Switching FTTC providers, work required?

bebelbrug

Hi folks. I get my broadband through a FTTC Openreach connection.  I was thinking of switching providers to simply pay less, £14 a month instead of the current £38

The speed we get is modest and I know i can get FTTP for around £25 and it's a lot faster but the speed is sufficient at the moment.

The only reason I want to switch is just to pay less for the same service.

I figured that just switching to the FTTC service from a different provider would be seamless (maybe some router settings to be tweaked) but the hardware is the same.

I've got an email from our new provider giving us an appointment time and talking about an Openreach engineer coming round etc.

Is that just a generic email that they send to all customers and I'm right to think that it should just be like switching gas or electricity or have I got it all wrong?

Many thanks

Ayr_Rage

The engineer will need to switch your line to a new port in the fibre cabinet but should not need to attend your property for a FTTC to FTTC switch.

Presumably you have a combined modem/router supplied by your ISP, that will not work with a new ISP.

Expect new hardware.

Eldi_Dos

If your area has FTTP and you can receive it will you be allowed to switch FTTC providers?

iniltous

As far as Openreach based service providers are concerned , in areas where Openreach FTTP is available , for new business or re-contracting customers , they will build in a conversion to FTTP as ‘standard’ , even if the speed ordered is achievable with the existing FTTC (so 80Mb or less ) , this suits both Openreach who want to close the legacy network when  FTTP is available, and usually suits the ISP’s , as the  ISP’s are incentivised financially by OR to move customers onto FTTP , plus they also get a more reliable, flexible network (so less complaints etc ) your preference FTTC or FTTP isn’t asked for, you get this ‘upgrade’ when it’s available.

In the past when OR FTTP was pretty rare , and even today  in areas where OR  FTTP still isn’t available, no engineer visit is arranged as it isn’t needed , as nothing needs doing at your address if just switching providers on FTTC   , but your situation isn’t like that because FTTP is available, and the engineers arranged to visit are there  to connect your address to FTTP and by doing so disconnect you from FTTC .

You can , in rare circumstances stay on FTTC ( but won’t be the best prices )  your chosen ISP would have to give up the ££ incentives from OR  and use the old FTTC to FTTC migration path , that’s if you are not in a priority FTTP area ,if it is a priority area  there is no wriggle room at all  , it has to be FTTP , but in general the only way to stay on FTTC when FTTP is available (if that’s what someone wants ) is to stay with your existing ISP and then not renew when offered a re-contracting deal …. 

TBH as its price that’s most  important thing here  , then that’s obviously not a choice for you , even if your new ISP would do it .

As you are happy with the price (that’s the important thing ) , what’s the difference to you if they fit FTTP  as a condition of giving you that price ? 

bebelbrug

Hi folks, thanks for the replies.

So the current setup is an Openreach modem connected to the phone line and a router that I bought on my own a few years ago (the original one that came with my first ISP in this house packed in). That's what made me think I shouldn't need an engineer visit, as there should be no new equipment/lines.

The FTTP that I could get is from a company called CIty Fibre (I genuinely didn't know Openreach FTTP was a thing)

The FTTP options are not bad deals at all but I'm just not in the mood for getting the garden dug up and stuff like that at the moment

iniltous said:

In the past when OR FTTP was pretty rare , and even today  in areas where OR  FTTP still isn’t available, no engineer visit is arranged as it isn’t needed , as nothing needs doing at your address if just switching providers on FTTC   , but your situation isn’t like that because FTTP is available, and the engineers arranged to visit are there  to connect your address to FTTP and by doing so disconnect you from FTTC .

So as it's not Openreach FTTP then this would be an example of just switching FTTC providers?

iniltous

You said you were on a Openreach FTTC connection and told an Openreach (not City Fibre ) engineer was going to attend , so who have you ordered with and who are they using , Vodafone for example use both City Fibre and Openreach , in places  were both Openreach FTTP and City Fibre are available they use CF as their preferred network….but in some respects it’s irrelevant, CF or Openreach  will be doing what’s necessary to get FTTP to your address , if that  requires excavation then that’s what happens ( unless you cancel or refuse to allow the work once they attend ) , perhaps you should say who the new provider is .

If it’s City Fibre  your new provider is using , then obviously it isn’t switching FTTC providers, City Fibre is not an ISP , City Fibre is a network provider, they don’t have any connection to Openreach apart from leeching onto Openreach ducts and poles ,  they don’t use Openreach FTTC so if your service is to be  via City Fibre , it must be a brand new installation, and nothing to do with your existing Openreach FTTC , but that begs the question why did you say  you had an Openreach appointment originally if it’s actually City Fibre ….

bebelbrug

iniltous said:

You said you were on a Openreach FTTC connection and told an Openreach (not City Fibre ) engineer was going to attend , so who have you ordered with and who are they using , 

I'm currently on an Openreach FTTC connection with Utility Warehouse as my ISP, I've order a switch to Onestream, they've sent me an email saying an Openreach engineer will attend

iniltous said:

 but that begs the question why did you say  you had an Openreach appointment originally if it’s actually City Fibre ….

FTTP is available at my house through City Fibre, that's all I said about them

iniltous

OK , I’d have checked the reviews for Onestream TBH , they may be cheap , but cheap for a reason , cheaper isn’t necessarily a good thing and it’s simply an observation that City Fibre are available in your area , but irrelevant to the topic , according to a quick search Onestream is not available on City Fibre so quite confusing to bring them into the conversation….

check your address here 

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

This shows what Openreach have for your address, if it shows WBC FTTP is available, then even if you didn’t realise it , Openreach FTTP is also available and is what you will be getting , if WBC FTTP is not available and only SoGEA , then Onestream , in keeping with their somewhat poor reviews (in my opinion)  are telling you to expect an Openreach visit when you won’t actually get ( or need ) one .

bebelbrug

ok, thanks

Featured Products	Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)	Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Downstream Range (Mbps)	Availability Date	FTTP Install Process
WBC FTTP	Up to 1000	Up to 220	--	Available	1 Stage

so I guess it will be FTTP anyway

iniltous said:

As far as Openreach based service providers are concerned , in areas where Openreach FTTP is available , for new business or re-contracting customers , they will build in a conversion to FTTP as ‘standard’ , even if the speed ordered is achievable with the existing FTTC (so 80Mb or less ) 

In the past when OR FTTP was pretty rare , and even today  in areas where OR  FTTP still isn’t available, no engineer visit is arranged as it isn’t needed , as nothing needs doing at your address if just switching providers on FTTC   , but your situation isn’t like that because FTTP is available, and the engineers arranged to visit are there  to connect your address to FTTP and by doing so disconnect you from FTTC .

I took from that that there is Openreach FTTP and FTTP through others such as City Fibre and that they were seperate things. City Fibre is what is available on my street so that's why they were brought into the conversation

iniltous

So as can be seen Openreach FTTP is available for your address , and is showing as a single stage installation, so the Openreach network survey indicated that there are no obvious obstacles,  so they day they gave is the day they expect to complete.

As its single stage , that suggests no excavation is necessary, although it’s only an indication , some unpredictable issues may surface on the day .

35har1old

iniltous said:

So as can be seen Openreach FTTP is available for your address , and is showing as a single stage installation, so the Openreach network survey indicated that there are no obvious obstacles,  so they day they gave is the day they expect to complete.

As its single stage , that suggests no excavation is necessary, although it’s only an indication , some unpredictable issues may surface on the day .

Issues that could arise 
Where is the master telephone socket?
Have you a spare power outlet?
From the fibre internal termination usally only 2m of cable usally supplied to reach router.
On the exterior the incoming duct could be damaged  engineer will excavate to locate if necessary 
The incoming cable may not be in a duct the engineer will ask for a excavation team to attend
They will alter entry point if you want the supply to be adjacent to the router
My existing router was supplied from a extension socket so not suitable for full fibre
The master socket was unusable due to loction and no adjacent power supply