Joining the FTTP craze

[#1]

Basically, a company called County Broadband has been rolling out FTTP in my town.  I believe part of their plan was to open their networks to other ISP after a set time.  It seems that's happened recently, so I signed up for your 145Mbps package.  Did have one problem, that your guys over Twitter sorted out hopefully.

[#2]

I would say that is highly unlikely that you are getting Plusnet broadband over FTTP lines from County Broadband.

Plusnet ONLY use BT Openreach infrastructure for their products.

From County Broadband FAQ -

County Broadband’s broadband services are completely independent of BT and Openreach. We are members of the Independent Network Co-Operative Association (INCA) and our CEO is the Chairman. County Broadband does have the appropriate permissions to use some existing ducts, pipes and poles owned by other providers, however, the fibre cables and the service, is completely separate, managed by County Broadband.

The next problem is that County Broadband's own service (after initial discount period) is much more expensive than Plusnet pricing, so why would County Broadband allow a budget broadband provider to undercut them on their own network ?

At the moment, County Broadband can charge a premium price for FTTP because they are the ONLY true fibre provider in small villages like mine - where Openreach are unlikely to do any upgrades within the next five years,  so some people will be willing to pay over the odds for getting a faster service now, and County Broadband is their only option.

While it is true that their website says -

We are aiming to open up our network to other internet service providers (ISPs). Your initial service will be provided by County Broadband.

When I spoke to the County Broadband team installing FTTP in my village,  it was more like wishful thinking that once they had installed a big enough FTTP footprint across East Anglia, that someday BT Openreach might just buy the company out and take over their hardware - on the presumption that from their point of view why would Openreach bother overlap installing FTTP in the same areas.

I believe that currently NO other ISP is providing internet over County Broadband FTTP.

If you have managed to get broadband with Plusnet,  you better hope that you got an Openreach connection,  because around here people are complaining that their County Broadband connections are unreliable, have outages for days at a time, and that their customer service is terrible.

[#3]

I think it has been rolled out to my area too.

I have a new BT Openreach floor cover appear outside the place I am moving into. If I could, I would post a photo of it.

So I think it is now available. Try putting your number into:

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

This is what I get now:

WBC FTTP Upto 1000 Upto 220 -- Available KCI2 Assure

So I assume it is available for me.

[#4]

Bad form replying to myself, but a staff member has fixed this for me.

This is what has appeared outside the house:

[#5]

Looks like the new Royal Mail remote delivery service point.!

[#6]

@Mustrum. Nah it can't be. There on strike 😱👍🤣

[#7]

@Timalay  As others have said you will not be getting Plusnet FTTP from County Broadband, so if you have actually managed to order it, Openreach FTTP must be available.

What does the checker link posted by @Alex  in message #3 tell you for your line?

[#8]

From the original consultation with County Broadband, they said they would open their network to other ISPs after a set time.  I can assume that's what's happened.  The nearest newest broadband manhole cover near me for the FTTP broadband does say County Broadband.

A quote from their site says "We are aiming to open up our network to other internet service providers (ISPs). Your initial service will be provided by County Broadband."  

[#9]

@Timalay 

They may open their network to other ISP's but each ISP would have to sign a commercial agreement with County and modify their systems to work. As a BT company it's highly unllikely PlusNet have done so.

Brian

[#10]

@Alex 

The picture shows a Toby Box

Brian

[#11]

Ok but is FTTP? Never heard that name before but a bit of a search seems to suggest it is. Though I am not sure, but can't think of anything else which would have a BT Openreach logo on it.

[#12]

@Timalay It would help if you posted the checker result, just obscure your phone number. WBC FTTP is the important thing to look for in the left hand column.

Plusnet do not supply FTTP via County Broadband.

[#13]

@Alex 

The Toby box is basically an access point into underground ducting and is used to deliver FTTP by many providers. Fibre is fed at installation time to the Toby and then diverted into the premises. (Think of it as a 3 way T box - 2 ways for the fibres to go through the box and a third way out for the premises to get a FTTP connection)

I have one outside my house installed by CityFibre while Openreach here use their own underground ducting straight to the house which supplied the old phone cables (I'm on Plusnet Trial FTTP).

[#14]

@Alex 

Either of the two following links will describe the function of a Toby Box

https://www.millsltd.com/default/ftth-footpath-demarcation-toby-box.html 

https://emtelle.com/uploads/UK_DS_71735.pdf

Brian

[#15]

Thanks for the responses this is now my project!

Not moved in yet but will do soon.

Is it bad that I am trying to convience my sister to get FTTP? She couldn't care less about faster internet but wants me to paint the colour of the walls of what used to be my bedroom and will now be again.

I would be sarcastic as say that was about as entertaining as watching paint dry, but that is literally what I have been doing today 🙈 I will shut up there before I bore everyone to death, this is even boring me now typing this.

I couldn't care less about the colour of the bedroom walls, just faster internet.

Shows you where my priorities lie. 😛