Is FTTP compulsory

molerat

"Removed" does not necessarily mean physically removed but can mean just removed from service.  They don't even bother removing the overhead copper cable when they install fibre at the moment, most of the houses round here that are on poles have 2 cables going to them, so I doubt they will be pulling wires out of the ground.

hareng

Albermarle said

When we had FTTP fitted the installation engineer said it was not possible to have the connection anywhere other than an outside wall, as the fibre was not suitable for bending around sharp corners etc.

I did my own install as i wanted it doing right, signed off by head honchu of the 6 man installation team.

The cable 7mm diameter is quite flexi will bend tightly behind skirting thats slotted out. Rough guess its been some years, will bend round 6mm round.
Box is on outside front wall, cable enters behind skirting board and goes inside it, under a doorway then back round 3 right angle bends. Then i repositoned the internal box they put in and shortened the cable, its easy.

I did see an install last week that had me mesmerized.  Installers created a hole and sucked the cable past 6 feet of block paving and out. Of course would be very different if tarmac or stonework was up to the abode.
Also a mate with a shared drive of 6 houses. He was middle house, he had authorisation from the other 5 properties to dig up the tarmac drive about 24 yards for CityFibre FTTP.

Northern_Wanderer

My recent experience has been that whilst the comparison sites all showed FTTC & FTTP being available, when I went to place my order, only FTTP was available. My options were to stay with current provider on FTTC or move to FTTP to any available provider.

I too have put off the FTTP install due to having work done on the house. Also, it caused some anxiety not knowing in advance where the cable would be laid as they won't do survey before hand. 

I bit the bullet as I was then out of contract and getting charged a lot and placed my order. The router does not have to go where your current master socket is. Have a think where might be a good location for you. There are video's on how they install FTTP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJve0oIM3dY

On the day, there was a big discussion about how to get the fibre into my house (from a pole), options explored. It was a bit of challenge due to various obstructions and took 3.5hrs. The Openreach engineer says it was really a two man job and they have been feeding back that they should be doing surveys ahead of the installation day. He definitely wasn't keen to be running long cables inside the house so I agree they will prefer to have router close to outside wall. He did a really neat job though and I persuaded him to take cable through an airbrick vent under house up through a hatch, which he initially wasn't going to do. I'm very happy.

It's inevitable that at some point you will need to switch to FTTP.

Timalay

Mwat said:

Peter999_2

The reason is all the hassle the installation will cause.
To get our house it will have to go under a hedge and then a lawn and then a recently laid tarmac path, inside the house the router isn’t near an outside wall it is situated in the middle of the house where the current telephone socket and a double plug socket are, this will mean holes in the wall, wires running along skirting boards etc.
This all seems a lot of disturbance for something that we don’t want and it seems to be being forced onto us.
Cheers 

If you are worried about them digging up your path, hedge and lawn.  The contractors always try to thread the fibre cabling through first.

Mwat

Thanks to you all.

Mwat

Thanks to you all.

RealMunson

I've just had this issue with Sky - who phoned me about 3/4 weeks ago advising Full Fibre was now available in my area. As it wasn't costing more to have better broadband I said OK. Openreach engineer came to the house Friday 1st to install the ONT boxes in the house - he said there's no Fibre cable running to your property. He said he can install the ONT boxes so they are there ready - I said fine, not thinking anything of it. Sky switched me to Fibre that night - assuming because the ONT job had been ticked complete. Saturday I advised of the problem - Sky can't switch me back to the Superfast broadband package I had, saying it's not available in my area - despite having it the day before. They told me the only way to sort was to cancel the Fibre package and then call Tuesday to sort a new contract out. 

I phoned today to be told that they couldn't do it as Openreach is saying Fibre is available - it might be but not to my house nor my neighbour! I'm at the end of a shared drive with four properties. 

The only way I've got put back on to FTTC was by saying that without our broadband, I have no way of contacting emergency services (cancelling the Fibre contract also cancelled the landline.... which I wasn't told) the mobile signal is rubbish so relied on WIFI calling - so no WIFI no working phone. 

So I have got it sorted - however have had to take a new 24 month contract with Sky (halved the cost so not the worst) but won't be reconnected until 12th August - so will have had 12 days no WIFI. 

Sky should not be just relying on the Openreach information - it's mis selling in my view. Until your actually property has the cable running to it, then it should not be offered. 

Also, Sky's refusal to sort the problem left a major sour taste. The obviously could switch me back to FTTC, but wouldn't - until I essentially had to lie about calls made in an emergency. 

In hindsight, I should have checked fibre ran to the house - stupid of me to believe what I was told.....

littleboo

You wouldn't expect to have fibre terminating on your property until a service had been ordered. 

RealMunson

I wouldn’t expect for what I had to be turned off if it turned out the fibre didn’t go to the property, as advised by the engineer. What I would expect is for a mistake on Sky/Openreach behalf to be rectified easily. 

littleboo

Well,yes. The two aren't mutually exclusive.