Full fibre for my new house - I'm losing my mind...

grumpy_codger

MSE comparison tool shows Sky Full Fibre Gigafast 900Mb and Vodafone Full Fibre 910 (among other 900ish options) available for my new address.

So does Topcashback.

Ofcom Checker says 1800/1000Mbps, "Networks in your area - CityFibre, Virgin Media, Openreach"

My order through MSE failed - I finished it and received all confirmation emails, but Vodafone agent wasn't able to locate the order. Two following orders through TCB failed identically. Nobody at Vodafone has any clue why.

Tried Sky through TCB many times. At the very end I keep lending either on some blank page without any message and with something like 'online order failure' in the address bar or on some 'error' page. Tried different browsers, PC and tablet, my and my wife's details.

The reason I chose Voda and Sky is because for the time being I want to keep my landline number and from the top results of comparison tools only they offer this.

Today I tried to go to Voda website directly and whatever I chose (new landline number, keep existing) I see:

We don’t offer landline at this address. Browse our 5G Broadband plans, which come without landline. Choose a speed to see plans 50 Mbps / 150 Mbps

Without landine I do see Full Fibre 910.

To add confusion, my current internet is Fibre to the Cabinet (?) with the same Vodafone, below 100Mbps, with Digital Voice (?) landline number included.

Can anybody help me with understanding this mess?

Dizzycap

I had the same issue when I moved with taking my Virgin Media from my old address to my new address. It turned out that the reason my order didn't and wouldn't go through was because although fibre was showing as available in the local area I was about to move to, the fiber line stopped at the top of the road and didn't come down to my new property. After a discussion with Virgin, it was uneconomical for virgin to dig up the raod / path to extend the fiber line, unless my neighbours also asked / agreed to be connected to Virgin Media at the same time 🙄.

In the end, I went with a non-fiber option with NowTV; a subsiduary of Sky, so that I could keep my landline and old telephone number. My internet speed is super. It may be that you'll have to dig around until you find a provider who can offer you a landline - Openreach (BT) certainly will, for now.

Grumpy_chap

I don't think this type of discrepancy is that rare.

The online checkers just use post code areas. Reality is more detailed than post codes.

For example, where my Mum lives, the checkers show that VM is available but, actually, while VM is available through the crescent around my Mum's house, Mum's house is one of 8 in a fill-in cul-de-sac and VM is not laid down that road. AIUI, the small close was built prior to the cable network being laid, it was just never laid in the close.

grumpy_codger

Thank you for the replies, but I'm still no wiser why Voda provide digital landline in my current house, but in the new one I only see Full Fibre 910 (along with 80, 150, 500) if I select 'broadband only'.

ETA: I checked this multiple times yesterday, but now I checked this again and they do show "keep my Landline number + Full Fibre 910" available. Looks like they've been working whole night at my new postcode.

Still don't know whether placing an order at higher price directly through Vodafone website will make any difference…

prowla

I've had Zen FTTP, which runs over the CityFibre network, for two years.

It was refreshing to see that there was no price increase on my last renewal.

QrizB

Have you tried phoning the supplier and talking to a CS rep? They might have info available to them that you don't get to see via an online application.

iniltous

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82001520#Comment_82001520

And this is pertinent to the issues the OP is having ?

Vodafone and Sky use both City Fibre and Openreach networks ,and prioritise CF when both are available, is it City Fibre providing the underlying network ?,it may be something to do with being on CF why at least initially telephony doesn’t seem to be available, that’s not to say when on Openreach that Openreach are involved in telephony, they aren’t .

FWIW , although Sky and VF offer telephony in most places neither are compelled to do so (only BT have that obligation imposed) so ultimately if VF say no telephony, they don’t really need to explain why .

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82001527#Comment_82001527

Good suggestion, at least contacting them will give you some idea of how efficiently they handle enquiries - albeit the experience enjoyed by prospective clients may not mirror that endured by signed-up punters.

sheenas

I am moving off Vodafone completely the billing and customer service is shocking. I never used the landline and move to hyperoptic. It’s a dedicated fibre Ie not part of open reach. Very reliable and give full speed 1g service, perfect for working from home. I thinking it would be worth your time looking at the smaller players in the market.

Dizzycap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82001519#Comment_82001519

In that case, I'd call Voda, if you still wish to continue with them, and have a chat with an agent the in broadband / IT department or someone that can check what the real issue / cause is. I can only think that although fibre is showing in your search, it doesn't reach you new property, unless you are aware that one of your direct new neighbours actually has fibre. Personally, I know someone who has just left Voda as they suddenly doubled their monthly bill without any communication whilst they were still in the contract period, so it wasn't a case of a yearly % increase and their Voda mobile network stopped working for a number of weeks.

I also agree with @sheenas regarding looking at smaller providers in the market, as they are often faster and more reliable at times.

grumpy_codger

I'm pretty sure that fibre doesn't reach my house - it was only recently brought to my small town (lots of digging), but the previous elderly owner died 2-3 years ago. There are some cables coming to the house, but not fibre.

However, it's a small postcode with just 12 houses, and, obviously, some work is required to get fibre cable to the house.