FTTP this year?

[#1]

I had a knock on my door today from a BT sales canvasser.  Apparently my telephone pole has been upgraded to fibre and I soon will be able to order.  They recommended I leave Plusnet and get a free migration to BT or EE.  The thing is I've been with BT twice in the last 20 years and their customer support is atrocious.  I would prefer to remain with Plusnet as the customer service is spot on.

I keep reading they are planning to launch FTTP this year?  But the same was said last year and nothing happened..  I really hope I can order the service soon with Plusnet!

[#2]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from FTTP trial to Everything Else

[#3]

Yes I think a lot of Plusnet customers will be in the same position.

We are expecting FTTP installation in the next 2 or 3 months (from a CFP.)  Signed the contract with OpenReach last June and I have been looking a FTTP ISPs from time to time ever since.  I would like to stay with PlusNet but my contract is up in August and I expect to have to move.   I got the same story when I renewed last year, Plusnet FTTP should be available in 2021, then in 2022 but we can move to BT or EE without penalty.

Not sure I want to go to either, so will probably pick someone else.  But if FTTP is as reliable as folks say then customer service probably isn't such a big deal... as long as they can get the billing stuff right.

[#4]

@LeJimster 

You can indeed move to BT or EE FTTP free of any early termination fees. You just need to let PlusNet know first.

PlusNet FTTP is definitely coming - The $64,000,000 (inflation!!!) question is when. I suspect they are having problems re-writing their back office system which, until it's sorted, means they can't give a date.

FTTP is generally far more reliable than ADSL or FTTC. In particular there are no distance restrictions so you get near to the speed (allowing for overheads) that you contract for.

You can check availability here. You're looking for WBC FTTP in the left hand column and Available to the right.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Brian

[#5]

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@LeJimster wrote:

I keep reading they are planning to launch FTTP this year?  But the same was said last year and nothing happened..  I really hope I can order the service soon with Plusnet!

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I'd be extremely surprised if you weren't able to order FTTP from us in the very near future.

[#6]

@JonoH  that would be good. I am hoping OpenReach will complete our CFP in the next month (they came and put the CBT on our pole last week) and I would quite like to stay with PlusNet, but have been looking through the other ISP offerings.

I guess the problem is that it's really surprising that PlusNet don't offer FTTP already.  The other well known ISP all seem to have FTTP offerings, and a lot of smaller not so well known ones too.

It would be great if it was very soon (for me at least.)

[#7]

@Ian06 

As mentioned in an earlier post I believe PlusNet having been having problems with their back office systems. My logic for this is the knowledge that their current system relies on a phone number whereas with FTTP there may not be one. They have already missed 3 unofficial launch dates.

Brian

[#8]

What is most frustrating is the lack of available info regarding FTTP. Last April they promised it by summer 2021, which was pushed back to autumn then early 2022 and now we simply have no idea what is going on. Clearly management know exactly what the plan is with FTTP but are unwilling to share that with their customers or the public. If the numbers don't add up and it's going to be too costly to overhaul the back office systems then why not simply tell us. There is a short-term market for FTTC and Plusnet are doing well out of it. Plusnet may be willing to ride that wave for another 3 years until copper is switched off hoping that they'll be sold off to one of the bigger players by then. They have probably already made the decision as to whether they invest for a long-term future or fade into obscurity without FTTP but are keeping it to themselves.  

[#9]

I’m not sure there are too many bigger players than BT, who already own PN.
Also copper switch off is delayed.

[#10]

If the copper switch off is delayed then even more reason to stick with FTTC. Plusnet know that although some of their customer base may leave for FTTP with other providers the majority will stick with them due to their good customer service. Most households only need a stable 40-50MB connection to run multiple devices which is perfectly manageable via FTTC. Not until FTTP becomes cheaper than FTTC will it reach the mass market, probably not for another couple of years. 

[#11]

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@Clangers wrote:

Plusnet may be willing to ride that wave for another 3 years until copper is switched off 

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Further to what dvorak said (I'm a slow typist);

AIUI it's not copper that's being "switched off", it's the analogue PSTN being replaced by Digital Voice (locked down VoIP).

Until such time that the FTTP roll-out is complete, for many people that will be delivered over copper (xDSL) in the same way as they presently, and will continue to, get their Internet .  Apparently even that has been put on hold while OR develop a more robust system of dealing with providing service during prolonged power cuts.

[#12]

@Clangers 

A PlusNet Admin bod stated a few days ago that he would be very surprised if you couldn't order FTTP in the "very near future" (his italics).

I suspect the delay had purely been about getting the back office systems to work with FTTP. They currently run using the phone number as a reference - with FTTP there may be no phone number to work with. For example, new build houses with no copper connection.

Brian

[#13]

I too am interested in when Plusnet offer FTTP. There are a few things I've seen online which are interesting:

1. BT Wholesale's new product is Broadband One.

2. BT Wholesale mention the 'Plusnet Legacy Platform' and that it is being phased out in favour of Broadband One.

https://www.btwholesale.com/help-and-support/broadband/broadband-one-legacy-migrations-for-bt-wholes...

3. BT Wholesale have a comparison between 'Plusnet Legacy Platform' and 'Broadband One' which show which features are available on both.

https://www.btwholesale.com/assets/documents/help-and-support/broadband/broadband-one-legacy-migrati...

4. On this comparison, up until very recently (around March 2022), some lower end FTTP speeds were marked as 'coming soon in 2022'. They are now marked as available.

Maybe some of these in explains the timings in part.

[#14]

Interesting find @cpc6128   

[#15]

@Clangers  Yes 

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@Clangers wrote:

Most households only need a stable 40-50MB connection to run multiple devices which is perfectly manageable via FTTC.

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but a lot of places can't get those speeds over FTTC because of the copper line distance.  We are 1.6km of copper cable from the FTTC cabinet and the best we can get is 15Mbits down and 0.6Mbits up, it is stable and works ok when it's just one TV streaming, but if anyone else tries to use it then it stutters and buffers a lot of the time.  Online meetings struggle and often drop the video connection with such a slow up speed.

The neighbours with their 3 kids have no chance on that speed connection.

We are waiting on OR (and have been for almost a year) to complete a Community Fibre Project to make FTTP available so that we can get a stable reliable 40/10 Mbits connection.   I'd be more than happy to stay with PlusNet but as soon as I can I'll move to someone who can provide a FTTP service, the speed we opt for will be driven more by price than need.

FYI ... we gave up using the landline phone and detached all our internal wiring to try and stabilise the FTTC connection, we just use our mobiles now.  We might go back to a landline if the VOIP charges are low enough, but not sure there is really a good reason to do that.