Is plusnet going to do a Talk Talk and force people to FTTP?

[#1]

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@bmc wrote:

@ad47uk 

You can check OR fibre plans for your property here

https://www.openreach.com/

Brian

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I have looked here before, but thanks.
It says Great news. Superfast Fibre is available at your address, I would not call it superfast at 36Mb/s, but I suppose compared to ADSL it is :), but it does what I want and to be honest even if the faster FTTC speed was available here, I doubt i would have bothered with it.

It also says, "We're starting to build our ultra-fast, ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband in your area." That could mean anything, I live in a small city, so that could be anywhere in the city. I know digital is not priority here, we have not had letters about it, They are sent around 12 months before the change over so I have been told and read.

[#2]

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@corringham wrote:

 That's the case for FTTC connections. ADSL connections will continue to have copper all the way back to the exchange - until it is replaced by FTTP (which for lots of ADSL areas may be some years away...)

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I know a couple of people that are still using ADSL, they live pretty close to the exchange, so they get an ok speed. they keep it because it is cheapish,

I can't see them willing to give it up for fibre unless they get fibre for the same price they are paying for ADSL. 

[#3]

@ad47uk Currently Plusnet Full Fibre (FTTP) is selling at £23.99 for Full Fibre 36 and £25.99 for Full Fibre 74 . Of course there is no voice service with it as Plusnet only offer a data service on FTTP.

[#4]

@ad47uk 

SuperFast is what's used in marketing to describe the FTTC service. UltraFast is FTTP.

While it's not great news regarding the timeline at least they've stated they're building in your area - many areas don't even have that crumb of comfort.

Brian

[#5]

I'm not a technical bod but as I understand things when PSTN goes, ADSL goes. Then approximately 4,000 out of 5,000 Exchanges will also be retired (not before the 30's). Copper to the cabinet will be history.

Like the phone service, ADSL users will need to be moved onto a digital platform.

Brian

[#6]

Some ADSL will remain after PSTN is retired. There are lots of rural areas like mine that have ADSL EO lines. There are no cabinets for EO lines, houses are too sparse to justify any cabinets, and there are no plans for FTTP before the end of 2025. There is no choice but to keep ADSL.

There are also inner city exchanges that have ADSL EO lines - they may or may not be upgraded to FTTP.

I should add that ADSL is still in use in these areas as it is uneconomic to do anything else - in my area the BDUK scheme deemed it too expensive to upgrade the remaining EO lines. OR are not going to tackle these areas without some additional subsidy - and if that happens it will be well after the end of 2025.

[#7]

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@SpendLessTime wrote:

@ad47uk Currently Plusnet Full Fibre (FTTP) is selling at £23.99 for Full Fibre 36 and £25.99 for Full Fibre 74 . Of course there is no voice service with it as Plusnet only offer a data service on FTTP.

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Plusnet seems to be keeping prices for FTTP quiet at the moment, just like their FTTP launch.

So you get no voice service, so you are paying  the same, but getting less for it, sure i don't use the home phone, i already have VoIP, but some people may.
It is not just about the price, as I said before, it is the hassle and also if people go for the lower speed are they going to get emails or calls to try and get they to update?
I have seen this on FTTC, not from plusnet but from another ISP, someone I know is on the lower speed FTTC, they could go onto the faster speed, but they don't need it and yet almost every month they get emails or text from their provider asking them to upgrade, They even phoned a couple of times.

[#8]

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@bmc wrote:

@ad47uk 

SuperFast is what's used in marketing to describe the FTTC service. UltraFast is FTTP.

While it's not great news regarding the timeline at least they've stated they're building in your area - many areas don't even have that crumb of comfort.

Brian

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I know all the words they use to describe  broadband, I even took the time a few months ago to have a look at how FTTP work from the exchange to the user.  I am not a newbie, I have been using computers for a very long time and also build my own machines. I know what goes on  installing a FTTP 

You say it is not great news, but for me, it is, it means I won't get bugged into getting fibre. no doubt we will have leaflets from zzoomm coming though the door soon, but as far as I know that is all they do, once the area goes live, they just flood houses with leaflets.
It may be bad news for internet providers who use the openreach network, I think they will lose a lot of customers around here when zZoomm, which is the alternative FTTP that is being laid around here, is done. I know a few people that said they will go to zzoomm as soon as they can.
So any delay with openreach FTTP will see more providers losing customers. Zzoomm by all accounts is a better network anyway than openreach, but sadly they don't provide a lower speed cheaper option, the lowest is 150Mb/s, and it is a 24-month contract.

[#9]

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@corringham wrote:

Some ADSL will remain after PSTN is retired. There are lots of rural areas like mine that have ADSL EO lines. There are no cabinets for EO lines, houses are too sparse to justify any cabinets, and there are no plans for FTTP before the end of 2025. There is no choice but to keep ADSL.

There are also inner city exchanges that have ADSL EO lines - they may or may not be upgraded to FTTP.

I should add that ADSL is still in use in these areas as it is uneconomic to do anything else - in my area the BDUK scheme deemed it too expensive to upgrade the remaining EO lines. OR are not going to tackle these areas without some additional subsidy - and if that happens it will be well after the end of 2025.

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I know one household that is still on ADSL, but only because they live close to the exchange and it is cheap.
If they are keeping ADSL, then surly they will keep FTTC even when FTTP is available?  They may stop advertising it or giving it to new customers, but surly they will not just kick existing customers off it? Well not for a few years anyway.

[#10]

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@ad47uk wrote:

I have seen this on FTTC, not from plusnet but from another ISP, someone I know is on the lower speed FTTC, they could go onto the faster speed, but they don't need it and yet almost every month they get emails or text from their provider asking them to upgrade, They even phoned a couple of times.

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If you log into your account you can set your preferences such that you do not receive any marketing calls.

I suspect that you are worrying unnecessarily. Traditionally Plusnet have been very good at leaving customers on legacy products if the customer so wishes by not upgrading. If Openreach decide to replace their copper connection to your property with fibre sometime in the near or distant future then I’m afraid that this will be a take it or leave it without a landline connection situation to be dealt with at that time. 

[#11]

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@ad47uk wrote:

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@corringham wrote:

Some ADSL will remain after PSTN is retired. There are lots of rural areas like mine that have ADSL EO lines. There are no cabinets for EO lines, houses are too sparse to justify any cabinets, and there are no plans for FTTP before the end of 2025. There is no choice but to keep ADSL.

There are also inner city exchanges that have ADSL EO lines - they may or may not be upgraded to FTTP.

I should add that ADSL is still in use in these areas as it is uneconomic to do anything else - in my area the BDUK scheme deemed it too expensive to upgrade the remaining EO lines. OR are not going to tackle these areas without some additional subsidy - and if that happens it will be well after the end of 2025.

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I know one household that is still on ADSL, but only because they live close to the exchange and it is cheap.
If they are keeping ADSL, then surly they will keep FTTC even when FTTP is available?  They may stop advertising it or giving it to new customers, but surly they will not just kick existing customers off it? Well not for a few years anyway.

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Openreach are keeping the highest level of technology available so if that is ADSL then it is that. What happens eventually is that new orders and renewals are rejected for the slower technologies where better is available. (This already happens in 1 or 2 exchanges and will happen to all in coming years)

So you will eventually be on out of contract prices and at some point even those holding out will be upgraded. But it will take time so no need to worry.

[#12]

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@Baldrick1 wrote:

If you log into your account you can set your preferences such that you do not receive any marketing calls.

I suspect that you are worrying unnecessarily. Traditionally Plusnet have been very good at leaving customers on legacy products if the customer so wishes by not upgrading. If Openreach decide to replace their copper connection to your property with fibre sometime in the near or distant future then I’m afraid that this will be a take it or leave it without a landline connection situation to be dealt with at that time.

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I know we can set preferences and fair play to Plusnet, they only phoned me once to offer me something and that was their T.V package and I told them I don't have a Tv licence, so it is useless to me, they never phoned since.  I do get a bit of advertising in their email about their sim card in the emails they send about payment, but not bothered about that.

If I am still in a contract when/if  openreach want to replace my copper to fibre and Plusnet says I have little choice, then surly I can cancel the contract. I would look at either mobile network or maybe at zzoomm, even if it will cost a bit more.

[#13]

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@SpendLessTime wrote:

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Openreach are keeping the highest level of technology available so if that is ADSL then it is that. What happens eventually is that new orders and renewals are rejected for the slower technologies where better is available. (This already happens in 1 or 2 exchanges and will happen to all in coming years)

So you will eventually be on out of contract prices and at some point even those holding out will be upgraded. But it will take time so no need to worry.

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I suppose we will wait and see, but I just feel if one ISP is starting to push people to FTTP then others will follow, more so plusnet, EE and BT as they all belong to the same company that owns openreach and yes it is still the same company, I don't care if openreach have taken Bt off their vans.
After all, BT want people onto their fibre network.

[#14]

TalkTalk use CityFibre as well as Openreach so they have even more reasons for them to move people to FTTP especially on CityFibre as it's cheaper for them and they will have bulk order numbers to make. Indeed if you live in an area where FTTP is available from both, TalkTalk will only use CityFibre for new orders.

[#15]

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@ad47uk wrote:

After all, BT want people onto their fibre network.

 Look at it from the BT side. Fibre is newer, faster, needs less local infrastructure and is more reliable so needs less maintenance.

There’s also all the real estate aspects in terms of thousands of redundant telephone exchanges, many no doubt in prime area to consider.

No doubt there will be isolated backwaters that need retaining in the last century but ways to service them will not halt progress.

"The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys." — Sir William Preece (1834-1913)