In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

What does BT BROADBAND AVAILABILITY CHECKER say for your phone #?

@ MrSaffron: Above will be definative for FTTC. While OP's exchange has no LLU, WBC nor FTTC, it is possible that his cab diverts to another FTTC'ed exchange.

If Zen accepted the order for FTTC after doing the phone number check etc. then there should be no problem? MAC key was provided by TT, broadband was IP Stream and line rental WLR...

No harm in checking that there's no screw-up?

Both sort of apply.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

No harm in checking that there's no screw-up?

Sure

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Both sort of apply.

In other words, you expect TalkTalk to allow fibre orders only where they have presence at the exchange to provide POTS using TalkTalk equipment over MPF, and presence at the GEA-FTTx handover node (which may be at a neighbouring exchange) for fibre backhaul?

I was going by your statement here: http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/general/t/4270487-r... w.r.t. Sky not having LLU at exchange where PTSN (copper) goes.

You think TT is diff from Sky in this respect?

Yes

There have been a few cases like this in Cornwall.

Of course over time TalkTalk and Sky may change their position and be happy to just use WLR for the phone and take the cost hit (its not massive but on their level of margins it is significant)

I see no reason to say with certainty that because TalkTalk say they will accept WLR voice with GEA-FTTC that Sky will.

Its not a technical issue, but a product/price choice that is individual to each provider.

So at the moment the only way one can be certain that line rental remains WLR, when taken as part of a FTTC and line rental package, is if the ISP offers fibre broadband only without line rental as an option? Exceptions at this time being BT Retail; additionally Plusnet and Zen who do offer both BB only and a BB + line rental package that is WLR...

In reply to a post by 4M2:

Zen who do offer both BB only and a BB + line rental package that is WLR...

Zen line rental is always WLR3 at the moment, but this could change.


Zen's Phil Long has indicated Zen may start providing ADSL2+ at exchanges where Zen has presence from the Zen MSAN. This will be SMPF unless Zen also start offering POTS from the Zen MSAN (a possibility, though not one I'm aware Zen has commented on).

Zen FTTx customers at Zen served exchanges were switched from BT Wholesale WBMC to Zen backhaul en masse. I have no problem with this - those customers are likely to receive a better quality service than over BT Wholesale WBMC, and there's no contractual commitment by Zen to continue delivering services in the same way.

It is certainly conceivable that one reason behind Zen's decision to market their new fibre broadband products primarily as fibre and phone bundles is because they intend to start providing POTS over MPF from their own MSANs in the future. If they have customers on packages suitable to be switched over to Zen MPF POTS, it provides the commercial justification to launch such a service.

Zen already provide VoIP services, so with MSANs in the exchanges backed by an MPLS network, they're not missing many of the elements needed to offer POTS and Fibre Voice Access (on FTTH) services.


As Zen seem determined to keep offering 'broadband only' products, you will always be able to avoid MPF by selecting a non-Zen WLR3 provider and taking Zen's broadband only service.