FTTP rollout

From The Times Today:

"Openreach is reaching about a million new premises every quarter and is targeting 25 million by the end of 2026"

However, it does not say how many of those premises actually sign up for FTTP when it becomes available

In reply to a post by michaelh:

However, it does not say how many of those premises actually sign up for FTTP when it becomes available.

Exactly, it seems all the network operators, Openreach, VirginMedia/nexFibre, and CityFibre are not that public in how much take up there is. Similarly Openreach didn't tell us how many people took VDSL (FTTC) versus ADSL.

As private companies with shareholders, some info MAY be in the shareholder reports, but otherwise we have to see if the Thinkbroadband crew publish any news stories.

In 2024 many people are happy with 50 Mbps via FTTC/VDSL for anywhere from £19 to £30 a month, and so don't go looking. Others are paying the same for 200 Mbps, or even 900 Mbps.

Free market and postcode lottery.

It was something like 34% when last reported

The take-up rates are published regularly in the BT financial statements. Currently about 34%

In reply to a post by witchunt:

The take-up rates are published regularly in the BT financial statements. Currently about 34%

So, 66% are not bothered about higher speeds?

If that’s how you read a take up figure then the counter is that 34% of people care about their broadband speeds enough to notice when FTTP has been deployed and sign up to a service. The reality is probably a lot more boring, such as contracts came up for renewal or providers were being changed and that was seen as a chance by ISPs to move to FTTP to take advantage of various incentives offered by Openreach.

Not everybody on a street will be an Openreach customer either, I know people who have spent their entire adult lives being a customer of only Virgin Media or NTL before that.

In reply to a post by witchunt:

The take-up rates are published regularly in the BT financial statements. Currently about 34%

Useful, but one out of three wholesale networks. I know in my area the number of VM coax cables entering buildings is around 85% of properties. No idea if they still are in use of course.

My Great Aunt was surprised when an Openreach engineer turned-up for her provider switch, because it had never happened before.

She has basic 40Mbps and switches at the end of every contract to get the best deal, but now some providers default to FTTP regardless of speed.

She didn’t even know she’d been moved to FTTP until I explained it.

I expect this is how the adoption rates will increase. Not because it’s better, but because it becomes the default.

Chances are the cable company that built the network did so around 30 years ago , so 85% of addresses, giving that network a try in those intervening 30 years isn’t surprising .

Just my opinion, but I recently was in an area ( not a particularly affluent one ) , that VM ( as evidenced by the termination blocks on nearly every house wall ) that must have had a very high rate of connection ( live or redundant ) , this area also had Netomnia available and lots of addresses had taken their services, and probably no exaggeration to state every single address that had a Netomnia CSP ( or whatever they call their splice point ) also had a Virgin block , so likely that it was probably Virgin that was the ‘loser’ for those Netomnia ‘wins’ , not Openreach.

As far as sign up rates , OR run at about 30-33% , City Fibre ( last figure I saw ) was around 10%.

Edited by Iniltous (Fri 23-Aug-24 08:24:36)

In reply to a post by DougM:

Not because it’s better, but because it becomes the default.

As long as the individual is staying with the same ISP, it is up to the ISP to choose a network provider. See recent News, that Sky Broadband (a very large ISP) is going to be available via either Openreach of Cityfibre networks.