Sky Fibre Query

[ZeroG]

I've been waiting what seems an age for Vodafone to connect up out street to Gigafast. The street was dug up and the cables laid over 3 months ago now but it's still unavailable to order. I've messaged them and they don't have a date when it might be available. Pretty much every street around us has it available to order already which is really annoying.

We got a leaflet through the door from Sky about a Superfast option of up to 145mb down/40 up for £45/month and includes basic SkyTV. I was wondering how Sky are able to offer the 145mb down when current FTTC is the 80/40 option. Is this offering a FTTP package as I couldn't find anything in the small print on the leaflet?

If Vodafone can't hook us up anytime soon I am seriously considering Sky. Our current ISP is Plusnet, which our contract is up in a few weeks, and we've had nothing but trouble with them for the last few months from download speeds severely dropping and them taking different amounts of money each month.

 

[ZeroG]

That's Sky's FTTP option, are you able to get it at your address? Check on https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Just tried that and I think it's not available, going by the very last line but it says FTTP on Demand Available higher up (at work atm so can't upload images). We were hoping for Vodafone Gigafast cause they are offering 100/100, 200/200, 500/500 and 900/900 packages of which I'd probably be leaning towards the 200/200 package.

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range (Mbps) Availability Date FTTP Install Process
FTTP on Demand 330 30 -- Available --

Observed Speeds VDSL
Max Observed Downstream Speed 80
Max Observed Upstream Speed 20
Observed Date 2020-01-04

FTTP is not available.

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL or G.fast) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Actual speeds experienced by end users and quoted by CPs will be lower due to a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

The Stop Sale date for IPstream is from 31 Oct 2012. the Formal Retirement date for IPstream is from 30 Jun 2014.

If you decide to place an order for a WBC fibre product, an appointment may be required for an engineer to visit the end user's premises to supply the service

In order to be eligible for handback, downstream speed should be less than Downstream Handback Threshold values.

Thank you for your interest

 

[ZeroG]

Then they're probably just putting flyers in similar post codes which can get FTTP. If you sign up with someone new and Vodafone becomes available you'll have to pay early termination fees so it may be worth staying put for now with whoever you're with.

Yeah if Vodafone had become available these last few months we were willing to pay an early termination fee but will probably now just wait out our contract and hopefully we can place an order soon. It's just annoying when people literally 1 street away in every direction to us can order it and my brother, who stays a 5 minute walk away, has had it since late last year (although tbh I think they were luckily enough to get in the trials of it).

 

[ZeroG]

The Sky offer is possibly their G.fast service

Running the Sky checker on their website I get this - https://i.imgur.com/kpOfxzt.png - which says I can get this service so if I can't get Vodafone anytime soon then this could be a good alternative. Has anyone tried this service? Is the hardware you get any good or could I replace it with my own hardware?

My only fear is that we order this and then FTTP finally comes available and we're stuck in a contract for 18 months.

 

[ZeroG]

This is the information from my exchange. Is there anyone I could contact who may know of an activation date for my area? or is it the case of just waiting and checking to see when it might go live?

 

[ZeroG]

This is what I get. If I click on view providers for Gfast it lists BT, Cerberus Networks, EE, Fibre.net, Structured Communications, Talk Talk and Zen.

 

[ZeroG]

Cool, so you can get G.fast, and FTTP is coming soon. If you sign up with Sky and get G.fast then you will be able to upgrade to FTTP when it's available.

That sounds good but I couldn't see anything about that on their website. If we went with Sky that's an 18 month contract, so would it just be an in-contract upgrade or something? I'd be quite happy with the G.Fast speed if we got that though. With Vodafone we were only looking at going for the 200/200 package anyway.