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[JOK]

 1st time post on here (Hello!).  Hoping some of the knowledgeable people on this forum might be able to help/advise?

There has been a fair amount of activity by an Openreach contractor (MJQuinn) in my neighbourhood since around mid August (BDIB reported clearing of ducts, installing floor boxes etc).  Late August, I noticed that the Openreach Wholesale Checker had updated to report that FTTOD was available at my address, with speeds of 1000/220 (prior to this,  FTTPOD was showing as available with download speed of 330).   

I gather that a change in the available speed for FTTOD typically indicates that (native) FTTP is about to become available (sometimes within a few days?).   Have been checking the wholesale checker daily for the past 3 to 4 weeks, but do not yet see FTTP as available.  Realistically, how long should it take for FTTP to become available in this type of scenario? Postcode in question is WA8 9YP

Thanks in advance

[burakkucat]

1st time post on here (Hello!).

Welcome to the kitz forum.  

Postcode in question is WA8 9YP

From that postcode, I deduce that a telephony service would be from the LVWID (Widnes) exchange and via cabinet P76. Does that make sense?

Let's see if any of our members might be able to take look and see if there is any information that can be provided.

[JOK]

Thank you burakkucat  . Yes, LVWID (Widnes) and Cabinet P76.  Any insight from any members on here would be greatly appreciated 

[j0hn]

The fibre checker on the Openreach homepage will be the 1st place to indicate fibre is live.

Currently for addresses in your street it says Superfast fibre is available and down the bottom it says they are building their full fibre network in your area.
When it goes live it will say Ultrafast is available to you. It can be days or weeks later that the BT Wholesale checker will show FTTP available. Other providers can show availability before the BT Wholesale checker does.

If you plan on going with a non BT Wholesale ISP (Sky, Talktalk, Vodafone) then after the Openreach checker shows availability you need to check your chosen providers checker.
The BT Wholesale checker is only showing what BT Wholesale can offer and they aren't always 1st to the party.
Though their updating of FTTPoD to 1000/220 is indeed convenient for showing FTTP is imminent.

[Alex Atkin UK]

Honestly its probably easier to just keep using the checker of the ISP you plan to use, as until their system has been updated it wont let you order anyway, even if the BT Wholesale checker says its available already.

[GigabitEthernet]

Here in Wandsworth it was about two weeks before it became available to order, after the FTTPoD speeds changed.

[Black Sheep]

This particular build falls under the 'Turnkey' banner - ie: our partners take most of the responsibility for the design, planning and execution of the PON builds. Of course, each aspect of it has to be signed of by OR and our FBC's are on hand to oversee their work.

So, info is limited on these projects. But, judging from the 'PON life cycle colour' of the post code given ... the PON has been manually surveyed and therefore would be ready to build as and when deemed suitable. I can only imagine that our partners use a 'Glide path' similar to what OR use on their own builds ?.

The good news is that your area is a retro new-site, indicating existing ductwork already exists in the roads and footpaths  and also up to the individual properties. Ergo, it will be classed as a quick win as the chances of large amounts of civils work will be minimal. Hope you get sorted soon. :-)

[JOK]

Thank you @Black Sheep for taking the time to look into this (especially on a weekend) - really appreciated.  Yes, makes sense that this would be classed as ‘Retro New Build’, as the properties were built 2007/2008 (so fairly ‘new’ in my eyes). 

A check of the ‘local broadband information’ on thinkbroadband shows that the current percentage of Openreach FTTP availability in the local borough (Halton) is only 3.62%, whilst the percentage of Altnet FTTP is 0% (seems far lower than most urban areas?)….so hopefully the ‘quick win’ potential might spur MJ Quinn/OR to complete the build sooner than later.  I will keep on with my regular checks of the wholesale checker for the time being & will report back on here when I can finally order FTTP. 

[JOK]

It had all gone quiet, but unexpectedly, today, there have been a number of vans/workmen from Openreach & MJ Quinn in my street (for around 5 hrs)…not sure what they were doing exactly, as I have been at work & have only seen them via my video doorbell!  But it almost looked like they were possibly measuring distance and were at the inspection chambers.  Surprised, as there was no indication of work scheduled on BIDB.  Possibly getting my hopes up, but hoping they could have possibly been installing CBTs or running fibre to the chambers?

[burakkucat]

Possibly getting my hopes up, but hoping they could have possibly been installing CBTs or running fibre to the chambers?

Or possibly just "rodding and roping" ducts.

[JOK]

New activity today.  Noticed MJ Quinn were back, with 3 guys sat around the underground chamber closest to my house (literally a few yards from my front door).  Trying desperately not to look like a nosey neighbour (or an FTTP geek!), I went out and casually asked if they were installing full fibre (whilst also trying to visually see exactly what they were doing!)….as expected, they said yes, it was full fibre.  Asked when it would be going live and the answer was ‘they did not know, but probably 2 to 3 months, there would be a campaign once it was live’.  They also mentioned that they were only installing the infrastructure and that there were ‘problems with the spine further up that needed to be sorted’.

In terms of what I could see them doing, they seemed to be running strands of fibre to what I believe is known as a ‘tray’ located in the underground chamber (I recognised the appearance of the tray from videos and images I’ve seen about FTTP…yep, I am a geek/a bit obsessed with getting FTTP  )

So, my question now is…given that the wholesale checker already reports an FTTPOD figure of 1000/220 for my address, is the comment about the spine cabling needing to be sorted actually valid/relevant?  A check against addresses in neighbouring streets reports back FTTPOD speeds of only 330/50, but all addresses at my post code/street have shown an FTTPOD value of 1000/220 since late August.  Could this mean that the spine for my address is already in situ?  Probably clutching at straws, but wondered if the activity today could have been the equivalent (for an underground chamber) of a CBT bring fitted to a pole, and if so, if this meant that FTTP might become available to me in a matter of days?   

Any comments/insight from those more knowledgeable than me would be appreciated 

[j0hn]

They will probably be part of the team doing the spine works (or their colleagues will) and I can't think why they would just make that up.

The checker going to 1000/220 doesn't mean anything about timescales just that FTTP is coming (though there have been instances where the checker has updated FTTPoD speeds despite no FTTP coming, though very uncommon).

I've seen properties with CBT's installed and the checker hasn't updated yet and I've seen others where the checker updated 12 months before going live so don't read too much in to your street updating before neighbouring streets. Chances are you will both be waiting on the same spine works.

but wondered if the activity today could have been the equivalent (for an underground chamber) of a CBT bring fitted to a pole, and if so, if this meant that FTTP might become available to me in a matter of days?   

The equivalent of a CBT being installed on a pole is a CBT being installed in the underground chamber. It's pretty much the same waterproof enclosure attached to a frame in the underground chamber, as pictured in my attached image. They come in 4, 8 and 12 port variants.
CBT's don't have trays, that's more than likely the Splitter Node. They can house your CBT in the same chamber though.

[bogof]

The equivalent of a CBT being installed on a pole is a CBT being installed in the underground chamber. It's pretty much the same waterproof enclosure attached to a frame in the underground chamber, as pictured in my attached image. They come in 4, 8 and 12 port variants.

The 8 port CBT serving my house has just been slung in the bottom of a slim chamber dug in a flower bed.  No frame etc.  Fingers crossed that it lasts.

[XGS_Is_On]

Should be fine. As long as it's treated properly it'll be waterproof.

[bogof]

Should be fine. As long as it's treated properly it'll be waterproof.

I rate it's chances of survival far higher than the ones on the street that are wall mounted with the fibres barely protected - the CATV and BT wires that come up the front of the buildings are forever being bashed up by passers by.