BT Infinity & FTTx Discussion

Anybody with Zen and had a full fibre upgrade? I'm currently on g.fast and full fibre is now available in my area. Signed up for 900/120 fibre with them and they sent out a router that arived next day. It's the same one I already have (fritz!box 7530, and not the Wifi6 version) so assuming an automated delivery? Should they be shipping out the AX models now, or the fiber routers?

Still awaiting confirmed dates for install - had a text message from openreach about external work "in the next few days" but that's about it so far.
Nevermind - I contacted support and they are going to send out the correct router. :)
 
For a normal install BT will turn up at a random time before your appointment to run the cable to your house, you don’t need to be there.

Someone else will turn at at a specific appointment time to finish the install and they need access inside your house.
 
I’ve just had an install through Aquiss. Not sure if it’s a different process for an install from a pole compared to underground but the guy ran the cable from the pole to the house and installed it inside at the same. Took about an hour an half or so.
 
I’ve just had an install through Aquiss. Not sure if it’s a different process for an install from a pole compared to underground but the guy ran the cable from the pole to the house and installed it inside at the same. Took about an hour an half or so.
Ordered also, accept mine is underground and no toby box, got an installation set with contractor who will dig and tarmac followed by another appointment for Openreach engineer for inside, connect up visit.
 
After being with VM for 20+ years (mainly because there was no similar speed alternative) now that FTTP became available I decided to move to BT. I ordered the FF 500 package for £32.99 a month. The engineer fitted a new cable to my house from the pole and was ok with putting this cable to a different place than the old copper cable as the cable run worked better this way. Also inside the house he fitted the ONT where I requested although it was still in the same room as where the cable entry in to the house is.

So far it is all working fine and I am happy with the service. Speed consistently sits around 500/70. I am using my own router and not the BT hub.
 
So install happened yesterday for the outside part, actual Openreach engineers… very polite and did a neat job coming across the pavement across the lawn to the wall.

Now waiting for inside and fibre to be pulled through.
 
After being with VM for 20+ years (mainly because there was no similar speed alternative) now that FTTP became available I decided to move to BT. I ordered the FF 500 package for £32.99 a month. The engineer fitted a new cable to my house from the pole and was ok with putting this cable to a different place than the old copper cable as the cable run worked better this way. Also inside the house he fitted the ONT where I requested although it was still in the same room as where the cable entry in to the house is.

So far it is all working fine and I am happy with the service. Speed consistently sits around 500/70. I am using my own router and not the BT hub.
I feel for you. When you switch because BT raise their prices, you'll have the months of pain dealing with their monumentally incompetent customer service and billing teams.

Just go Aquiss people.
 
had a nosey but couldn’t find a Vodafone thread but this seems to be the general openreach thread also.

Had FTTP installed this month. With the Omada network I installed last year all I had to do was change my username and password.

Went for the 500b package and getting 520 down and 70up with a ping of 8ms been fighting with **** internet speeds for 20years. Hopefully we start to see better prices when this contact ends.

Paying 37quid PM and was already under a contract with Vodafone.
 
Had my full fibre installed a couple of weeks ago gone from 10/1.5 to 330/45 Absolute insanity.

It was getting to the point where I couldn't even download ps5/windows updates in good time so had to upgrade. Very impressed so far!
 
Anyone here having the same issue as me with being in a DIG area? I.e. I have copper buried direct in the ground from the original house build (1964). Openreach are just saying 'sorry we have no solution for this' which I'm assuming means it's not cost-effective for them to rectify. So I'm stuck on 22mbps more or less. I know some are on worse, but there is no ETA of it getting better. Weirdly, I think if the line had a fault they would be obliged to run a new one, which would be in conduit...so obviously there must be a technical solution.

I'm about to have my driveway done so I'm thinking maybe it would be a good idea to run conduit that could be used now. However, I'm not sure if that actually solves the issue or they need to also run something like a toby box to the path outside the house as well to connect in. Since I can't sign up for the product I guess they're not obliged provide it. I imagine FTTPoD would be very costly.

Are there any other options people have explored? We're not served by VM or any other providers as far as I know. I think 5G/4G the signal isn't great and I don't like the idea of the poor latency...
 
They upgraded the CBTs in the ground and dug pavement with new pipe, when I ordered they T sectioned from the pipe across the pavement right next to my lawn. Then dig across the lawn.

I also had buried copper in armoured cable.

So when it’s ready they will be able to T section from the pipes in the road/pavement to your property.

Go have a look for two BT/Openreach manhole covers and work out where they would join between them, set your conduit near that so when it does come your good.

Ensure you run a rope in the conduit so they can pull the fibre as engineers get bit funny about rodding the unknown.

Suggest cap both ends to stop water ingress till it does come to your street.

If BT is fed by Poles, ignore everything above.
 
Thanks. No poles here, everything is underground.

I can see one of their covers from my window, I'll see where logically it may run. Even more frustratingly, due to the age of the wires in many of the houses around here, the pavement has already had trenches dug to presumably run new lines to multiple houses, not even that long ago (within last 10 years). I know mine wasn't one of them though, although my line had lots of issues when moving in as it was an old shared line perhaps, can't remember exactly. The previous occupier did not have an internet connection.

The issue I have is that openreach don't seem to have any plan to come back. Much of the surrounding estate shows as FTTP available, presumably because only a few roads have got DIG cabling, either due to odd developer choices or possibly previous remediation work since the estate was initially built. So even if I do run a conduit, who knows if it'll ever be connected.
 
I'm about to have my driveway done so I'm thinking maybe it would be a good idea to run conduit that could be used now. However, I'm not sure if that actually solves the issue or they need to also run something like a toby box to the path outside the house as well to connect in.

If your new drive isn't easy to take up (i.e. not block pavers) then I would run one or two runs of a good size conduit/ducting. I ran two runs of twinwall under my existing block paving drive and flower beds before relaying some of it just in case, although we have VM underground already and at the time overhead BT phone. The plan being that would allow replacing the existing poorly installed underground VM cable (just buried directly) in future and any new underground FTTP service.

Since then BT have installed FTTP overhead as I expected but the various OR installers confirmed they would happily use the ducting if doing underground installs and a VM engineer said the same if replacing my existing cable as its a huge time saving for them (even compared to VMs 'tack/string in anywhere' approach). However unless an installer is planning to cable the road then I don't expect it wouldn't make much difference to when you can get something but its worth doing if this is your only chance and there are no other good routes available. I just left mine near the road buried and sealed so I can finalise that when knowing what's being installed. I also installed internal recessed flexible/rigid conduit and am using this for OR FTTP from the loft down into the house so I have a very neat install (CSP in loft and modem next to wall outlet box). I think it's worth planning for fibre when doing jobs unless you're planning on moving in a few years.
 
Anyone know the rough plan for a fibre install on a 8 year old house?

I'd like to assume there's some sort of duct underground to the property for the existing copper wire, so would expect they can just pull through fibre?

OR appointment booked for early Sept but can't seem to get any other info.
 
Assuming you aren't fed overhead from a pole, there will be a grey box on your outside wall somewhere where the current phone line comes up.
 
Presumably your existing copper cable is buried, it will be in a duct on a newish house, they’ll just rod a pull cable through and then pull the fibre though.
 
Thanks, yeah - it's definitely underground as there's no poles in the area.

Current phone line comes into a cupboard in the middle of the house (not against an outside wall - not sure where the actual entry point is to the house though) - so I imagine they'll put the box on the outside wall and will be able to feed cable into the same point in the house no problem?
 
Thanks, yeah - it's definitely underground as there's no poles in the area.

Current phone line comes into a cupboard in the middle of the house (not against an outside wall - not sure where the actual entry point is to the house though) - so I imagine they'll put the box on the outside wall and will be able to feed cable into the same point in the house no problem?
Probably not, they more likely to go to closest wall near underground CBT and terminate on inside wall on that location, unless it’s a kitchen wall we’re they will refuse to terminate at all on that (Pipes & Risks etc). I also asked if they could pull through existing copper cable conduit and they said no to me, turns out they were right and that it’s armoured in not conduit despite me being able to pull the cable about two inches back and forth.

if you got a conduit you might get lucky.
 
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