Plusnet Renewal Due - Query re Options

David_Watts2

Currently with Plusnet for part-fibre with phone line, renewal a few weeks away. Slightly thrown today by finding out that FTTP isn't available after being told that it was for months. (All firms and comparison sites gave it as an option but, as of today, none do. Plusnet were offering it under "Upgrades" but it's gone now.) Property is a flat, the houses on the street have been connected but I guess the postcode checker was showing incorrect information and has belatedly been updated.

As of now, Plusnet are offering me the option to renew the existing deal at a slightly higher price or switch to "Fibre" which is slightly faster but would mean losing the phone line. That option is about the same price as I'm currently paying. So that's effectively a choice of pay a bit more for what I've got now or lose the phone line and pay a bit less for a slightly better speed. (No issues at all with my current speed.)

Having had a quick look on a comparison site I'm now only offered part fibre options with, apparently, no option to have a phoneline. Given the choice I'd have at least considered going elsewhere for same product (with phone) for a price saving.

Is it correct that I am unable to transfer my phoneline if I choose to switch to a new provider for the broadband?

littleboo

If the new provider offers a "digital voice" service, ie VOIP, you can. Plusnet don't, but EE, Vodafone etc do

David_Watts2

littleboo said:

If the new provider offers a "digital voice" service, ie VOIP, you can. Plusnet don't, but EE, Vodafone etc do

I was being offered that when it seemed I could get FTTP but now it's FTTC only there's no sign of a phoneline being available. I'll have to look more closely at each potential new provider. Long term I'm ambivalent about keeping the landline but short term I'd rather do so until I'm happy that I've updated my contact details wherever necessary. 

The comparison site I used just said no offers available for broadband with phone, which wasn't the case when FTTP was an option.

OutdoorQueen

I swapped from Plusnet to Vodafone in July and kept my landline number. 

littleboo

David_Watts2 said:

littleboo said:

If the new provider offers a "digital voice" service, ie VOIP, you can. Plusnet don't, but EE, Vodafone etc do

I was being offered that when it seemed I could get FTTP but now it's FTTC only there's no sign of a phoneline being available. I'll have to look more closely at each potential new provider. Long term I'm ambivalent about keeping the landline but short term I'd rather do so until I'm happy that I've updated my contact details wherever necessary. 

The comparison site I used just said no offers available for broadband with phone, which wasn't the case when FTTP was an option.

Have you checked on the providers sites directly?

Surranrider

It’s likely that the FTTP network has reached capacity in the area. You can contact Openreach’s fibre enquiries team for an explanation. 

iniltous

Put your address in this checker and post the results.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome

This is the where the  answer  to ‘is FTTP from Openreach available’ is .

If it shows WBC FTTP available then it is , it also shows what type of work is needed , overhead , underground, and potential issues and the installation process, one or  two stages , post the return so it can be interpreted .

Living in a MDU ( multi dwelling unit ) flats or apartments has its own complications, if it’s not possible to get a new optical ‘line’ into your individual unit without affecting other people property , including the freeholders / building owners , managing agents areas  , like common outside areas ( gardens , grounds ) staircases , corridors, risers between follows etc. any network provider cannot simply do work on  or in these areas that you can’t give permission for , as they are not your property, you don’t have the authority to say dig up my landlords gardens or put a cable on the outside wall , for example .

Some of the OP makes no sense , you say you are on FTTC ( fibre to the cabinet ) and FTTP isn’t shown as available ( even if it was your understanding that it was ) yet you say Plusnet are offering you a different ‘Fibre’ option , but if you are already on ‘fibre’ , (the FTTC kind )  , what are Plusnet offering that’s different to what you already have ? , not including telephone service has nothing to do with fibre availability, so it cannot be that .

You could try the checker with a very close neighbour address ( one that’s a SDU , single dwelling unit , a regular house  ) if they have FTTP available , then the general area may have  been converted, but MDU’s are specifically excluded, because of the problems already given regarding freeholders , permits, granting access to common areas etc within the common areas of the flats or apartments.

David_Watts2

Thanks for the replies. 

To clarify the OP, until this week I was being told that FTTP was available via Openreach providers. This was the case on comparison sites, when I went direct to other providers and when I signed into my Plusnet account to check for available upgrades. I'm assuming that this was incorrect and the error in the postcode lookup has now been rectified, and that the reality is that FTTP isn't available.

Other providers are offering FTTC and, on closer inspection, I can indeed switch both broadband and phone. The latter would involve the transition to VOIP.

Plusnet are offering renewal of the existing product, FTTC which they call "Unlimited Fibre". They are also offering an upgrade to what they call (perhaps confusingly) "Fibre" which is a faster FTTC product (60mb v 40mb currently) but that's without phoneline. So the only option for remaining with Plusnet and keeping the phoneline is to renew that current product. As the upgrade is 7p per month dearer there's no incentive to take that option.

I've checked as suggested and the results are below. It is indeed the case that the houses on the street have FTTP available but the flats don't.

Featured Products	Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)		Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)		Downstream Handback Threshold(Mbps)	WBC FTTC Availability	WBC SOGEA Availability
	High	Low	High	Low
VDSL Range A (Clean)	80	70.5	20	19	64.2	Unavailable	Available
VDSL Range B (Impacted)	80	67	20	19	60	Unavailable	Available
G.fast Range A (Clean)	--	--	--	--	--	Unavailable	--
G.fast Range B (Impacted)	--	--	--	--	--	Unavailable	--

Featured Products	Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)	Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Downstream Range (Mbps)	Availability Date	FTTP Install Process
FTTP on Demand	1000	220	--	Available	--

Other Offerings	Availability Date
VDSL Multicast	Available

Exchange Product Restrictions	Status
FTTP Priority Exchange	Y
WLR Withdrawal	Y
SOADSL Restriction	N

FTTP is not available.

As a fibre priority exchange, FTTP has priority over other products if available at the address

As a WLR withdrawal exchange, product restrictions apply

SOADSL is not restricted at the exchange

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL or G.fast) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

For all SOADSL services,the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Actual speeds experienced by end users and quoted by CPs will be lower due to a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

In order to be eligible for handback, downstream speed should be less than Downstream Handback Threshold values.

If you decide to place an order for a WBC fibre product, an appointment may be required for an engineer to visit the end user's premises to supply the service

ADSL, ADSL2+ and SOADSL availability: If shown at FTTP or SOGEA premises,ADSL, ADSL2+ and SOADSL are not available to order due to WLR Withdrawal stop sell rules. CPs should order FTTP or SOGEA. Copper products are only available by exception.

iniltous

Plusnet website isn’t the clearest IMHO , because your predicted speed is very good for FTTC , they only offer you initially the 80Mb option ( what some providers would call Fibre 2 ) the 55Mb ( Fibre 1 ) and 40Mb ( Essentials  ) are not offered ( TBH there is little in the wholesale price that PN pay so it makes sense to take the higher speed profile if the line can deliver it ) , if your predicted speed were much less ( say 40-60 Mb ), because you lived further away from the ‘cabinet’ ,  they wouldn’t offer the 80Mb speed , but 55 or even 40 Mb .

All telephony is now IP  ( for new and recontracting customer ) and Plusnet ultimately will not provide telephony at all , PN customers who want telephony are usually offered a ‘free’ switch to BT or EE , both these will continue to provide telephony for those that want it .

You may be correct in that the FTTP showing as available for a short period was an error that was corrected , and FTTP isn’t available to you , and the probable reason for that is you are in a MDU ( flats ) which are a separate build programme to SDU’s .

Obviously the speed you currently get will continue on renewal , because everything is the same , ( equipment, line , distance from cabinet profile setting )  , provided you don’t downgrade the speed profile ( and there isn’t any real saving doing that ) , telephony is your choice ,I’m surprised PN will allow you to keep it and not push you towards BT or EE , if you require a phone service, those ISP that also provide telephony tend to add £2-£5 to the price ( and then call charges on top  ) or £12-£18 if included calls are required, if they are offering ‘slightly faster’ broadband that’s nothing more than a statistical quirk , your  speed won’t change on renewal or change to another ISP on FTTC , the only increase is if FTTP becomes available in the future.

David_Watts2

iniltous said:

You may be correct in that the FTTP showing as available for a short period was an error that was corrected , and FTTP isn’t available to you , and the probable reason for that is you are in a MDU ( flats ) which are a separate build programme to SDU’s .

Thanks for your reply. I was surprised when I was first offered FTTP as an option but I took it at face value. I assumed the work required wasn't as significant as I imagined and had been done without my being aware. An optimistic view with hindsight!

It had been puzzling me how the connection to the flats would be carried out. There's certainly no obvious way of doing it internally so a lot of external cabling would be required. I can't see any sign of telegraph poles connecting to any part of the flats either so the existing phonelines must be underground. There's no obvious access points so it might be a case of having to rip half the carpark up!

The flats are 50 years old and it's fair to say they weren't built with much foresight in terms of updating internal cabling!

I think it might be some time before FTTP gets sorted.

iniltous

Flats of that age , in many places are being knocked down , but if whoever owns the block is approached by OR , or they approach OR , if they agree ( some owners won’t allow any work unless they get ‘compensated’ in which case OR don’t get involved ) , but if an agreement is reached the entire block is retro fitted , with an access point provided outside each flat ( cabling done internally ) and should work externally also be required to get from the outside network to something like the building utility area  where the heating , electrical distribution, water services etc are , then you would also notice this work , all internal cabling being done before the addresses are able to order .

As you say , it may be quite some time before it’s available……some ‘owners’ , like local authorities etc, often do a deal with someone other than Openreach , and even if Openreach offer to do this work quickly , the authority refuses , prepared to wait for their chosen network to get around to providing service rather than letting OR get in first .