Unable to get fibre access

All my neighbours have access to fibre optic broadband including next door. We are served by the same cabinet. An openreach engineer said that there was space in the cabinet and I should be able to get access. However, 2 months later my provider is still saying it is not available and openreach say that fibre is not in my area. Is there anything I can do? Thanks.

In reply to a post by ceg84:

All my neighbours have access to fibre optic broadband including next door. We are served by the same cabinet. An openreach engineer said that there was space in the cabinet and I should be able to get access. However, 2 months later my provider is still saying it is not available and openreach say that fibre is not in my area. Is there anything I can do? Thanks.

Are you asking about "Fibre To The Cabinet" (FTTC) where you are supplied at the property by an old style copper connection from the cabinet or "Fibre To The Premises" (FTTP) which brings fibre-optic cable to your property but does not normally have any interface with the cabinet? If there is "space in the cabinet" that implies FTTC rather than full fibre optic. Many people are confused about the service they receive as the marketing people have used "fibre" for the halfway-house FTTC rather than only the full fibre FTTP, so can you confirm that your neighbours have FTTP rather than FTTC?

If they do have FTTP then you can fill in a form on the Openreach website querying the lack of service to your property. Go to https://www.openreach.com/forms/fibre-broadband-avai... and select “I cannot get fibre but my neighbours can” when asked what the enquiry is about.

Thanks. On the DSL checker it says FTTP. However, my provider and openreach have both talked about the cabinet being needed so I'm not sure why they mentioned this. I've filled dozens of these forms in and never had a response.

Are you sure it says FTTP?

If it says "WBC FTTP" then you have FTTP. If it says "FTTP on Demand" then you *don't* have FTTP.

(FTTP on Demand is an expensive, bespoke installation of FTTP in a non-FTTP area: typical cost £8,000+VAT, often more)

Yes, for the neighbour it says FTTP on the DSL checker. For my property it says fibre not available.

are you on the same post code, are you served by the same pole , is there a distance from the pole you are both connected to or is there a buried access between your premises and how your neighbour is connected any or all of the above could impact you not being able to get FTTP (there is no cabinet involved in FTTP so no sure whar your provided was on about frankly

We are in the same street. Everyone on the street can get FTTP apart from us. It's a new build estate built in 2013 and the houses are about 2m apart. We are served by the same pole and the same cabinet. The access point (?CBT) is closet to my house. Previously an openreach engineer came out and said the house should have access

Post code is the same for the whole street

In reply to a post by ceg84:

We are in the same street. Everyone on the street can get FTTP apart from us. It's a new build estate built in 2013 and the houses are about 2m apart. We are served by the same pole and the same cabinet.

Wow, a new build estate (built in 2013) with poles.

Does you address appear just the once in the checker listing for the post code? I have just been involved in a community fibre partnership and when several people went to order BT Retail said "no". On further investigation it was found that the same property often existed more than once on the post code list on the Openreach checker. They were all rural properties with house names and not numbers. Often the only difference in the listing was the presence or absence of a comma after the house name. Chose the "right" one and you could place an order whereas the "wrong" one said fibre was not available. Once we got wise to this it was easily sorted but it was baffling to start with.

How does this help?

Address appears once thanks

Post deleted by ceg84

In reply to a post by ceg84:

How does this help?

It was an observation.

A lots of what you are saying about cabinets doesn't make sense if you are referring to FTTP, if you want to help yourself post a screenshot of the DSL checker for your's and one of your neighbours properties removing the property details then everyone trying to help you will be a lot wiser of the situation.

Edited by deleted (Thu 06-Jan-22 13:53:21)

In reply to a post by GonePostal:

In reply to a post by ceg84:

All my neighbours have access to fibre optic broadband including next door. We are served by the same cabinet. An openreach engineer said that there was space in the cabinet and I should be able to get access. However, 2 months later my provider is still saying it is not available and openreach say that fibre is not in my area. Is there anything I can do? Thanks.

If they do have FTTP then you can fill in a form on the Openreach website querying the lack of service to your property. Go to https://www.openreach.com/forms/fibre-broadband-avai... and select “I cannot get fibre but my neighbours can” when asked what the enquiry is about.

@ceg84. Do the above.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

In reply to a post by GonePostal:

In reply to a post by ceg84:

All my neighbours have access to fibre optic broadband including next door. We are served by the same cabinet. An openreach engineer said that there was space in the cabinet and I should be able to get access. However, 2 months later my provider is still saying it is not available and openreach say that fibre is not in my area. Is there anything I can do? Thanks.

If they do have FTTP then you can fill in a form on the Openreach website querying the lack of service to your property. Go to https://www.openreach.com/forms/fibre-broadband-avai... and select “I cannot get fibre but my neighbours can” when asked what the enquiry is about.

@ceg84. Do the above.

OP has already posted below

In reply to a post by ceg84:

I've filled dozens of these forms in and never had a response.

Perhaps it’s time for an email to Clive then?!

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Perhaps it’s time for an email to Clive then?!

More and more posts here tell OPs at a very early stage of the thread to fill in the 'I cannot get fibre but my neighbours can' form before its even determined that the OP's neighbours can in fact get FTTP. In this particular case the OP has stated that both an Openreach engineer and the ISP have spoken about a cabinet which doesn't sound like FTTP so for clarity asking the OP for a screenshot of the DSL checker for them and a neighbour (with property details removed) seems to be a logic step so the best advice can be given.

Edited by deleted (Thu 06-Jan-22 17:43:23)

Posts 4 covered off the difference between native WBC and FoD. In the following post the OP confirms his neighbours can get FTTP and he cant. One would presume given the explanation given above he could discern the difference.

In a later post the OP goes on to say:

Previously an openreach engineer came out and said the house should have access

This very much appears as a miss / or DB error. Why not then complete the form and/or email Clive Selley? What's the worse that can happen they say no.

Post deleted by witchunt

Presumably then no native FTTP?

I am not sure I agree with your assement, candlerb kindly said below about WBC and FTTPoD

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Are you sure it says FTTP?

If it says "WBC FTTP" then you have FTTP. If it says "FTTP on Demand" then you *don't* have FTTP.

and the OP simply come back and said 'it says FTTP' which doesn't clarify the point candlerb was making about WBC or FTTPod

In reply to a post by ceg84:

Yes, for the neighbour it says FTTP on the DSL checker. For my property it says fibre not available.

Seb might as well have a banner on the forum saying 'Fill in an Openreach form if you believe you should have FTTP'

Sorry think I have replied to the wrong thread. Tired

No worries at all. I thought your excellent skillset had been extended to telepathy - as I couldn't see a an actual address mentioned anywhere. Rest up.

Just for confirmation.
If you go to this webpage and put in you post code you will get confirmation if FTTP is actually available. https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/...
I'll post two examples, first is my primary address which has FTTP, second is another house I own which doesn't have FTTP available unless I was to ask for it 'on demand' which would be very expensive.
https://i.imgur.com/S1p0FoK.png

https://i.imgur.com/WGZzRxL.png

Thanks. I have already used this site. For my house it says FTTP not available. However, FTTP is available for every other house on the street so I can't understand why I cannot get it. This is why I originally posted.

Unfortunately what I was told re cabinets was from the provider. I don't know how to post a screen shot. FTTP is not listed for my property but it's for every other house on the street.

In reply to a post by ceg84:

Unfortunately what I was told re cabinets was from the provider. I don't know how to post a screen shot. FTTP is not listed for my property but it's for every other house on the street.

On my other post I took a screen shot, edited it on 'paint' to remove personnel details, then uploaded to imgur. From the I right clicked on image to copy a link and pasted on the post. If you do this for your address and next doors it might give a clue to those who know about these things.

Thank you. I am happy to post a screenshot but cannot see this as an option. However, the text from my property says:

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority

programme

WLR is currently available at the exchange

SOADSL is restricted at the exchange

FTTP is not available.

From my neighbours house:

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

WLR is currently available at the exchange

SOADSL is restricted at the exchange

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG Feed Not Evaluated.

FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.


I am sorry for using inappropriate terminology but I am not an engineer and the term 'cabinet' was used from openreach and my provider. I think they must mean access point.

My main problem is that everyone on the street has FTTP access apart from me.

I have contacted openreach with forms over 10 times in the past year with no response.

Send a clear and concise email outline the facts to the CEO at Openreach, stating that your neighbours can order FTTP but your address has been missed.

[removed by tbb]
This should get picked up by the executive complaints team and be escalated accordingly.

Good luck. Keep us in the loop.

Edited by seb (Mon 02-Feb-26 21:38:50)

Your latest post clarifies the point about your neighbours being able to get FTTP and you not, you need to escalate to [removed by tbb] which is high level complaints.

Edited by seb (Mon 02-Feb-26 21:38:58)

The phrasing on that page about the UG feed doesn't correspond with what you're seeing (poles). Have any of your neighbours actually got an FTTP service installed?

In reply to a post by jpm:

The phrasing on that page about the UG feed doesn't correspond with what you're seeing (poles). Have any of your neighbours actually got an FTTP service installed?

The OP is not an engineer so may want to translate, UG feed means underground feed rather than an overhead feed that would normally be associated with poles.

ceg84

Just post your postcode,

Risk: if your info is correct this will identify your house

Benefit: There are people in this thread that can help if there is a database error or explain what the actual problem is.

can you confirm what cabinet / exchnage you are on as that will help me understand what as happended and what your options are

In reply to a post by kitcat:

ceg84

Just post your postcode,

I think thats a clear No

I agree!

but difficult to help without the detail.

In reply to a post by ceg84:

Unfortunately what I was told re cabinets was from the provider. I don't know how to post a screen shot. FTTP is not listed for my property but it's for every other house on the street.

did you get FTTP to your home in the end ??
did you email Clive Selley CEO at BT Openreach?

Edited by deleted (Mon 14-Mar-22 21:06:10)