Zen likely to go CityFibre only?

Been a happy Zen customer since 2014 (FTTP over BTW/Openreach since 2018) and have recontracted for 18 months after retentions did me a good deal which also gave me a speed increase I needed.

I've seen this https://www.zen.co.uk/blog/posts/zen-blog/2022/03/28... and am in an area (MK) where CityFibre have also built out to where I live.

I wondered if Zen are likely to drop OR FTTP and insist customers move over to CityFibre? (I could see the reason for this as not least you wouldn't have to have feeds from multiple suppliers into the network).

As I've mentioned before I really don't want to be left with a redundant fibre/ONT in my hallway., if it is the case that OR FTTP customers have to switch can we pay a fee to have OR take out the fibre coming from the CSP into the house and take away their ONT?

In reply to a post by techguy:

As I've mentioned before I really don't want to be left with a redundant fibre/ONT in my hallway., if it is the case that OR FTTP customers have to switch can we pay a fee to have OR take out the fibre coming from the CSP into the house and take away their ONT?

Maybe you'd better ask Zen.

In reply to a post by techguy:

I wondered if Zen are likely to drop OR FTTP and insist customers move over to CityFibre? (I could see the reason for this as not least you wouldn't have to have feeds from multiple suppliers into the network).

They’ve publicly stated that strategically decided to use both Openreach and CityFibre as their FTTP delivery partners. Given that the OR footprint is national including London where CF have no presence, I would think it incredibly unlikely that would “drop” Openreach. Preferential connection where there is overbuild in the footprint is however another matter entirely.

As I've mentioned before I really don't want to be left with a redundant fibre/ONT in my hallway., if it is the case that OR FTTP customers have to switch can we pay a fee to have OR take out the fibre coming from the CSP into the house and take away their ONT?

Generally once it’s installed that’s it. Formally you would have to request and pay Openreach to remove it once installed. Though I suspect many folks would just disconnect the ONT and leave the connector or tuck it away or even hide/chop it before they would pay to have it removed.

CityFibre is about 1/5th the size of Openreach, I can't see why Zen would drop Openreach at any point. They're an ISP - they are used to handling multiple carrier/access partners.

They may well, for commercial reasons, not offer Openreach FTTP services where premises are served by CityFibre, but I can't see them insisting that customers move networks at renewal or anything like that.

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2022/03/isp-ze...

According to Mark, Zen, have confirmed to him they will use CF instead of OR, where CF is available.

I think an important question to you is, will you want to switch to Zen over CityFibre if it comes available at your property?

In reply to a post by aquiss:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2022/03/isp-ze...

According to Mark, Zen, have confirmed to him they will use CF instead of OR, where CF is available.

Thanks for the link Martin.

I've got both networks available where I live (the guys did the microtrenching up to the end of the drive in 2020) but the service via OR has been active since 2018.

At the time I ordered there were only a few FTTP providers and I'd returned to Zen in 2014 following their unbunbling of the exchange (left initially as my long ADSL line would regularly get clobbered by DLM and at the time anything they'd tried didn't seem to work.)

Between 2014 and 2017 I'd had a couple of line faults which they in collaboration with OR got fixed really qucikly.

In December snow was forecast in MK and even though the office tends to close when it snows, me and colleagues were expected to be available to keep an eye on systems and to help anyone attempting to work remotely.

Right on cue my broadband started to flap as people started putting up Christmas lights, fortunately the snow didn't come but checked the FTTP price, was happy and so I rang Zen to place the order during my lunchbreak on Monday.

The service and price has been great since (that's not a slight against anyone else) and have upgraded speed a couple of times between Jan 2018 and now (started on 38 down and 9 up, then went to 100 down and 18 up and now on 300 down and 47 up)


From what I've read both CityFibre's service and the Calix gear they use give the ISP more direct control (and by the looks of the prices it's cheaper for them.

As I said in the OP, only reason for my question is I've recontrated and would like to avoid getting stuck with redundant kit/fibre in my home.

Thanks for all the replies, had hoped someone from Zen might respond but they may need to know more specific detail so I'll drop tech support a mail I think.

Thanks all.