Kitz Forum

Announcements => News Articles => Topic started by: gt94sss2 on May 08, 2021, 11:25:55 PM

Title: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: gt94sss2 on May 08, 2021, 11:25:55 PM
Quote
BT is preparing to accelerate its investment which will bring superfast full-fibre broadband to millions more homes as concerns ease over the company’s pensions black hole.

The telecoms operator is about to publish more ambitious targets for its broadband rollout which will include enhanced coverage in the most remote parts of the country.

BT had previously pledged to lay full-fibre cables to 20m homes and businesses by the mid-to-late 2020s, but chief executive Philip Jansen is now poised to go further and faster.

The move is expected to be announced on Thursday when BT publishes full-year results alongside the outcome of its triennial pension review.

Analysts are expecting Mr Jansen to be handed greater financial flexibility, with the pension deficit coming in £2.2bn lower than expected at £7.5bn. As a result BT will be under less pressure to channel profits to plugging this gap, and more able to invest.

Under BT’s current plans, around 20pc of the nation – Britain’s most sparsely populated regions – has been deemed unviable for commercially funded full-fibre upgrades.

Ministers had planned to spend £5bn on subsidies by 2025 to ensure infrastructure builders still upgrade broadband in those rural areas.

With pension pressure subsiding and the Government’s super deduction policy allowing BT to cut its tax bill if it invests, Mr Jansen has a brighter financial backdrop in which to spend BT’s own cash.

BT is now in line to reduce the financial burden on the Government by investing more money in rural areas.

Taken from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/05/08/bt-increasestarget-boostto-broadband/

Thursday should hopefully be interesting.
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: kitz on May 08, 2021, 11:37:38 PM
Hopefully good news :)
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: Alex Atkin UK on May 09, 2021, 01:30:38 AM
Hmmmm
Quote
the Government’s super deduction policy allowing BT to cut its tax bill if it invests
Quote
BT is now in line to reduce the financial burden on the Government by investing more money in rural areas.

Not saying its a bad thing, but that's rather misleading as ultimately the government are paying.

Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: GigabitEthernet on May 09, 2021, 11:58:18 AM
This sounds very encouraging, I was wondering when the build plans might be updated.

Let's hope for some good news in Hampshire!
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: stevebrass on May 09, 2021, 04:36:53 PM
Hmmmm
Not saying its a bad thing, but that's rather misleading as ultimately the government are paying.

You mean because the "super deduction" reduces Corporation Tax Liability? So yes the Government tax take goes down.
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: Bowdon on May 09, 2021, 07:19:04 PM
This is good news.

Hopefully they will be able to increase the pace, especially with that new machine they have been trialing, the Clean Fast.
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: burakkucat on May 09, 2021, 11:39:42 PM
. . . especially with that new machine they have been trialing, the Clean Fast.

Huh?  ???  Could you expand on that, please? Perhaps a link . . .
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: gt94sss2 on May 10, 2021, 02:45:59 AM
Could you expand on that, please? Perhaps a link . . .

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2021/05/openreach-speeds-up-fttp-broadband-rollout-with-new-machine.html

https://www.openreach.com/news/mp-visits-broadband-build-as-speeds-set-to-bounce-near-historic-derbyshire-dam/
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: GigabitEthernet on May 10, 2021, 10:01:19 AM
Where is the FTTP for London? Openreach has announced nothing.
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: j0hn on May 10, 2021, 11:50:57 AM
Where is the FTTP for London? Openreach has announced nothing.

You need to be a bit more specific.

"London" has loads of OpenReach FTTP, and about 10 other networks operators on top of that.

https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/broadband-map#9/51.3623/-0.0998/geafttp/
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: GigabitEthernet on May 10, 2021, 12:35:07 PM
You need to be a bit more specific.

"London" has loads of OpenReach FTTP, and about 10 other networks operators on top of that.

https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/broadband-map#9/51.3623/-0.0998/geafttp/

South West London has absolutely sod all from Openreach.

Clapham, Putney, Wandsworth, Battersea. Where is the plan?
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: burakkucat on May 10, 2021, 04:18:18 PM
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2021/05/openreach-speeds-up-fttp-broadband-rollout-with-new-machine.html

https://www.openreach.com/news/mp-visits-broadband-build-as-speeds-set-to-bounce-near-historic-derbyshire-dam/

Thank you. Now I know.  :)
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: niemand on May 10, 2021, 04:48:24 PM
South West London has absolutely sod all from Openreach.

Clapham, Putney, Wandsworth, Battersea. Where is the plan?

Putney constituency: 44.27% full fibre, 67.9% gigabit according to Think Broadband.
London Borough of Wandsworth, containing bits of Clapham and all of Battersea: 44.69% full fibre, 74.62% gigabit.
LBo Lambeth, where the rest of Clapham not in Wandsworth is, 14.26% full fibre, 58.86% gigabit.

My own urban constituency 14.12% gigabit, surrounded by areas with higher FTTP and a bunch of CityFibre overbuild.

None of us are entitled to Openreach FTTP or a plan to build it, wherever we are.

Bits of London, especially the centre, are actually very expensive to build in due to all the flagged footways, congested footways forcing work on carriageways, non-existent footways requiring carriageway work, apartment blocks requiring digging, wayleave and retrofit, private roads requiring wayleave and potentially full width reinstatement, lane rental scheme, old ductwork forcing a lot of duct unblocking, overloaded poles due to conversion of SDUs to MDUs, etc, etc.

It's cheaper for Openreach to build than others but alongside that come far lower revenues than others.


Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: GigabitEthernet on May 10, 2021, 05:22:41 PM
Putney constituency: 44.27% full fibre, 67.9% gigabit according to Think Broadband.
London Borough of Wandsworth, containing bits of Clapham and all of Battersea: 44.69% full fibre, 74.62% gigabit.
LBo Lambeth, where the rest of Clapham not in Wandsworth is, 14.26% full fibre, 58.86% gigabit.

My own urban constituency 14.12% gigabit, surrounded by areas with higher FTTP and a bunch of CityFibre overbuild.

None of us are entitled to Openreach FTTP or a plan to build it, wherever we are.

Bits of London, especially the centre, are actually very expensive to build in due to all the flagged footways, congested footways forcing work on carriageways, non-existent footways requiring carriageway work, apartment blocks requiring digging, wayleave and retrofit, private roads requiring wayleave and potentially full width reinstatement, lane rental scheme, old ductwork forcing a lot of duct unblocking, overloaded poles due to conversion of SDUs to MDUs, etc, etc.

It's cheaper for Openreach to build than others but alongside that come far lower revenues than others.




Will be because of Virgin Media, sadly in a lot of parts of Wandsworth there is Openreach only. They best get a hurry on, I hope Wandsworth will be next, I note on the "build plan" spreadsheet under fibre first areas they have three exchanges under Wandsworth but only Balham currently in progress. I hope that means Wandsworth and Putney are "in plan" for this year or next.

If they're looking for quick returns, London is best because of population density.
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: niemand on May 10, 2021, 06:13:15 PM
South West London has absolutely sod all from Openreach.

Clapham, Putney, Wandsworth, Battersea. Where is the plan?

Quote from: GigabitEthernet
They best get a hurry on, I hope Wandsworth will be next, I note on the "build plan" spreadsheet under fibre first areas they have three exchanges under Wandsworth but only Balham currently in progress. I hope that means Wandsworth and Putney are "in plan" for this year or next.
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: Black Sheep on May 10, 2021, 07:20:14 PM
Huh?  ???  Could you expand on that, please? Perhaps a link . . .

It's a cracking bit of kit officially called the 'Marais Trenching Machine' ..... I've no links I can supply but I'm sure there'll be something on Google, somewhere ??  :-\
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: burakkucat on May 10, 2021, 07:51:50 PM
It's a cracking bit of kit officially called the 'Marais Trenching Machine' ..... I've no links I can supply but I'm sure there'll be something on Google, somewhere ??  :-\

b*cat plods off, silently, to do some research.  ;)
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: GigabitEthernet on May 10, 2021, 09:39:15 PM
@CarlT I am only guessing that's what the "plan" is, it's not officially announced anywhere, Openreach hasn't actually listed any exchanges in Wandsworth besides Balham over a year and a half ago!
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: gt94sss2 on May 11, 2021, 01:00:51 AM
Community Fibre seem to be expanding quite a bit in the Wandsworth area - not just to flats - but houses as well.

As the Wandsworth exchange is also on the list of those to be closed, I also hope OR will prioritise full fibre in the area
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: Chrysalis on May 11, 2021, 10:04:35 AM
had a giggle at this line

Quote
Under BT’s current plans, around 20pc of the nation – Britain’s most sparsely populated regions – has been deemed unviable for commercially funded full-fibre upgrades

Last I checked Leicester City was quite densely populated. (current FTTP coverage from all providers combined under 3%)  I see there is also other city spots around the country that has nothing announced either, I know of course the reason for the government silence as generally these areas will be getting an altnet such as cityfibre and that they consider cable broadband as adequate, but the press need to do better research.
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: GigabitEthernet on May 11, 2021, 10:19:44 AM
Community Fibre seem to be expanding quite a bit in the Wandsworth area - not just to flats - but houses as well.

As the Wandsworth exchange is also on the list of those to be closed, I also hope OR will prioritise full fibre in the area

They list "Wandsworth" on the build plan Excel spreadsheet here: https://www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/images/fibre-broadband/fibre-first/Openreach_Full_Fibre_Build_Programme_Feb_2021.pdf

But only Balham is in build, it says three total exchanges are in "Wandsworth" so I am assuming Wandsworth itself is one of those?

Can I take this to mean that Wandsworth is due FTTP by 2024? Can anyone help, @Black Sheep?
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: stevebrass on May 11, 2021, 10:54:10 AM
b*cat plods off, silently, to do some research.  ;)

https://www.samarais.com/en/solutions/rental/a-large-machine-fleet/article-micro-trenching-101.html

I want one.
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: GigabitEthernet on May 12, 2021, 05:42:13 PM
South Clapham has been added, SW London exists!
Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: gt94sss2 on May 14, 2021, 07:38:41 PM
Openreach announced yesterday that they were increasing their FTTP target from 20 million to 25 million homes and businesses by Devember 2026.

This means 81% of households will be covered by BT's rollout. They are currently building at a rate of 2 million premises/year and will be ramping this up to around 4 million premises a year

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2021/05/bt-raise-fttp-broadband-target-to-25-million-uk-premises.html
https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/8983-openreach-increases-ambition-from-20-million-to-25-million-fttp-premises
https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-to-increase-and-accelerate-fttp-build-to-25m-premises-by-the-end-of-2026/


Title: Re: BT increases target for boost to broadband
Post by: Black Sheep on May 14, 2021, 07:45:45 PM
Yup - we're also recruiting like it's going out of fashion. Another 2.5k staff required this year alone ....