My local exchange is about to go full fibre ready for the ending of copper wire services in 2025. The exchange area next to ours has already been completed and we are next in line. I live in a leasehold flat and we need permission for the work to be done, so before we register an interest we need to decide who to choose. The freeholders have given us a list.
Openreach - Virgin - City Fibre - Community Fibre - Hyperoptic and others.
AFAIK, Openreach just lease out fibre lines for any ISPs to use. One of which is Hyperoptic (which surprised me - I thought they had their own network). But some are proprietary. They won't/don't allow any other ISPs to provide services on the line?
So I can make a presentation to the Residents Association, can anyone tell me which major providers use Openreach's lines and which uses their own 'closed' networks. I am happy to suggest Openreach alone but they will need a few other options to consider.
Also could someone tell me exactly how the fibre is brought in. We are about 75m from the road. There are already grumblings about potential damage to the gardens and paving stones. That can all be but put back as it was, but the main objection is the feared 'noise and dust'. I'm assuming it will simply be a case of running wires around comnunal areas and into each of 48 flats across two adjacent blocks. Some light hammering and drilling a hole where the fibre comes into each flat? How much disruption can it cause? Most of the people in these flats are old (70s and 80s) and have been here decades. Truly lovely people, but they hate change. Many are struggling with the concept of the copper wire system being shut down because it makes no sense to them. I'd like to make this process as painless as possible for all of them.
Openreach - Virgin - City Fibre - Community Fibre - Hyperoptic and others.
AFAIK, Openreach just lease out fibre lines for any ISPs to use. One of which is Hyperoptic (which surprised me - I thought they had their own network). But some are proprietary. They won't/don't allow any other ISPs to provide services on the line?
So I can make a presentation to the Residents Association, can anyone tell me which major providers use Openreach's lines and which uses their own 'closed' networks. I am happy to suggest Openreach alone but they will need a few other options to consider.
Also could someone tell me exactly how the fibre is brought in. We are about 75m from the road. There are already grumblings about potential damage to the gardens and paving stones. That can all be but put back as it was, but the main objection is the feared 'noise and dust'. I'm assuming it will simply be a case of running wires around comnunal areas and into each of 48 flats across two adjacent blocks. Some light hammering and drilling a hole where the fibre comes into each flat? How much disruption can it cause? Most of the people in these flats are old (70s and 80s) and have been here decades. Truly lovely people, but they hate change. Many are struggling with the concept of the copper wire system being shut down because it makes no sense to them. I'd like to make this process as painless as possible for all of them.
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sorted byPerhaps ask your neighbours who they currently use and would they change ISP if you didn't go with an FTTP network that offered their ISP? That might solidify the choices from the get go.
I dont have have any experience of the other providers unfortunately as some of them only serve certain areas but I wouldnt be too keen to be the person who locks everyone into a single provider (like Virgin say) ....youre going to be setting yourself up for a fall there.... especially if people dont like change. If you dont currently have Virgin cable in the blocks ...they'll all have to change.
Personally I would :-
1/ talk to the freeholders and see if they can explain how each of the providers work i.e. are you tied into the same provider providing services to individual flats later on....
It will probably depend on what type of freeholder you have.....private/ housing association / council/ etc as to how helpful or otherwise they'll be...
2/ You could talk to the individual providers to ask them the same question
Personally I thought Hyperoptic / Virgin sold to the end user ....so you may have to use them for everything.
3/ Some of these providers only operate in certain geographic areas - which may cut down your list a bit
Getting fibre into the building
Do you know how / where the existing BT lines come into the blocks?
If you have poles coming in from the road the fibre will simply be added to those poles (if its BT Openreach installing anyway)
If the existing cable comes in underground it depends if its in any form of ducting/conduit....if it is possibly the fibre cable can be pulled through. If its just buried in the ground and theres no ducting it will probably require a new duct to be installed or the cable just buried again...so digging up.
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Have you see the forum on the website thinkbroadband.com
Thats probably a good place to ask the question and I think there are representatives from some of those companies present which may save you a lot of time. If you give a geographic location as well people will will probably be able to tell you who will cover that area from your list.