Booking a fibre installation visit.

[GraHewitt]

I'm trying to order fibre and have to book a visit for installation but I do not move into my new property until the 1st July. The issue is I cannot scroll past June to book that date. It's only giving me up to, and including, a week earlier. Can I order over the phone or will I have to wait another week until the 1st is an option? 

[Stig]

It was my lack of knowledge over broadband options.

I certainly know a lot more now than I did before about what is needed to receive a broadband service connection.

Seems like you should be ok to switch easily enough from provider to provider unless you are a virgin media customer.

You may run into problems as a Virgin customer looking to switch  broadband providers because Virgin doesn't need a cable from the telegraph pole to the property BUT! all the other broadband providers do.Virgin is the only company to use it's own line that is usually fed through the driveway/ garden and then into your property.I think that is right ???

You  may also need a mastersocket to plug your phone into.

There was a B.T. cable attached to my property, but not plumbed in, and the mastersocket was an old Telewest socket.

New cable fitted as well as BT mastersocket by Openreach engineers on Monday and everything working fine.

I do hope I don't receive a bill from Openreach.....I've been assured by Now representative that they will pay!,..hmmmmm?

[Jayach]

Glad it's resolved. You shouldn't receive a bill from Openreach. That will be absorbed by Now. (some FTTC providers do charge for a new line.)

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@Stig wrote:

Virgin doesn't need a cable from the telegraph pole to the property BUT! all the other broadband providers do.Virgin is the only company to use it's own line that is usually fed through the driveway/ garden and then into your property.I think that is right ???

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Not entirely, some Openreach copper/fibre lines are underground, but still Openreach owned and not specific ISP's.

[RoyB]

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@redchiz1 wrote:

@RoyB I tend to agree and I did not say what you attribute to me.  

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Sorry, I have a lot of trouble with the ambiguity of pronouns 😢

I interpreted your ‘that’ in a certain way (as did others, I note), to refer to Now/Openreach not checking if @Stig had a Master Socket or not, whereas there is another way of interpreting it, referring to him simply not having one.

But I don’t think @Stig was doing that. So was there a third thing that the ‘that’ referred to? 

[chilli2]

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@Jayach wrote:

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@Jayach wrote:In this case, as the OP has apparently no Openreach copper line, Openreach are definitely not going to run in new copper when Full Fibre is available.

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Actually I'm possibly wrong about that as they could run in a hybrid cable.

That would be a good compromise.

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Openreach will still install copper lines/services in areas where FTTP is available, on the condition that that area is not in a copper stop sell area.

 FTTP has been available in my area for some time, and for some time before i signed up to now, i also know of one property that has had a new copper line installed even though FTTP is available.

I choose now over FTTP mainly due to cost, my previous ISPs connection was rock solid on FTTC/VDSL and the speeds i was getting were sufficient for my needs  , moving to Now resulted in a lower cost and slightly higher speeds - going from about 20 to 55 - however my exchange is now in a copper stop sell area , if i had waited then i would not have been able to move to Now - only significantly more expensive FTTP.

 If you are thinking of switching to Now and FTTC is good enough for you and you also have FTTP available (or even if FTTP isnt there yet) i would advise that you check the stop sell list to see if your exchange is on there, as once you hit that stop sell date your options will become limited and the costs will be higher see here : https://www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/images/fibre-broadband/retiring-...

 If you are already on Now and you are in a stop sell area / active stop sell area then you can stay where you are when the contract ( minimum term) ends you can either pay the (out of contract ) higher price, haggle a new deal or move to FTTP. Stop sell doesnt mean you must move to FTTP you can stay put openreach will still fix your line if it develops a fault and so on the big date in that situation is PSTN switch off - and even then you may still be able to stay on copper it just means that your phone service will be delivered over the internet, be that ADSL, VDSL /FTTC or FTTP

[Jayach]

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@chilli2 wrote:I choose now over FTTP mainly due to cost, my previous ISPs connection was rock solid on FTTC/VDSL and the speeds i was getting were sufficient for my needs  , moving to Now resulted in a lower cost and slightly higher speeds - going from about 20 to 55 - however my exchange is now in a copper stop sell area , if i had waited then i would not have been able to move to Now - only significantly more expensive FTTP.

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Not  currently true that FTTP is more expensive than FTTC.

Vodafone charge £22.00 for Superfast 1 or 2, the same as Now's Fab and Super fibre, but if you are in an FTTP area, either Openreach or CityFibre, it will be over FTTP at the same price. They do not supply FTTC if FTTP is available. And their router is better. IMHO.

[redchiz1]

@Jayach Only if Vodafone happen to be operating in your area. A better like-for-like would be FTTP from suppliers on the Openreach network. And there is nothing resembling the prices NOW offer. Leaving aside the cost of calls. Oh, wait, you're going to tell me that everybody uses mobiles now ....

[Jayach]

Why would Vodafone not be everywhere, they use Openreach. And Now have dropped the inclusive calls, so I probably won't be joining now.

[redchiz1]

Um, they use CityFibre.

[Jayach]

They had an exclusive agreement with CityFiber when CityFibre started, but they have always used Openreach.( Like everyone else)

[redchiz1]

For FTTC yes, for FTTP no. 

[Jayach]

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@redchiz1 wrote:

For FTTC yes, for FTTP no. 

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They were slow to offer offer FTTP over Openreach, but I believe that was because Openreach were miffed about the CityFibre deal and wouldn't open it to them. (FTTC is regulated by Ofcom, but there is not such regulation on FTTP)

They now offer both, although whether there is still some restriction on Openreach FTTP I'm not sure.

Any decent comparison site will soon confirm just what is available.

[RoyB]

@redchiz1 @Jayach 

As an ounce of checking is worth a pound of speculation, I just got a Vodafone quote for my property, currently with BT on Openreach FTTP.

Vodafone offered the whole range of speeds from 36Mbps to 910Mbps, from £22 a month to £45 a month.

The ‘from’ referring to optional add-ons like 4G backup for another £8 a month (the WFH saviour if the landline goes down) to anytime calls for another £8, with an AppleTV 4K thrown in, which would be £7.50 a month on its own over 24 months.

And support is 24/7.

On another topic here, I haven’t been at the other end of a telephone pole since 1981; all underground since then.

[Jayach]

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@RoyB wrote:

@redchiz1 @Jayach 

And support is 24/7.

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Believe me, they talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk.

[Jayach]

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@redchiz1 wrote:

@Jayach A better like-for-like would be FTTP from suppliers on the Openreach network. And there is nothing resembling the prices NOW offer. Leaving aside the cost of calls. Oh, wait, you're going to tell me that everybody uses mobiles now ....

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@Jayach wrote:

Vodafone charge £22.00 for Superfast 1 or 2, the same as Now's Fab and Super fibre, but if you are in an FTTP area, either Openreach or CityFibre, it will be over FTTP at the same price. They do not supply FTTC if FTTP is available. 

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And now that Now have dropped the inclusive calls their offering  is looking decidedly unappealing.

[Jayach]

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@chilli2 wrote:
I choose now over FTTP mainly due to cost, my previous ISPs connection was rock solid on FTTC/VDSL and the speeds i was getting were sufficient for my needs  , moving to Now resulted in a lower cost and slightly higher speeds - going from about 20 to 55 -

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If you are now on 55Mbs, I don't understand why you were only getting 22Mbs with your previous ISP.

Even if you were on the up to 40 service, and moved onto up to 80, if the line is capable of 55Mbs you should have been getting the max on the previous ISP.

[Stig]

Thanks for your reply and many thanks to everyone who has tried to help me with my broadband connection disaster.

However I have been advised not to say anything more on this forum.

If that advice changes at a later date, then I will post what the outcome was as it may help someone else with the same problem.

Thanks again everyone.

[Stig]

Will do.

[Jayach]

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@Stig wrote:

That said it worked fine with Virgin but then again they have a different set up.

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If it worked with Virgin then its not an Openreach/BT master socket. Do you actually have an Openreach master socket?

[Stig]

Not sure what an open reach master socket is?

The set up from Now came with a Master Microfilter, a sort of double adapter to plug into the Telewest phone socket box on the wall.

In this Master Microfilter adapter you plug in you phone and your hub ,then you plug Master Microfilter into old Telewest phone line socket on the wall.

[redchiz1]

@GraHewitt I see your topic has been somewhat hijacked!

As I see it your best bet will be to wait until around 30 days before your move-in date and place the order then, It is not usual to be able to arrange installations further in advance then that. Although as mentioned earlier you could call the broadband team on 0330 041 2518 and see what they have to say.