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Pricing published for phase 2 of fibre on demand pilot
Wednesday 16 January 2013 13:01:23 by Andrew Ferguson

The Fibre on Demand pilot from Openreach is continuing, with pricing now announced for the phase 2 pilot. Phase 2 will take place in eight exchange areas, that had been previously announced.

Fibre on Demand phase 2 pilot locations
High Wycombe Bristol South
St Agnes, Cornwall Edinburgh Waverley
Basingstoke Watford
Cardiff Central Manchester Central

Pricing has been announced but the big caveat is that this only applies to the pilot and does not indicate actual launch pricing. The pilot will only offer one wholesale product, which is the 330 Mbps down, 30 Mbps up product at £38 per month and £500 connection cost (includes VAT), downgrades to slower/cheaper FTTP products will be available after the pilot.

Broadband providers will be able to place up to 100 orders, and initial acceptance does not guarantee acceptance onto the pilot, each order will be subject to survey. The low volume means that it is very likely providers will keep the testing to their own staff or offices, especially as of the six major providers BT Retail is the only one with a retail FTTP offering.

As things stand we are still looking for a Spring 2013 launch date for the Fibre on Demand service, with the likely connection costs meaning it will be most suited to the SME/homeworker market, rather than someone just looking for a slightly faster broadband connection. The launch will mean that around half the UK will suddenly have the option of a full fibre to the home/premises connection, abliet one where connection cost is a lot more than we are used to. The limits on broadband contract length imposed by Ofcom may preclude providers allowing customers to pay the high connection fee over a number of years.

[ Topic: Wholesale | 23 comments | link to this item ]

Comments

Posted by Alchemyfire 4 months ago
High Wycombe?!? Seriously? Most of the people who could afford this live on the outskirts and villages and towns around High Wycombe.
Posted by chrysalis 4 months ago
cardiff again, BT like that area/
Posted by doowles 4 months ago
I wonder if this will be available to apartment blocks.
Posted by andrew (Favicon staff member) 4 months ago
The multiple dwelling (MDU in telco speak) may be covered, but a lot can depend on wayleave in these cases unless it is all ducting based and inside your flat for the fibre modem.
Posted by NGDragon 4 months ago
Tried to get on phase 1 in High Wycombe...had no joy and no feedback on whether I was even considered or if the survey showed problems...gave up in the end and am happy with 80/20.
Posted by Apilar 4 months ago
36 month contract, ouch!
Posted by Michael_Chare 4 months ago
I am not sure that going from less that 2Mbps to 330 Mbps is just 'slightly faster'. What I would like to know is whether FTTP really will be available from all FTTC cabinets when the spring announcement is made, and what the installation lead times will be.
Posted by GMAN99 4 months ago
" What I would like to know is whether FTTP really will be available from all FTTC cabinets when the spring announcement is made, and what the installation lead times will be. "

That should be the case yes, as for lead times I suspect that would be different on a case by case basis as the installation work can differ for each customer
Posted by Dixinormous 4 months ago
Openreach say up to 60 working days for the build and install.

http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/updates/briefings/super-fastfibreaccessbriefings/super-fastfibreaccessbriefingsarticles/nga01912.do

'In response to an order, Openreach will survey, plan and build the GEA-FTTP network to the residential or business premise. Consequently, the lead time for a GEA-FTTP on Demand order will be up to 60 working days.'
Posted by Michael_Chare 4 months ago
I presume that applies to the pilots. I would be surprised if BT could do that across the whole country. Of course I would like to be surprised!
Posted by GMAN99 4 months ago
I would be even more surprised at that level of uptake. Lets be realistic businesses aside (it is a bargain for them) I doubt there will be much interest at the moment from joe public, a very small amount compared to FTTC take up, which in itself isn't that high anyway :)
Posted by warweezil 4 months ago
ANOTHER upgrade for Cardiff.. while other areas of Wales are seeing an upgrade from 8 megs put back yet AGAIN. I wonder if BT and the wasters and posers at Cardiif bay will ever remember there are OTHER areas that need some investment in return for the years of neglect
Posted by GMAN99 4 months ago
Ummm its a pilot?
Posted by warweezil 4 months ago
However the "pilot" often means a "first tier roll out" follows.

Why not Swansea for a change? still 70 miles from me, but it would be nice to see some decent kit getting near to West Wales for a change - we all know this will roll out around Newport/Cardiff while the rest of the country STILL lags behind with near zero investment while smug BT PR Puff trumpets how they are bringing communities better access - the same communities that are close enough to access services at source rather than virtually.
Posted by GMAN99 4 months ago
No it doesn't this service will not be rolled out like FTTC/FTTP/ADSL etc, you have to request it specifically. And it can only be requested if you are currently served by an FTTC cabinet.

So it isn't starting at Cardiff and then rolling out elsewhere, it will only be installed as requested
Posted by warweezil 4 months ago
Ok so "it will be available in wonderful Cardiff long before any other South Wales area " will be able to access it. No wonder investment in this place seems to flock to that area, the rest of us can stew on last century 8 megs - no wonder businesses dont want to move down this way!

All the money they are throwing at Swansea is wasted while we are left trailing behind the playground of the Welsh politicians. What we see is time and again wealthy Cardiff is pampered by BT, while other areas are left further and further behind.
Posted by undecidedadrian 4 months ago
Where does it say that it is "long" before anywhere else. This is the final phase trial before launch this spring.

I really don't see that many people wanting to stump up £500 for installation and that may well be a special before the real pricing on launch.
Posted by GMAN99 4 months ago
It isn't long before anyone else it goes on release in the Spring, it has to be trialled somewhere. So as long as its not trialled in Cardiff you are ok with that? You ok with Manchester , Bristol etc or do you have an axe to grind there as well
Posted by warweezil 4 months ago
How about an Urban area that hasn't featured in trial before - there must be plenty... it always seems to be Cardiff... because it seems that with BT throwing toy after toy at Cardiff bay the wasters there seem to think that all is peachy in broadband in Wales.. despite there being large areas with sub standard services. Sick of seeing its ALWAYS CARDIFF.

Meanwhile BT have moved back the WBC upgrade here AGAIN. Maybe they should have a look at the plaves they keep putting back before leaving us even further behind - or charge less for the tourist class service we get over second hand kit
Posted by medconn 4 months ago
Will OpenReach provide these fibres to other licensed operators with their own cabinets, or only to those that retail BT's service? Case in point - here on the Gower Pensinsula we went live last week with an independent FTTC provider, as we're not even on BT's RADAR, and probably won't be for 5 years (or until someone crosses BT's palm with silver). IF the ISP wishes to support it, and IF customer are prepared to pay, are OpenReach allowed to refuse coverage in this area on the basis that the boxes they would be connecting to don't belong to some part of BT?
Posted by GMAN99 4 months ago
The cabinet isn't used, the prerequisite is that FTTC is already deployed in that area but that is only to ensure a fibre spine is in place which they will tap into. Is the fibre feeding your cabinet BT fibre? If so I would expect you to be able to order this but it does sound like a special case so I would check when it is launched
Posted by medconn 4 months ago
This is simple Sub-Loop Unbundling (SLU), so the BT cabinet is an old-fashioned, unpowered dumb junction box, with a 3rd party FTTC cabinet sitting about 5m away - joined by copper tie cables. So yes, "FTTC is deployed in the area", but not "BT FTTC", and that is the heart of my question!
Posted by andrew (Favicon staff member) 4 months ago
The fibre going into the FTTC cabinet is not used for Fibre on Demand. As part of FTTC deployment a fibre splitter (usually in pavement chamber) is located somewhere nearby and FoD is deployed from there.

The FTTC fibres are not available as dark fibre, they only link to a cabinet in a BT exchange.
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