ADSL Only but neighbours have VDSL/FTTC

Hi

I'm moving into a flat and have just done some checks on Openreach / BT Wholesale and can see that for some reason my property only has ADSL (up to 4mbps!!!) whereas the next door block has FTTC / VDSL (80mbps).

Presumably we should have FTTC too? Given that we have the same exchange?

Mine: https://i.imgur.com/N36oelC.png
Next door: https://i.imgur.com/iS9CPYX.png

Not sure what to do as no ISP will help.

Thanks for any insight

Your neighbour can also get FTTP which trumps FTTC

Noticed you don't have a cabinet number in your screenshot so your copper cable is probably Exchange Only which is the reason you can't get FTTC or G.fast.

Fill out this OR form with all the details of you and your neighbour.

https://www.openreach.com/forms/fibre-broadband-avai...

To put a downer on things as well, there might be reasons one block has FTTP and the other doesn't, relating to how well management companies engaged with the Openreach wayleaves team.

The more relevant comparison if someone suspects a database error and lives in a flat is to check other flats in their block, ideally not comparing a ground floor flat against ones higher up.

Edited by jpm (Sat 04-Nov-23 17:40:51)

Yep, looks like exchange only so no FTTC

For the benefit of the OP, "exchange only" means that the copper line goes directly to the telephone exchange, not via any cabinet.

Historically, some of these were reconfigured so they went via an FTTC cabinet, but these days it's highly unlikely. You'll probably have to wait for FTTP to come along now.

Yep, that's what it is. It's an Exchange Only Line. I was in the same position until October 2019 when Openreach finally upgraded me to FTTC. I remember having a brief outage at that time while Openreach reconfigured my copper to enter through a fibre cabinet.

But I guess, I was one of the last few customers in my area to be upgraded to FTTC from EO Line. We had huge problems with ADSL drop-outs maybe that's why Openreach prioritised our area.

They wanted to upgrade us to FTTP but my management team at that time refused wayleave for Openreach FTTP so instead we got upgraded to FTTC.

Now with FTTP Fibre First Programme, it is highly unlikely that they'll upgrade any area to FTTC.

Another example is a building next to me Cityscape Kensington Apartments E1 6LW/E1 6NE. This is Aldgate East (not to be confused with Kensington). They don't have FTTC, same management as mine a few blocks around it under EastendHomes. It was initially planned for 2021 but the project got abandoned and they never got upgraded. It still shows in the wholesale checker "Planned" but that's clearly nonsense and outdated information.

We are lucky to get upgraded to FTTC. Fortunately for them, they got upgraded to Community Fibre FTTP as part of the wayleave agreement.

Now the only option is to hope and wait either for an Altnet FTTP or Openreach FTTP. FTTC is now less realistic than getting FTTP especially with less than 3% of the country not having FTTC.

Check on Hyperoptic and Community Fibre whether there is a wayleave agreement by entering your postcode there. You can also enter your postcode in the Openreach website to see if FTTP is planned.

Thanks all! Very helpful. Hadn't supposed that speeds of <5Mbps would be a thing in a densely populated area of London - but there we go!

5G it is until FTTP (...eventually....) rolls around.

I actually just received a call from Openreach after filling in the form suggested earlier in the thread. They claim FTTP is available but as it's an MDU, they need the managing agent to sign wayleave etc. Hopefully they are correct!

So, now you get the other residents involved and nag the agents/owners to agree the wayleave.

If you know the details for the management agent then complete this form

https://www.openreach.com/forms/apartment-wayleave-form

In reply to a post by jazzmichael:

I actually just received a call from Openreach after filling in the form suggested earlier in the thread. They claim FTTP is available but as it's an MDU, they need the managing agent to sign wayleave etc. Hopefully they are correct!

Very likely they are correct, but that's the case for large chunks of London and other densely populated city centres. It doesn't help you much.

Openreach will pass by with FTTP but as they have no wayleave to your building they simply leave capacity outside so they can return if/when a wayleave is eventually signed.
Unfortunately getting the wayleave agreement is usually the tricky part. Openreach have almost certainly asked already.

The law was changed to make it easier to deal with those who don't respond to wayleave requests but If the management company simply says no or chooses a network other than Openreach then there's very little you can do.

In reply to a post by jazzmichael:

I actually just received a call from Openreach after filling in the form suggested earlier in the thread. They claim FTTP is available but as it's an MDU, they need the managing agent to sign wayleave etc. Hopefully they are correct!

If you don't get anywhere, let us know..