topic Is it possible to downgrade back to FTTC? in My Order

Is it possible to downgrade back to FTTC?

sghughes42 — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:56:04 GMT

We've just had FTTP installed, and while there is nothing wrong with the speeds it's no better for us than FTTC was. However, the installer essentially forced us to have the ONT installed in a location that is not suitable for connecting to the rest of our home network without significant cost in getting someone in to chase walls and install CAT6.

As such, any benefits of FTTP are outweighed by the cost penalty which comes from them being unwilling to install where we needed it.

Is it technically possible to go back to FTTC, or will this now not be an option? And is there a cooling off period with contracts like this where we can cancel within 14 days and be returned to how we were before?

Re: Is it possible to downgrade back to FTTC?

PhilipHeyes — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:20:56 GMT

"forced" is quite the opposite of the obliging experience we had with our Openreach / EE FTTP install.

Would it not be better to have Openreach return and move the ONT to your preferred location ?

Re: Is it possible to downgrade back to FTTC?

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:26:56 GMT

@sghughes42

You can complain directly to Openreach regarding poor workmanship, conduct and other topics here: -

https://www.openreach.com/help-and-support/when-to-get-in-touch-with-openreach/complaints-policy

Re: Is it possible to downgrade back to FTTC?

sghughes42 — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:16:33 GMT

@PhilipHeyes wrote:

"forced" is quite the opposite of the obliging experience we had with our Openreach / EE FTTP install.

Would it not be better to have Openreach return and move the ONT to your preferred location ?

The engineer told us that company rules prevented him installing where we wanted it. The rule in question was that they were only allowed to drill through the wall from the inside, and it wasn't possible to get close enough to drill there.

I'm struggling to see why they can't drill from the outside when they drilled holes outside the secure the ladder, and once through the routing was actually much simpler than what they did.

Either way, if this is correct that they aren't allowed to drill holes externally then we can't get it moved and so reverting back to the copper cable which was in a suitable position seems the best solution.

Re: Is it possible to downgrade back to FTTC?

Protech — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:56:29 GMT

Short answer your question on downgrading is extremely unlikely. There are a very few edge case exceptions none of which seems to apply here. Not liking where the ONT is located is not one of them.

Long answer
1. Is the engineer correct about only drilling from inside?
Partly yes — but it’s not an absolute rule.
For Openreach residential FTTP, the standard installation rules are:
✔️ Internal drilling is preferred
✔️ Drilling should avoid hidden services (gas, electric, water)
✔️ The installer must be able to safely see and control the drill path
However:
❌ There is no blanket ban on drilling from outside
❌ The ladder holes are not comparable — they’re shallow fixings, not service penetrations
✔️ External-to-internal drilling is allowed when safe access and visibility are available
Why engineers often refuse anyway
In practice, many engineers won’t drill from outside because:
They cannot see internal services
It increases personal liability if they strike wiring or pipework
Their job is time-limited and audited
Failed installs affect their performance metrics
So what you were told is likely a simplified version of a risk-avoidance policy, not a hard technical prohibition.
In short:
👉 Another engineer might well have done it differently.

2. Why the routing they used doesn’t justify reversion to copper
Even if the engineer made a questionable judgement, Openreach’s position is:
FTTP was successfully installed
The ONT location meets minimum compliance
The service is live
That means:
The copper broadband path is considered withdrawn
VDSL is no longer a supported product at your address
Convenience, aesthetics, or alternative routing arguments do not qualify for reversion
This is true even if:
The copper socket is in a “better” place
The FTTP route is objectively worse
The engineer could have done it differently
Openreach’s systems simply do not allow a downgrade order once FTTP is live.

3. Can you force a relocation using this argument?
Possibly — but only via installation quality, not preference.
You have a case if you argue the following, carefully:
The engineer refused a viable, compliant install route
The refusal was based on an incorrect absolute claim (“not allowed at all”)
The resulting ONT position is impractical for normal use
What helps:
Photos of:
The desired location
The actual ONT location
The routing used
A calm, factual complaint via your ISP:
“Installer misapplied Openreach rules”
“Alternative compliant route was refused”
“Request remedial visit”
What hurts your case:
Asking for VDSL instead
Saying “we prefer copper”
Arguing speed or cost
4. Why reverting to copper still won’t happen (even here)
Even if Openreach accepted:
“Yes, the install could have been better”
They would respond with:
Relocation or remedial work
Not copper reactivation
Copper broadband is being actively withdrawn; reopening it creates:
Records conflicts
Regulatory issues
Future forced migrations anyway
So reverting is considered regressive and non-compliant, not a remedy.

5. Your realistic best path forward
Best chance (potentially free)
Raise a formal installation-quality complaint via your ISP
Focus on:
Incorrect application of drilling rules
Refusal to consider a compliant route
Ask for a remedial visit / second engineer assessment
Guaranteed fix (paid)
Pay for an ONT relocation
Or leave the ONT and run Ethernet internally
Dead end
Requesting VDSL reactivation ❌
Bottom line
The engineer’s statement was over-simplified
Another engineer might have installed it where you wanted
That still does not make copper reversion an option
Your leverage is complaint + remedial relocation, not downgrade
Hth

Re: Is it possible to downgrade back to FTTC?

quelquod — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:19:16 GMT

FWIW I had my FTTP installed in the attic and the installer DID drill in from outside. I asked him to do that in case drilling out split a chunk off a facing brick and he just had a look in the end of the attic where I wanted it and then drilled through as much as possible in a mortar corner. In fairness it wasn’t difficult to see that there couldn’t be any hidden services as it was well up in the peak of the gable end but I found the installer very amenable.

Re: Is it possible to downgrade back to FTTC?

sghughes42 — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:43:14 GMT

I know it's too late now, but did I have the option to refuse the install at the point the engineer was insisting we have it somewhere we didn't want it? I did ask, and while he didn't explicitly say we couldn't, he was very insistent that 'we need to choose a location now so I can get on with it'.

The wall we wanted drilling through was a gable in the loft - no chance there will be any services there as nowhere for them to go to. We actually had to stop the engineer drilling at one point and get him to check he wasn't about to go through a water pipe we knew was there. He was going to miss it, but only just.

The main reason I don't like the ONT location is that to connect it to the rest of our wired network will incur significant cost. As things stand, several devices we did have online are now not online and cannot be brought back online without a cost I was not expecting to have to stand when we signed up. Certainly we could route a network cable internally, but to pay someone to chase up the wall, install it, re-plaster and re-paint won't be cheap. And we also need a power socket installing near it.

You mention paying to relocate the ONT. Do you have any idea how much this is likely to be? Not that I want to give them this idea, but if it's going to be less than the cost of adding a cable internally then it's probably worth considering.