FTTP in MIlton Keynes

[#1]

I have been a Plusnet customer for many years and always been pretty happy with the service. I have FTTC but can't get FTTP from Plusnet. However City Fibre have installed fibre over most of Milton Keynes. This is currently administered by Vodafone but there are rumours that City Fibre are to offer a wider use of their fibre network by allowing other ISP's. It would seem a wonderful opportunity for the likes of Plusnet to be able to offer full fibre service to its customers. Any chance do you think?

David

[#2]

@klyne 

None

PlusNet need to re-write their back office systems before they can offer FTTP. That doesn't happen overnight.

Brian

[#3]

I can't see BT allowing it; if they wanted to provide FTTP in MK, they'd do it themselves, not allow their 'little brother' to get in first and reap the rewards.

[#4]

It might depend on what is on offer. Whilst BT/Plusnet wouldn't have the same control as they have over their own network there is still the potential for profit. If Vodafone can get something out of it so can BT/Plusnet? The problem with Milton Keynes is that it was one of the Openreach experiments with FTTC/FTTP. My son in another part of MK has FTTP but it is only twice the speed of what I get on FTTC. The City Fibre network allows speeds upto 900 mbps so if BT/Plusnet miss the opportunity they are going to be left in the slow lane? At some point in the future I will have to decide to put my eggs all in one basket as currently I have both Plusnet and City Fibre. I would prefer to stay with Plusnet  but with FTTC we seem to be in the same position we were with ADSL, not much in the future to look forward to!

The irony is that BT own the old TV cable system in MK and to the outsider it would have seemed to be so easy to run fibre cable through that system and provide every house in MK FTTP but they hesitated and now they have lost out!

David

[#5]

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@klyne wrote:

 not much in the future to look forward to!

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Sadly not with BT / Plusnet.

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The irony is that BT own the old TV cable system in MK and to the outsider it would have seemed to be so easy to run fibre cable through that system and provide every house in MK FTTP but they hesitated and now they have lost out!

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Would that it be so simple!  There is a lot more to do than just run new fibre cables.  I was involved in a similar upgrade 10 years ago - lots of investment needed.

[#6]

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@bmc wrote:

PlusNet need to re-write their back office systems before they can offer FTTP. That doesn't happen overnight.

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Quite so, but Plusnet had their FTTP trial from 2010-2018, so surely there's been plenty of opportunity to set up the required support?  And presumably there are customers who are still receiving a fibre service via FTTP from Plusnet, or have they all left?

Nigel

[#7]

@ndv 

There is a good number of us who were on the Trial who still receive a service. Either more speed or moving house is (I suspect) is the only reason to leave. Cost wise there's no contest.

It is not just a case of setting up the required support - they need a complete re-write of back office systems (including support). This may be happening as we speak (or it may not) but it is not a short term job.

PlusNet systems run off a phone number. I ditched my phone line as soon as I got FTTP which is fine for me as I didn't need it. I believe 3 of my neighbours did the same thing. Bodges in place when the Trial was running allowed this to happen.

However having no phone line causes problems. I can't get PlusNet TV (it needs a phone line to check speed). Nor can I upgrade from 40/10 to 80/20 as they can no longer process the order. Finally there was a thread running where a customer was having problems moving to another ISP - the cause appeared to be PlusNet didn't have a phone number to work with so were having problems cancelling the service to enable the move to happen (never did find out the final outcome).

Brian

[#8]

@bmc 

It's helpful to know that people still receiving FTTP service from Plusnet.

However, 2 years after the 8 year long trial finished surely Plusnet could have put in place operational back office systems and support that don't rely on a phone number.

Sadly I am left with the impression that Plusnet are being deliberately kept out of this market to give BT retail free reign.

Nigel

[#9]

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@ndv wrote:

@bmc 

However, 2 years after the 8 year long trial finished surely Plusnet could have put in place operational back office systems and support that don't rely on a phone number.

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You have to remember that in that 8 year period Plusnet became a wholly assigned BT Retail company with the role of being a budget provider.  It was a business based decision to not offer FTTP at present.

My village has recently been FTTP enabled, so hard choices to be made!

[#10]

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@MauriceC wrote:   My village has recently been FTTP enabled, so hard choices to be made!

Hard choices indeed, I'm in the identical position.  Difficult to escape the feeling we are being herded like sheep towards BT!