BT Infinity & FTTx Discussion

[Ev0]

‘Broadband and Landline’, BT Ultrafast package, moving from another provider.

looked through all the order stuff and can’t see any reference to how the phone will be provisioned, either migrating current number and using copper, or using fibre.

Doesn’t matter really either way and will find out in the morning, but was just curious

 

[Caged]

If you've got a copper line at the moment then you'll be staying on that. You'll be invited to move to Digital Voice (VoIP) at some point in the future, though you need to use a BT Hub for that to work.

FVA (Openreach voice product used by plugging into the ONT) is more or less dead now.

 

[Ev0]

Cheers!

will be using the bt hub to start with but will potentially move to something I can fiddle with a bit more later on...

Fired up what they sent me to get a look and what settings were available (it’s a smart hub 2), annoying no ability to change DNS but can use the pi-hole DHCP instead.

 

[Caged]

The Business versions of the Smart Hubs are very cheap and let you do things like that, as well as set static routes. Probably the best router for the money, though AFAIK they only accept PPPoE details for BT-group ISPs.

 

[Ev0]

Shame as similar to the current EE router I'm using now I find the wireless performance on them pretty good, just a few other things I'd like to be able to do with them.

Plenty of other products out there to try though

 

[the-evaluator]

When I checked my house on the Openreach fibre checker back in September it said that they currently have no plans to install FTTP here. I checked just now and it now says this:



There has been a load of Openreach vans around the town over the last couple of months so maybe they've been running fibre for FTTP. I'd be surprised if FTTP becomes available here, it's a small town that has very good availability of FTTC.

Edit - I registered my interest on the Openreach website, it seems I did that already back in September and there's a similar change in the wording of the email as the checker. Back in September the email said this:

Never say never.

Unfortunately, your address isn't part of our current rollout programme. But don't worry, you'll be one of the first to know when our Ultrafast service arrives in your area.

But now it says this:

Great news!

Your address is part of our Ultrafast fibre rollout programme. We'll keep you updated throughout the process as your address progresses through our build plan.

This sounds promosing!

 

[Ev0]

Our FTTP install all went fine this morning, chap did a good job with the install given a slight quirk of where the line comes in.

The original copper line and thing trunking was installed on a very thin bit of wall that sat between the door and another wall (the other wall being perpendicular to it), which, wasn’t wide enough for the new termination box thing to be fitted into.

But he did a great job of fitting it elsewhere, all up and running

 

[ic1male]

This sounds promosing!

Says the same thing for me now as well. Maybe everyone is getting those emails.

One thing I'm not sure about - is fibre allowed to be dangled in the air from a telegraph pole like my current copper line is or do they have to dig up every single road, driveway and pavement to install FTTP?

 

[Caged]

If your copper line is fed from overhead then your FTTP will come in that way as well. The cables are very strong.

@the-evaluator - where abouts are you?

 

[spoffle]

Says the same thing for me now as well. Maybe everyone is getting those emails.

One thing I'm not sure about - is fibre allowed to be dangled in the air from a telegraph pole like my current copper line is or do they have to dig up every single road, driveway and pavement to install FTTP?

I've got FTTP over a telegraph pole that's right outside my house.

Any area that has FTTP over telegraph poles have had these black boxes fitted to them recently. They're fibre splitters.

http://tlfutilities.co.uk/images/fibre-optic-2.jpg

It's the box on the left.

 

[the-evaluator]

Says the same thing for me now as well. Maybe everyone is getting those emails.

I had that same thought but I checked a couple of other addresses and saw different results. My brother can get G.Fast but for FTTP it says there's no plans. For my parents who can get VDSL they get the same message saying there's no plans.

 

[the-evaluator]

@the-evaluator - where abouts are you?

About 10 miles from Milton Keynes. I've had a good Google and can't find anything from Openreach to suggest they've included the town in their FTTP plans but the fibre checker and email are clear.

Edit - About 6 months ago a small green box was installed on the pavement about a minutes walk from my house, I wonder if that's FTTP related? I'll take a photo of it later.

This box is some distance from the cab my copper line is connected to, that's about a 5 minute walk away.

 

[Meatball]

I've got FTTP over a telegraph pole that's right outside my house.

Any area that has FTTP over telegraph poles have had these black boxes fitted to them recently. They're fibre splitters.

http://tlfutilities.co.uk/images/fibre-optic-2.jpg

It's the box on the left.

My address is showing ‘FTTP coming soon’ on Openreach.com, don’t think these are Fibre?

 

[the-evaluator]

About 6 months ago a small green box was installed on the pavement about a minutes walk from my house, I wonder if that's FTTP related? I'll take a photo of it later.

This box is some distance from the cab my copper line is connected to, that's about a 5 minute walk away.

The box in question:


I'm going to have a Google to see what Openreach street furniture is in use, I've seen a few of these dotted around the place but don't know what they are.

 

[spoffle]

My address is showing ‘FTTP coming soon’ on Openreach.com, don’t think these are Fibre?

That doesn't look like it, but they'll probably be adding a fibre splitter on.

 

[Valo]

I’m coming to the end of my current contract with plusnet in January.

My current package with them is Fibre Extra 80/20:

Unlimited Fibre Extra - £20.99
Discount - £4.00
Line Rental - £18.99
Unlimited UK & Mobile - £8.00
Caller Display - £0.00

Total = £43.98 per month

I’m looking to move to Ultrafast package as g.fast is available in my area unfortunately BT full fibre isn’t an option currently.

What are my best options?

https://www.talktalk.co.uk/shop/broadband/gfast

Thanks for this. I’ve always avoided TalkTalk due to poor CS and speed....is this still the case?

Is this the best option available?

The customer service might not be any better but they have a huge network and their wholesale business is what people like Zen use to backhaul their customers to their core. I'd trust TalkTalk not to have congestion issues ahead of the smaller niche players.

It looks like TalkTalk is the best option for 150MB, unless I'm missing any other options? Is there anyway to order by the website to get cashback via Topcashback?

I currently have an Openreach modem for my 80/20 package from Plus.net will this just be replaced with a g.fast version by an openreach engineer?
I'm also currently using an ASUS RT-AC66U router will this continue to work ok or should I be looking for an upgrade?

 

[WJA96]

I currently have an Openreach modem for my 80/20 package from Plus.net will this just be replaced with a g.fast version by an openreach engineer?

Yes, you'll be given an Openreach modem.

I'm also currently using an ASUS RT-AC66U router will this continue to work ok or should I be looking for an upgrade?

Yes, it will work as it does now.

 

[Lartyconshayo]

When I checked my house on the Openreach fibre checker back in September it said that they currently have no plans to install FTTP here. I checked just now and it now says this:



There has been a load of Openreach vans around the town over the last couple of months so maybe they've been running fibre for FTTP. I'd be surprised if FTTP becomes available here, it's a small town that has very good availability of FTTC.

Edit - I registered my interest on the Openreach website, it seems I did that already back in September and there's a similar change in the wording of the email as the checker. Back in September the email said this:



But now it says this:



This sounds promosing!

Thanks. I rechecked mine and same FTTP now available for me. Openreach vans everywhere a few months ago. Checked then and told no plans. Gonna move from 80/20 to 300/45.

 

[ic1male]

Is 300 the top speed? I thought there was 1000?

 

[the-evaluator]

The 1000/115 (and 550/75) FTTP products are very new, they were only announced about 6 months ago so they're not available yet. The last I saw they were due to launch some time in May.