Moving house, want to switch to CityFibre from Openreach

I've been with Zen since April and have 1.6gb Openreach. I've bought a new place and will probably move in in the next 6-8 weeks. CityFibre (and Openreach) is available at the new address. I'd like to move to the 2.3/2.3gb CF option although I'm not sure if Zen will let me move from one product to another.

Are they likely to allow this? I'd have assumed the default option would be to continue with Openreach, although I'd really like the extra upload as I travel for a living and want better VPN connectivity to my NAS etc. I'd be happy to sign a new 18 month contract, I'd only be 4 months into my current one. I'm also still hoping Zen bring a 5gb product out by then as I'd absolutely go for that.

Any experience? I contacted their webchat (briefly) and they said it would have to be with BT. Seems rather intransigent to me given the excellent customer service I'd otherwise had from them.

@scotlandstreet

I have no experience with this, however these are my thoughts:

When you contracted with Zen in April, did Openreach install a brand new FTTP service - or did the FTTP already exist?

Zen would have had to pay Openreach for a newinstallation and Zen then spread the cost of that installation over the 18 months of your contract to get their money back.

If the new property requires another new FTTP installation, then that is two lots of installation fees that Zen need to recover.

There might be a requirement for you to pay for the new installation, (or possibly pay a charge for the old installation).

That said, assuming the 2.*Gb package from Zen costs more than your current package, then you do have some leverage in that you are wanting to pay them more each month.

Secondly, are you aware that CityFibre upload speeds are usually significantly higher than Openreach services? For example my Zen with CityFibre reliably gives 500/500 up and down, whereas Openreach based services max out at 220Mbps upload, (1000 down).

My FTTP install here was brand new in April, fibre from Openreach only became available here then.

Unknown if the house I've bought has Openreach of CityFibre already installed, but even if it didn't, they'd have to install the service anyway if I moved and Openreach wasn't already there. I wouldn't mind paying if that was the only option.

2.3gb from CityFibre is £54 a month vs the £56 a month I'm already paying Zen. Don't mind paying £56 for the contract duration.

I said the higher upload speed was precisely the reason I wanted to move to CityFibre.

It's not really the cost that's the issue, although I'd like to avoid paying for both lines. When I contacted their webchat, they said that was the only option if I wanted to change from Openreach to CF, which seemed strange to me.

In reply to a post by scotlandstreet:

I've been with Zen since April and have 1.6gb Openreach. I've bought a new place and will probably move in in the next 6-8 weeks. CityFibre (and Openreach) is available at the new address. I'd like to move to the 2.3/2.3gb CF option although I'm not sure if Zen will let me move from one product to another.

Are they likely to allow this?

Why not phone them and ask - or better, actually place the order if you've already exchanged contracts? I don't understand what you mean by "it would have to be with BT". Is that to say Zen can't offer you 1.6G in that location, in which case you'd have to "make do" with 900Mbps? Or they can't offer you service at all? (In which case they'd probably release you from the contract)

As far as I know, Zen allow house moves in-contract, and as part of the house move I expect they're going to require you to start a new contract from the move date. It's quite possible they'll offer you whatever service level you like for this new service, at least if it's higher (i.e. the same price or more expensive) than the old contract.

As far as I can tell, the worst case is that you will have to "make do" with the 1.6G or 900M on Openreach FTTP for 14 months, and upgrade at end of contract.

Officially Zen will do a home move for you if you've been in contract for six months, before that time they indicate that they want you to pay the full ETF

https://www.zen.co.uk/help-support/move-orders/

I'd try to negotiate this to maybe just paying the Openreach install charges that they incurred because you're committing to a new contract period with them on CityFibre at the new address, and Openreach don't hold Zen to any sort of term.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

Why not phone them and ask - or better, actually place the order if you've already exchanged contracts? I don't understand what you mean by "it would have to be with BT". Is that to say Zen can't offer you 1.6G in that location, in which case you'd have to "make do" with 900Mbps? Or they can't offer you service at all? (In which case they'd probably release you from the contract)

As far as I know, Zen allow house moves in-contract, and as part of the house move I expect they're going to require you to start a new contract from the move date. It's quite possible they'll offer you whatever service level you like for this new service, at least if it's higher (i.e. the same price or more expensive) than the old contract.

As far as I can tell, the worst case is that you will have to "make do" with the 1.6G or 900M on Openreach FTTP for 14 months, and upgrade at end of contract.

I contacted them by webchat and they said it was not possible, I'm not convinced as it seems fairly straightforward to me so that's why I've asked again here.

According to Openreaches own checker, 1.6gb in the new location but I don't want Openreach if that is possible. I've explained twice above (and to me very clearly) the 20 times better upload speed is specifically why I'd like their CityFibre product.

I'm not sure why you keep putting 'make do' in inverted commas? I've explained that I don't want to 'make do' with a 900/110mbit connection if a 2300/2300mbit (or faster) connection is available. Both CityFibre (2.3gb) and Openreach are available in the area. If Zen give me no option, I'll run both until the Openreach Zen contract ceases. There'll be no 'making do', although obviously, I'd rather not pay twice if Zen can be persuaded otherwise - hence why I'm asking for advice here.

In reply to a post by jpm:

Officially Zen will do a home move for you if you've been in contract for six months, before that time they indicate that they want you to pay the full ETF

https://www.zen.co.uk/help-support/move-orders/

I'd try to negotiate this to maybe just paying the Openreach install charges that they incurred because you're committing to a new contract period with them on CityFibre at the new address, and Openreach don't hold Zen to any sort of term.

Thanks., I'm hoping I can do something like that, but obviously it'd be nearer the time when I have a date for completion on the purchase. Just fishing around on here for info now.

Hopefully they'll let me pay the install fee or something like that. Otherwise the ETF would be £700+ for the remainder, at which point I'd probably rather just run both for redundancy purposes than pay for it to cease! Their (Zen's) checker doesn't even give a Openreach result, just offers CityFibre anyway as clearly this is their own internal preference. It's probably got better cost margins otherwise why would they push that option when both wholesalers cover the area.

Edited by scotlandstreet (Sun 07-Jun-26 01:02:23)

In reply to a post by scotlandstreet:

I contacted them by webchat and they said it was not possible, I'm not convinced as it seems fairly straightforward to me so that's why I've asked again here.

With respect, opinions of random people here mean nothing compared to what Zen actually tell you. You are in contract with Zen, after all.

However, if you haven't actually exchanged contracts yet, then you might as well sit it out at this point - the sale could fall through, or it could be delayed, and that could change the outcome. Even if Zen tell you X today, they might say Y when it's time to place the order.

In reply to a post by scotlandstreet:

I'm not sure why you keep putting 'make do' in inverted commas?

Because 1600/100 or 900/100 is still a damned decent service, compared to 30/4 or less on FTTC that many people still have as their only option.

And because you agreed to sign for an 18 month contract at that speed level, which you were happy with at the time. Now something better has come along you want that, but that doesn't make the existing level of service any worse.

I posted here as someone might have had a similar scenario before, this is a broadband discussion forum after all. I see no problem trying to get ahead of the issue, of course the sale could fall through. I'm just asking what my options are likely to be, I'm not sure that's particularly unusual when buying a house. I have some limited free time to query it now, I might not in a couple of months (JUL/AUG/SEP is by far the busiest time of year for me at work and that's already coinciding with a completion time frame).

I'm agreed, 1600/100 is a damn decent service! Although your logic comparing anything to FTTC you would say that if it's faster, shut up and make do. That's utterly counterproductive to broadband development in the UK.

I wasn't happy with 1600/100mbit at the time, I'd have liked it to be 10/10gb, but it isn't available. We're lucky that Openreach FTTP was finally rolled out here in April, my connection before was 28/14mbit on FTTC which was dreadful. When FTTP finally did appear, 1600/100mb was the fastest tariff offered, so I chose the fastest. In my new house, via CityFibre, there is a *much* faster option. It's potentially 50 times faster if/when Zen offer 5/5gb, but approx 25 times faster today. Simply: Zen have faster options, I want faster internet... I'm already with Zen, why on earth would I not explore them?

By that logic the bar is always "faster than FTTC" and nobody ever needs anything better. Curious position for a broadband forum.

And with respect to you... You've not moved the thread forward or furthered my knowledge all in your replies. I'm not really sure why you're being so obtuse in your response.