topic Re: Joining the FTTP craze in Full Fibre

Joining the FTTP craze

Timalay — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:24:50 GMT

Basically, a company called County Broadband has been rolling out FTTP in my town. I believe part of their plan was to open their networks to other ISP after a set time. It seems that's happened recently, so I signed up for your 145Mbps package. Did have one problem, that your guys over Twitter sorted out hopefully.

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Anonymous — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 21:51:21 GMT

I would say that is highly unlikely that you are getting Plusnet broadband over FTTP lines from County Broadband.

Plusnet ONLY use BT Openreach infrastructure for their products.

From County Broadband FAQ -

County Broadband’s broadband services are completely independent of BT and Openreach. We are members of the Independent Network Co-Operative Association (INCA) and our CEO is the Chairman. County Broadband does have the appropriate permissions to use some existing ducts, pipes and poles owned by other providers, however, the fibre cables and the service, is completely separate, managed by County Broadband.

The next problem is that County Broadband's own service (after initial discount period) is much more expensive than Plusnet pricing, so why would County Broadband allow a budget broadband provider to undercut them on their own network ?

At the moment, County Broadband can charge a premium price for FTTP because they are the ONLY true fibre provider in small villages like mine - where Openreach are unlikely to do any upgrades within the next five years, so some people will be willing to pay over the odds for getting a faster service now, and County Broadband is their only option.

While it is true that their website says -

We are aiming to open up our network to other internet service providers (ISPs). Your initial service will be provided by County Broadband.

When I spoke to the County Broadband team installing FTTP in my village, it was more like wishful thinking that once they had installed a big enough FTTP footprint across East Anglia, that someday BT Openreach might just buy the company out and take over their hardware - on the presumption that from their point of view why would Openreach bother overlap installing FTTP in the same areas.

I believe that currently NO other ISP is providing internet over County Broadband FTTP.

If you have managed to get broadband with Plusnet, you better hope that you got an Openreach connection, because around here people are complaining that their County Broadband connections are unreliable, have outages for days at a time, and that their customer service is terrible.

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Alex — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 21:52:01 GMT

I think it has been rolled out to my area too.

I have a new BT Openreach floor cover appear outside the place I am moving into. If I could, I would post a photo of it.

So I think it is now available. Try putting your number into:

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

This is what I get now:

WBC FTTP Upto 1000 Upto 220 -- Available KCI2 Assure

So I assume it is available for me.

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Alex — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 22:29:16 GMT

Bad form replying to myself, but a staff member has fixed this for me.

This is what has appeared outside the house:

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Mustrum — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 22:52:05 GMT

Looks like the new Royal Mail remote delivery service point.!

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Shep41 — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 06:10:33 GMT

@Mustrum. Nah it can't be. There on strike 😱👍🤣

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

RealAleMadrid — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 06:40:20 GMT

@Timalay As others have said you will not be getting Plusnet FTTP from County Broadband, so if you have actually managed to order it, Openreach FTTP must be available.

What does the checker link posted by @Alex in message #3 tell you for your line?

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Timalay — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 12:11:53 GMT

From the original consultation with County Broadband, they said they would open their network to other ISPs after a set time. I can assume that's what's happened. The nearest newest broadband manhole cover near me for the FTTP broadband does say County Broadband.

A quote from their site says "We are aiming to open up our network to other internet service providers (ISPs). Your initial service will be provided by County Broadband."

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

bmc — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 12:16:41 GMT

@Timalay

They may open their network to other ISP's but each ISP would have to sign a commercial agreement with County and modify their systems to work. As a BT company it's highly unllikely PlusNet have done so.

Brian

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

bmc — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 12:34:27 GMT

@Alex

The picture shows a Toby Box

Brian

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Alex — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 14:07:18 GMT

Ok but is FTTP? Never heard that name before but a bit of a search seems to suggest it is. Though I am not sure, but can't think of anything else which would have a BT Openreach logo on it.

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

RealAleMadrid — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 14:17:52 GMT

@Timalay It would help if you posted the checker result, just obscure your phone number. WBC FTTP is the important thing to look for in the left hand column.

Plusnet do not supply FTTP via County Broadband.

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

SpendLessTime — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 14:19:41 GMT

@Alex

The Toby box is basically an access point into underground ducting and is used to deliver FTTP by many providers. Fibre is fed at installation time to the Toby and then diverted into the premises. (Think of it as a 3 way T box - 2 ways for the fibres to go through the box and a third way out for the premises to get a FTTP connection)

I have one outside my house installed by CityFibre while Openreach here use their own underground ducting straight to the house which supplied the old phone cables (I'm on Plusnet Trial FTTP).

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

bmc — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 14:41:45 GMT

@Alex

Either of the two following links will describe the function of a Toby Box

https://www.millsltd.com/default/ftth-footpath-demarcation-toby-box.html

https://emtelle.com/uploads/UK_DS_71735.pdf

Brian

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Alex — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 20:30:49 GMT

Thanks for the responses this is now my project!

Not moved in yet but will do soon.

Is it bad that I am trying to convience my sister to get FTTP? She couldn't care less about faster internet but wants me to paint the colour of the walls of what used to be my bedroom and will now be again.

I would be sarcastic as say that was about as entertaining as watching paint dry, but that is literally what I have been doing today 🙈 I will shut up there before I bore everyone to death, this is even boring me now typing this.

I couldn't care less about the colour of the bedroom walls, just faster internet.

Shows you where my priorities lie. 😛

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

RobPN — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 22:28:43 GMT

What you need @Alex is a faster method of painting, then you can get on with the important things in life like getting FTTP sorted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiZoSuNej5U

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Alex — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 14:31:16 GMT

Thanks all,

Also my current Samsung TV which is being moved over and into my bedroom has a Satellite dish input. I assume I can get Freesat then? There is a dish feed in the room which is handy so I will certaintly may as well plug it in and try it.

So my priorities are:

1. Set up faster internet, make use of the FTTP if possible?
2. Set up TV with hopefully Freesat.

Way down on the list, is:

9,999,999. Colour of the walls.

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Strat — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:22:44 GMT

@Alex I have a Hisense tv with a satellite socket (bnc) but it doesn't have Freesat software.

Your TV being a Samsung, probably does has Freesat built in.

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

RealAleMadrid — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 16:39:35 GMT

@Alex You and others have hijacked this thread with irrelevant posts, it looks like the OP @Timalay has given up on it.

Re: Joining the FTTP craze

Timalay — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 16:39:26 GMT

No, I'm just letting people get on with it.