There are many ways to get FTTP installed by Openreach, but they are usually all initiated by the end-customer (i.e. the home owner) but for a year now there has been a proactive upgrade path available. The proactive path allows providers to book an install and then once booked the provider and Openreah would liase with the end-customer.
Proactive upgrades would we imagine work well for areas where a provider has blocks of customers it wants to move off of older legacy platforms, such as ADSL or perhaps a LLU line where by migrating all the customers to FTTP a wave of kit upgrades can be avoided in the exchange e.g. replacing aging copper or VDSL2 line cards. Another possibility could be where a provider had embraced G.fast in the past and wants to simplify its processes and reduce its G.fast customer.
Obviously a proactive upgrade is going to carry the risk that the upgrade date picked will not suit the end-customer hence the whole Proactive FTTP Upgrade journey process. With the changes underway as the process becomes a standard option in the Openreach product lineup on 1st October 2024 so long as a provider cancels or makes a one-time change to the install date at least 16 calendar days before the originally planned install date the fees are rebated to the provider once a quarter.
So if you’ve been contacted out of the blue by your broadband provider for an upgrade to FTTP it is probably this process. The process is not a forced upgrade but we’d presume there would be incentives offered e.g. faster speeds for the same price as existing service, but that is outside the realms of Openreach and down to the retailers.
While the proactive upgrade path is not compulsory, a lot hinges on how it is communicated, and we’ve come across the odd person talking about being forced to upgrade to FTTP but often these are third hand stories, we suspect this might be down to the wording used. A non broadband example is when you take a modern car in for a service and the garage recommends things like an air conditioning service and its not part of the manufacturers service schedule, many people see the word recommended and feel they must opt for it, when in reality if your aircon is not smelly and cools the car interior on a hot day there is not usually any need to shell out the £100 to £150 a dealership will charge.
Test your broadband speed
Follow us on X for the latest broadband news 
Hi Broadband Watchers.. I just hope that Openreach is up to Date with changing out (D poles where customers require Fibre service). I have a feeling that the list of D poles have been lost and the information has gone missing the post code area is GU102N?. I think Gigaclear would have requested a renewal pole giving them a chance to sell many lines.
Well the above explains my upgrade to FTTP communicated in a letter from BT.
They have in no way indicated that this is optional although they have linked it with Digital Voice which they say is compulsory.
Hi Broadband Watchers. Any D pole on the Post Code has the (situation) to slow down work changing from copper to fibre thus delaying the service to the customer this puts up the cost in all departments.
I think this policy may already be in place at BT/EE. I live in an area where FTTP is not yet available however when renewing my contract (in August 2024) I was advised that I would be automatically upgraded to an FTTP connection once the necessary infrastructure has been made installed.
what is a D pole?
A “D-pole” would appear to be a telegraph pole marked as “defective” thus preventing engineers from climbing them to install equipment. Many such poles are likely to have been out of use for sometime and it is only upon inspection for allowing access that the defects have been identified.
Hi MiddleField and Others. This D pole has been a D pole for over 20 year and Openreach has used a cherry picker to get over changing it out as it is very close to a main road thus it gets overlooked each time on fault clearance.
It’s the mandatory change to VoIP/DV that’s the issue as there isn’t yet enough safeguards in place to ensure access to emergency services in the event of power outages.