Is it better to jump to full fibre (existing supplier not offering it) or wait until the shove?

mr-b

Hi

My mother's area has recently been cabled for full fibre (Cityfibre and Nexfibre aka Virgin), and we know that migration from FTTC to FTTP is necessary in the next couple of years, however going on MSE's broadband service checker her current supplier (Sky) with 5 mo left of the contract is not currently offering FTTP, just Vodafone and a couple of other 'new name' suppliers.

She'd prefer continuity of supplier if possible in order to (hopefully) minimise disruption, but it seems as if that may not be an option, and so a bullet may have to be bitten!

So are some current FTTC ISPs just not going to change to the FTTP network, which will force change of ISP? Or are they just being tardy in updating their offerings?

Either way, given some of the botched installations stories, it might be better to migrate before the mass migration starts near the FTTC switch-off date and the lack of workers causes even more trouble.

basill

There may be a longish waiting time for any FTTP supplier so if you find a good deal try and get it installed before the Sky contract ends.  You can test the new service and keep the old BB going until you are happy with it. Our local FTTP company offered some good deals to help customers with the choice including the offer to pay off remaining months of the old suppiers contact and free months to help new customers move over.
Remember on a new router you can change the WIFI name and passwords to match the old one so most things will carry on working.

iniltous

Staying on FTTC for the foreseeable future is entirely possible, the fact that FTTP is available from other networks has no bearing on Sky customers using FTTC  from Openreach , even when Openreach FTTP becomes available ( when ever that may be ) there are no forced migrations to FTTP , Sky may encourage a switch to Openreach FTTP when it’s available, usually when re-contracting , but as FTTP from Openreach isn’t available yet , that’s not an issue .

FTTC doesn’t have a switch off date , even for customers with access to FTTP from Openreach or anyone else ,  it’s the PSTN telephone network that’s being retired not FTTC .

Sky do have a very recently agreed deal with City Fibre to use their FTTP network , it’s not yet available for customers, and will be  in a very limited number of areas , so for some Sky customers ( at some point in the future ) , Sky should be available on City Fibre infrastructure, but it’s not going to be widely available and for most not available at all , so if your mother wants to stay with Sky on Openreach FTTC she can , there is no reason to do anything …using the new FTTP networks  from CF or NF will require her to use someone other than Sky as her ISP .

400ixl

Chances are that she is currently with an ISP using the OpenReach network. As you say, the FTTP service is being supplied by ALtNet providers CityFibre and NextFibre. That is a completely different back haul network to OpenReach.

That means that only ISP's who are signed up to the AltNet in your particular area can provide a service.

My question would be does she nee the additional speed or is she having issues with the connection? If not, then I wouldn't rush as she has 5 months left on her current contract.

If she does want to move, you couldn't pay me to go to Vodafone (see the customer satisfaction reports and complaints per 100k users) so which other suppliers have you access to on the AltNet network?

mr-b

Useful info, tx to all.

The marketing messaging cutting through is that *copper* is being retired e.g. https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/retiring-the-copper-network and along with the fact that folks know that FTTP is available now in the area (the supplier aspect is almost secondary and so gets lost in the messaging), explains the general motivation behind the potential move.

So it's good to know at least that the "shove" (from Openreach retiring their copper network) isn't imminent. https://www.openreach.com/fibre-checker says it's not available with not even a build date (my address has the build date "before Dec 2026"!).

Another motivating factor is that there are some good FTTP deals (compared to FTTC) e.g. Toob are are offering 900Mpbs for £29 pcm (2y contract) with no installation fee and they will waive the monthly fee for up to 9 months if you're still in contract. Other suppliers are 4th Utility - 150M for £23 pcm, TalkTalk £26 and Trooli for £30. The speed aspect is not as important as reliability. She has her own mesh wifi that I manage remotely so that aspect is catered for.

Neighbours have had FTTP installed via the telegraph pole (electricity is supplied overhead too) or via a channel in the garden by the drive so I don't envisage it would be very disruptive.

The thing that would need investgation is how to transfer her old landline number to VOIP - it may be too much hassle/cost and she only has it for incoming calls.

400ixl

OpenReach won't be cutting people off of FTTC until they have upgraded the exchange to FTTP and converted people over. The phone line will likely switch to digital before that, but the main broadband will not.

As she is in contract for 5 months you have time to work it through without rushing into anything.

littleboo

If you port the number out while on FTTC, it will trigger a cancel of the broadband service as well as the phone service.

Pete99

Unless you're going with BT Digital Voice, you can set up VOIP alongside the existing landline / broadband setup with a temporary number, that gives you the choice afterwards of any broadband supplier without the ties of the landline, then port your old landline number to your VOIP account when you've ordered broadband from whoever you chose, this was the easiest method I chose and because I didn't go with the BT DV offering my ongoing charges are only £1.44 a month + calls at 1.5pmin, Plusnet for broadband A&A for VOIP, anyway that's what I did and so far all positive.