Other companies offering up to 8,000 Mbps but Plusnet still at 40 Mbps?

[#1]

Hello!

There seems to be no other way to contact Plusnet without phoning, so here is a forum post.

Recently in Liverpool, other ISPs are offering up to 8,000 Mbps (upload and download) with fibre direct to my house, but Plusnet can only provide 40 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. When will this change?

These companies offer 1,000 Mbps for the same price as Plusnet provides 40 Mbps. Can I have a conversation with someone about timescales, or being able to decrease the price of this slow Wi-Fi to make it competitive with other companies?

Kind regards.

[#2]

@henryj320 welcome to the forum.

Plusnet uses the Openreach network, you may be comparing Openreach against Virgin Media or an alternative network fibre optic infrastructure provider.

HTH

[#3]

@henryj320 

Openreach have a site where you can check on their plans for your area:

https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/where-when-building-ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband

[#4]

Hi @Mr_Paul ,

That's really useful! I didn't know about that webpage. Looks like Plusnet will (hopefully) provide better options soon.

[#5]

Be aware that the Openreach FTTP is asymmetric, and offer upload speeds much lower than the download speed.

Also be aware that the fastest download on the Openreach network is 1.6Gbs down, 120Mbps up - currently offered by EE in some areas.

If you want a symmetric service, or higher speeds, then you'll have to look to non-Openreach networks.

Also, there is no guarantee that Plusnet will ever offer the top tier of FTTP speeds - Plusnet is pitched as a no-frills basic broadband provider.

[#6]

@Hi @corringham 

That makes no sense though. Their competitors offer wifi 25x faster and symmetric for the same price, and they won't do anything about it?

I guess your point about them being "no-frills basic" is the reason.

[#7]

@henryj320 

Unfortunately, in my case, things are going backwards.

Under Openreach's original plans, my area was due to be fibred up by the end of next year. That then became "by the end of 2026".

It now says "We're planing to build in this exchange in the future".

CityFibre has been available here for about 3 years. I don't need any more speed than my Plusnet 80/20 contract gives, but some companies are offering fast FTTP at less cost than PN's FTTC offering.

My PN contract still has a year to go, and I want to stay with them, but I'm not prepared to wait indefinitely and pay more for the privilege!

[#8]

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@Mr_Paul wrote:

It now says "We're planing to build in this exchange in the future".

Mine says "We don't have any plans to build in your exchange", so yours could be worse. Their plans go out to 2030 - so you may not see any immediate progress.

Fortunately there is an altnet in my area so I do have FTTP.

I don't expect Openreach to ever build FTTP here as the number of possible customers in a sparse rural area won't justify the cost. And most have already got FTTP from the altnet. There will be quite a few areas that will never be upgraded by Openreach. 

[#9]

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@henryj320 wrote:

That makes no sense though. Their competitors offer wifi 25x faster and symmetric for the same price, and they won't do anything about it?

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Plusnet don't have any network of their own, they simply resell Openreach's network - as do BT and EE.

BT own both EE and Plusnet and have decided that EE will be the flagship brand with high speeds and extras, and Plusnet will be the no-frills brand to scoop up customers that don't want to pay EE's prices.

In a way Plusnet is trying not to compete with EE as BT make more money there.

[#10]

@henryj320 

You can use the following to see what's available to your property via the OR network.

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

FTTP shows up as WBC FTTP in the left hand column.

Brian

[#11]

Note that some companies will pay the fee of leaving the contract early. E.g. YouFibre will pay it for you so you could change if it became a huge problem! It's Plusnet's fault for staying so far behind and not pushing for fibre to be installed in by the other companies.

[#12]

@henryj320 Plusnet is a BT 'brand' so they will only use the BT infrastructure - nothing to do with 'other companies'.

[#13]

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@Mr_Paul wrote:

Unfortunately, in my case, things are going backwards.

Under Openreach's original plans, my area was due to be fibred up by the end of next year. That then became "by the end of 2026".

It now says "We're planing to build in this exchange in the future".

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We’re in the same boat, forecast was end of ‘25 then ‘26 now “in the future”

In common we also have Cityfibre cables running past our house. Makes you wonder if OR have backed off or have agreed not to compete……

[#14]

@Champnet 

"We’re in the same boat, forecast was end of ‘25 then ‘26 now “in the future”"

Not in Milton Keynes by any chance are you? !!

I was under the impression a few years ago, that when either Openreach or CityFibre, (or any other fibre provider), had fibred up an area, they had a period of exclusivity, (3 years?), about which companies they allowed on to their networks - after which they had to allow on  any ISP that wanted carriage?

Have I got that wrong, (my memory isn't what it was!)?

[#15]

@Mr_Paul  Sound about right. Originally Cityfibre  had Vodafone as their preferred, and only, ISP.

Now three years on there’s a whole list of ISPs, A few I’ve heard of, most I haven’t…