Openreach Ultrafast Fibre to Premises

[Rhod]

Openreach has informed me that they are supplying Ultrafast Full Fibre to the premises.  Does NowTV Broadband support this or do I need to go to another provider?

[RoyB · Accepted solution]

@Rhod 

That’s a slightly odd announcement. Are you in an HMO, or other multi-occupancy premises?

But bringing in FTTP shouldn’t mean you personally have to have it, just that you now can if you want to.

At present though, Now don’t offer FTTP, though Sky do, so to get it, you would currently have to change providers, something that might trigger an Early Termination charge from Now, if you are currently in contract with them.

We wonder whether Now will start to offer FTTP, or just be left on FTTC to wither on the vine. No indications yet that I have seen as to which way they will go, though.

[Rhod]

Thanks for the reply.  It's a single occupancy dwelling and FTTP reaches us in Dec.  I was hoping to switch to this as it's a 1GB connection.  I guess I'll quit Now at the end of this month when my current contract finishes and move to a another provider. 

[RoyB]

@Rhod 

You could move now to somebody who will bring you fibre in December, or you might just want to run on with Now, out of contract for a month or two, and then switch.

It’s worth seeing who is bringing fibre to your area, as if it is one of the Altnets, as they are called, they will likely be fibre only, and not able to take you on now.

And if you do move to another FTTC provision in the interim, it’s likely to be considered as a new line - it would be too logical for somebody else to take on your existing line 😢 - and you may find you are losing the telephone option that you may have now, and have to move to VOIP right now.

You’ll have to move to VOIP anyway with FTTP. But it’s hard to know what your best option is right now, and you might want to talk to one or two possible new ISPs who can bring you FTTP, assuming it won’t be a monopoly in your area, to see what they can offer.

You will notice I haven’t considered the possibility that Now will start offering FTTP by then.

@Jayach  any words of wisdom here?

[Jayach]

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@RoyB wrote:

@Jayach  any words of wisdom here?

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Not really, as we can't be sure just when the FTTP will be available, however BT often have good offers when an area is newly "Openreach full fibred".

[Rhod]

Thanks that's very helpful.  The couple of months with Now is a great idea.  My only issue is that they now want to charge £36/month, which is far too much.  However, if I take out another contract, I'm stuck until Oct 24!  Virgin and CityFibre are not supplying to my location.  So I assume BT may be an the only supplier at the start.  Openreach say we must move to digital telephony, as you note but my old phones must be 20 years old anyway.  I distribute the wifi signal using BT Whole Home WiFi but I've no idea with this would work with a new fibre hub.  They would be slower than th incoming fibre speed anyway.  Lots to consider and probably expensive.

[RoyB]

@Rhod 

1Gbps will make £36/mo look like chump change; 500 is probably all you will ever need.

Talk to BT about your options here, see what they advise,

And out of interest, please let us know what they come up with, as this may help others in the same situation.

[Rhod]

Thanks and will do.  I fully expect the date to slip again for Openreach.  They said it would be here last month and now say Dec BUT "it's complex and the date could change" - indeed.  Their vans are at the top of my road so fingers crossed. Will update the community, if and when it actually appears through the wall.

[RoyB]

@Rhod 

Thanks, but I don’t think it will come through your wall unless you subscribe - best look for when it comes by in the road 😛