Monopoly on Broadband Providers in new build estates

WhoLivesInAPineapple

Can anybody tell me how it is allowed that if you live on a new build estate it is ok for the developers to force you to use their chosen broadband provider? I thought we had protection in this country against monopolies? I live on an estate which has been lived in for at least 3 years and still we can only get FibreNest broadband. I have no quibbles about the speed they provide but if they put my bills up, which I am sure they will do soon, I have no choice but to pay it. Surely this is not allowed? 

MorningcoffeeIV

It surely is allowed because it's not illegal.

Sounds like you chose a Persimmon gone with their own ISP.

MattMattMattUK

WhoLivesInAPineapple said:

Can anybody tell me how it is allowed that if you live on a new build estate it is ok for the developers to force you to use their chosen broadband provider? I thought we had protection in this country against monopolies? I live on an estate which has been lived in for at least 3 years and still we can only get FibreNest broadband. I have no quibbles about the speed they provide but if they put my bills up, which I am sure they will do soon, I have no choice but to pay it. Surely this is not allowed? 

It is allowed. Starlink may be an alternative, although it is not particularly cheap. 

https://www.starlink.com/

WhoLivesInAPineapple

My comment is not 'is it allowed', I know that it is because I am experiencing it. It is more around how is it allowed to happen? Surely when an estate gets planning permission part of that is the provision of utilities, like broadband and telephone. Why is it up to a developer to chose one provider who will service that new estate and why does it take so long for other providers to be able to offer their products. I just see Martin's headlines about look for a better broadband deal now and feel a little annoyed that I can't. I am stuck with this provider and if they decide to double my bill I will have no choice but to find the money and pay it. Just seems a tad bit unfair and overlooked. I wonder how many households in the UK this effects, I bet it is quite a lot. 

summer_daze009

WhoLivesInAPineapple said:
 I wonder how many households in the UK this effects, I bet it is quite a lot. 

14,000. Persimmon owns Fibrenest so if you buy one of their houses on a large estate unfortunately you have no choice of broadband yet.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9731487/Housing-giant-forces-buyers-use-broadband.html

WhoLivesInAPineapple

Thank you for the link to this article summer_daze009.

I am glad to hear it is not only me that thinks this is unfair. I didn't realise Persimmon owned Fibrenest but presumed they had some deal with them but that makes sense. Get more money out of you and you have no choice but to pay. Especially with so many of us working from home now I have no choice but to pay for broadband at what ever rate they want to charge.

Hopefully Martin and his team will be able to look into this issue one day.  

iniltous

The period before the roads and footpaths of a new development are adopted by the local authority they are the private property of the developer and the developer has the right to only allow only those who they want on site  , and lock out anyone they don’t want .
Once the development is adopted by the local authority, network builders like Openreach or Virgin as well as others have the ‘right’ to excavate the roads and footpaths and install their own joint boxes , ducts etc, but it would be hard to make a business case to do this , given that all the addresses that want fibre broadband will already have it , so spending probably 10’s of £K’s on the possibility of signing up a few residents that are dissatisfied with the incumbents service, is not a compelling business case.
If the jointboxes and ducts that were installed by the developer had to be made available to other network providers ( like Openreach have to offer access to their ducts etc ) then the maths may make sense, but that would require a change in the regulations by Ofcom, they won’t offer access without some sort of compulsion 

Tobermory69

Hi There, just thought I would add my 10cents worth.

I moved in to a Persimmon Home 13 months ago and at the time I was aware that I was being supplied by Fibrenest and that they were owned by Persimmons.
What I wasn't aware of was that they had the monopoly (for Fibre) in the estate.  The signal I get through the WiFi router is quite quick (I pay for 500MB and routinely get around 250MB) but it is intermittent, stopping working and forcing me to remove the WiFi acount from a device and re-connecting, then it works again for a while.
Fibrenest say they cant find evidence of any issues and that the devices must need updating etc.
But all the devices (TVs, Laptops, Tablets and phones) worked perfectly well without cutting out at my last house.

It now appears the only options I have are :-
1. Put up with it.
2. Sign up to a Copper based broadband with another company.
3. Start using Mobile data for the devices on which this is possible.
4. Buy a 5G Data router with WiFi that gives better stability

I have posted messages on the local Facebook page and there is an employee from Virgin on the estate that believes there is a limit to how long FibreNest can hold the Monopoly for Fibre, but there are people on this estate that moved in over 3 years ago and are still constricted with their Fibre Broadband options.
Sorry about rambling on!

littleboo

If its a new estate, you won't be getting any copper based options at any time. If the roads have been adopted by the local authority, then any other provider can build their own network, but they might not been be that interested in over-building if all the properties are already signed up with FibreNest

unforeseen

Even if there is a limit there will always be the problem of whether open reach are willing to fibre up the estate. If the roads have not yet been adopted by the council then the developer still controls who can access and lay services.

I have a 'new' estate near me. It's been completed and occupied for over 3 years but the roads have not yet been adopted so they are stuck with the broadband supplier that the developer decided on because open reach wont lay their cables on the private roads without permission 

Exodi

MorningcoffeeIV said:

It surely is allowed because it's not illegal.

Sounds like you chose a Persimmon gone with their own ISP.

A tad unhelpful, no?

The OP didn't ask whether it was allowed (obviously they know it is...) they asked 'how is it allowed'.

All things are allowed, until they aren't anymore. 

It's also not as if the OP is the only person who has an issue with Fibrenest: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search?domain=all_content&query=fibrenest&scope=site&source=community

As a layperson, it's also completely understandable why. A housebuilder forcing residents to use a specific internet provider, which they just happen to own, would raise doubts with any of us.