Openreach announces next phase of superfast broadband roll-out
Tuesday 25 September 2012 10:45:38 by Andrew Ferguson

The £2.5bn investment programme by Openreach continues, with another 163 exchange areas announced as getting FTTC and FTTP services. This latest announcement comprises of phase 10bpf of the roll-out that once complete should see superfast wholesale services available to two thirds of UK households. While the roll-out is predominantly FTTC based, there are some areas that will get a native FTTP service too.

Openreach has updated its superfast portal, including its checker, which still only gives exchange based information, we still hold out a small glimmer of hope that Openreach will start to provide cabinet/postcode level information so that people can be more certain of when either full or partial fibre is coming to their street.

Update midday: The list of 163 new exchange areas is available on our forums, for those wanting to check to see if their area may receive the service in the next year or so.

The roll-out of FTTP based services has to date been slow, mainly we presume due to the extra work involved in rolling the fibre out to with a few metres of every property in the areas where it is planned. These native FTTP areas are no more expensive to get service with than the FTTC areas, as Openreach does offer slower cheaper products that align with the FTTC services, whether the retail providers offer this is down to them. The areas due to get full fibre (FTTP) are listed below, we should point out that while the list is exchange areas, only part of the exchange area usually gets FTTP.

• Areas offering FTTP now: ADWICK LE STREET, ASHFORD MIDDLESEX, BASCHURCH, BLACKFRIARS, BLEWBURY, BODMIN, BRIDGWATER, BRIGHOUSE, BUDE, BURLEY-IN-WHARFEDALE, CALDICOT, CALLINGTON, CAMBORNE, CAPEL, CAXTON, CHELTENHAM, CHESTER SOUTH, COADS GREEN, COCKWELLS, CRANTOCK, DERBY, DINNINGTON, DONCASTER, DONCASTER NORTH, EASTBOURNE, EASTON, EXETER, FALMOUTH, FOREST HILL, FOWEY, FRADDON, GERMOE, GRAMPOUND ROAD, GUNNISLAKE, HAMPTON, HAREHILLS, HASTINGS, HAYLE, HELSTON, HIGHER BOLTON, HOOTON, HORSFORTH, ILFORD CENTRAL, INNERLEITHEN, LAUNCESTON, LEEK, LEYTONSTONE, LINCOLN, LINDFIELD, LISKEARD, LOOE, MADINGLEY, MARTON WARWICKSHIRE, MELROSEGATE, MEVAGISSEY, MILLBROOK, MORECAMBE, MULLION, NANPEAN, NEWCASTLE WEST, NEWQUAY, PENRYN, PENZANCE, PORTHTOWAN, REDRUTH, ROCHE, ROSSINGTON, SEFTON PARK, SHREWSBURY, SKIPTON, SOUTHBOURNE, ST AUSTELL, ST IVES, ST JUST, ST.COLUMB MAJOR, STITHIANS, TAUNTON, THORNTON HEATH, TILE HILL, TORPOINT, TRURO, WATERLOO, WELLINGTON, WEMBLEY, WHITCHURCH HAMPSHIRE, WINTON, WORKSOP, YORK, BRADWELL ABBEY, BRIDLINGTON, BROUGHTON-GREATER MANCHESTER, CHILDWALL, COWLEY, CRESSINGTON PARK, EDGBASTON, ERDINGTON, GREENHILL, HIGHAMS PARK, INTAKE, STONEYCROFT, WOODLEY-GREATER MANCHESTER
• Areas offering FTTP soon:ARMTHORPE, BOURNEMOUTH, BRIGHTON KEMPTOWN, CAMELFORD, FOLKESTONE, HOLBORN, LANREATH, MALTBY, MANACCAN, MAWNAN SMITH, MITCHELL, MOUNTWOOD, MOUSEHOLE, NORWICH, OTTERHAM, PADSTOW, PERRANPORTH, PRAZE, PRUDHOE, SENNEN, ST BURYAN, ST TUDY, ST.MERRYN, THE LIZARD, TREBETHERICK, TREGONY, WADEBRIDGE, WEEK ST MARY, WESTBOURNE, WESTHOUGHTON, WOODSEATS, CONSTANTINE, PIPERS POOL, PORT ISAAC, RUMFORD, ST KEVERNE, ST MAWES, THORNE, VERYAN, WIDEGATES, Roath, WHITEHALL, MORWENSTOW, PORTSCATHO, ZELAH
• Areas where FTTP will be rolled out: BURGHFIELD COMMON, CHURSTON, DENTON BURN, DROYLSDEN, EDINBURGH MAYBURY, GLASGOW CRANHILL, GLASGOW SHETTLESTON, GLASGOW THORNLY PARK, HIGHWORTH, LIVERPOOL CENTRAL, NORTH BENFLEET, OAKHAM, PILL, WESTGATE, WOBURN SANDS, GERRARD STREET

We have listed the FTTP areas, as while FTTP is going to form just 10 percentage points of the commercial roll-out, it is important in showing that Openreach does recognise that full fibre is the future. Once the fibre on demand product launches in 2013, then those in the FTTC areas will get the option to order a full fibre fibre, though their installation fees will be a lot higher than the native FTTP areas.

Update 1st October 2012: After someone raised issue, we chased status of Doncaster and Doncaster North and rather than being pure FTTP roll-out, the two exchange areas are actually a mixture of FTTC and FTTP products.