift to WFH (at least a couple of days a week, if not more) during pandemic has now been widely accepted by many employers and employees - for many people is now the new norm - and to make it workable, a reliable, decent throughout internet connection is pretty much essential.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

I’ve been reading about vacancy rates in many commercial offices and premises are at an all time high.

Very visible here at the speculative offices built on former airfield land in the last 20 years.

Given the once in generational shift to WFH (at least a couple of days a week, if not more) during pandemic has now been widely accepted by many employers and employees

Some things are starting to shift again, there is a realisation in some industries that WFH in an "IT backroom" type role means your role can easily be moved to one of the lower cost countries. Those that are client facing are being told to "be seen more often" without specifics. This adjustment is going to take more than 3 years.

for many people is now the new norm - and to make it workable, a reliable, decent throughout internet connection is pretty much essential.

Exactly, and reliable is key, Virgin Media is discovering people put up with a lot watching Netflix whom don't like it when the VPN drops in a business video call.

Edited by jchamier (Sun 14-May-23 12:35:24)

In reply to a post by MarkLeman:

include the cost of FTTPoD in your moving budget

+1

And what if it comes in at £135k?

https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/fibre/t/4735262-re...

In reply to a post by MHC:

And what if it comes in at £135k?

https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/fibre/t/4735262-re...

Then there is a decision to make, how much do you want the house/flat/bungalow/shed.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Virgin Media is discovering people put up with a lot watching Netflix whom don't like it when the VPN drops in a business video call.

Virgin's service is pretty rubbish in many areas but even at its worst it still managed Netflix here. It's actually quite impressive how well Netflix and the other streamers hold up to interruptions, changes of client IP etc.

All very much their core business so not surprising - but impressive nonetheless.

Virgin must be suffering to be talking about moving entirely to XGS-PON in 5 years - many around here rejoiced when Community Fibre moved in, even those who take no interest in the technology. Openreach have made some inroads with their FTTP also, probably entirely at the expense of Virgin.

In reply to a post by ft247:

Virgin's service is pretty rubbish in many areas but even at its worst it still managed Netflix here. It's actually quite impressive how well Netflix and the other streamers hold up to interruptions, changes of client IP etc.

30 seconds of buffering covers a multitude of sins.

In reply to a post by MHC:

And what if it comes in at £135k?

Then I would consider other options, including if that was really the house for me.

Seriously though, if fast internet is genuinely essential, including the cost of providing it when considering a house purchase is a realistic thing to do.