Computer Related > Taking Bets On FTTP installation	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: zippy	Replies: 21

New Fri 26 Apr 24 19:29   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - zippy

Internet connectivity is a bit hit and miss here. When I first moved in there was no FTTC (Fiber To The Cabinet) availability and old fashioned ADSL was about 1mb which was too slow for work so I used unlimited data sims and a MiFi unit before upgrading to a more capable SIM based router. I checked availability for FTTC everyday (someone moves and disconnects - I jumped to get the now spare connection). We have had a few local internet companies (no main players) dig up the town laying cable but they stopped at the top of our road because it's unadopted. One of these local cos have offered me FTTP (Fiber To The Premises) for £30 a month for 900mb. I have signed up and they have booked installation for two weeks time. Considering that they don't have permission to dig up our road and won't have permission to use existing telephone poles (the wayleave is to "The Post Office"), I am wondering how they are going to get it to me and I suspect that I will get a call nearer the time to tell me that they cannot connect me or the engineer will turn up and say the same! So the two options are: 1. FTTP will be installed and will be hassle free. 2. FTTP will not be installed because they forgot that they need to put in the infrastructure. Place your bets here. :-D Last edited by: zippy on Fri 26 Apr 24 at 19:29 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Apr 24 19:51   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - tyrednemotional

I don't think the wayleave should be a problem if your installer has an agreement with Openreach, who will have been the ultimate inheritor. Current legislation encourages sharing of infrastructure (indeed it seems to mandate agreement if it is sought from Openreach.) The majority of the streets round here have recently had fttp enabled by a third party largely using Openreach poles (with a few extra of their own, which needs no planning permission). Unfortunately my street isn't poled, but conduited, and Virgin are doing a catch-up here only laying fibre in the pavement. Can't say I fancy Virgin as a supplier, so I'm waiting for Openreach to equip, so l have a choice of ISP. I suppose it still doesn't mean they won't turn up expecting a simple connection. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Apr 24 22:19   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Fullchat

We are served by, what was, the only independent telephone company - Kingston Communications which is now Kcom. Allegedly they made is so difficult for other companies to share their infrastructure that none bothered. They had the monopoly. The passing of the Telecommunications Act in 2021 changed the law so that telegraph poles are now classed as "permitted development". This means companies are no longer required to ask councils' permission, in addition to not having to consult with affected residents. Two companies are now banging up telegraph poles like no tomorrow. And duplicating them as well The natives are very restless. www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/broadband-poles-hull-explained-rules-8187429 Would a pole would be a solution to your issue? Maybe there would be an issue on an unadopted road unless all the residents agreed? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Apr 24 22:49   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - zippy

>>Would a pole be a solution... They would need permission from all the land owners between the box and my house to site them. The road is owned by each house owner to the centre line on each side. . Open-reach poles are already up the road but none have been touched in years. Perhaps they are planning to use those? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 14:42   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Bromptonaut

>> Two companies are now banging up telegraph poles like no tomorrow. And duplicating them as >> well The natives are very restless. Big issue in the Cadbury developed Bourneville village, a conservation area, right now. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Apr 24 22:42   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - bathtub tom

>>the engineer will turn up I spent nigh on forty years at BT (PO, PO engineering department and whatever else they decided to call themselves at the time) and I never called myself an engineer. I always understood an 'engineer' was someone with a degree in engineering. Am I mistaken? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Apr 24 22:51   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - sooty123

An urban myth. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 26 Apr 24 23:10   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - zippy

>>Engineer >>Am I mistaken? It's the word they used. Many installers / fitters are called engineers when they are clearly not. I do think it's one of the few "professions" where someone can be an engineer without formal qualifications. One business I know has a small team of staff who are electronic / mechanical engineers, qualified to "A" levels and similar plus years of experience is designing solutions to their customers' problems. Father-in-law was a BT line installer then worked in the engineering department planning instals, upgrades etc. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 06:51   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Falkirk Bairn

BT/Openreach had done nothing in our street for decades (apart from repairs to aluminium wiring) FTTP announce January - estimated March, some time April 1st - Openreach arrives, chaps at door and tells me he was expecting to connect my house to the street BUT there was no connection! 2nd visit of the day where he could not connect a cable. He said "civils" needed and will be here in a week. April 5th - 2 x Openreach vans arrive and jointly tell me they were told to see if there was an alternative/cheaper way to connect their cable. April 9th - Openreach "civils" arrive - tell me it will take 90 mins/ 2 hours. 3.5 hours later they finished. Brilliant connection day will be the promised 15th April!! April 10th - Tar man arrives and fills the hole April 10th - 15th April install date cancelled May 13th - New date Openreach Left hand and right hand do not seem to work together They announced FTTP and the installers do not work through the whole street connecting houses. They will come to each house when there is an order despite the fact that all phone connections have to be changed by the end of 2025! It's not a one off issue - my son had 6/7 visits and delays of 2 months with Openreach at Xmas. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 07:46   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Bromptonaut

>> I spent nigh on forty years at BT (PO, PO engineering department and whatever else >> they decided to call themselves at the time) and I never called myself an engineer. Did you need/have a qualification for the roles you filled? My maternal uncle worked for GPO telephones and its successors from being demobbed c1949 until his death in 1983. He was I think an MIEE which we understood to be degree equivalent. He described himself as Post Office Engineer. By the time I was on the scene he was office based and involved in building and commissioning the microwave 'spine' in the sixties. This including a tower on the outskirts of Leeds we could see from our back window at home. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 07:48   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Bromptonaut

Zippy, how does your present telephone/broadband get to your house? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 11:47   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - zippy

>> Zippy, how does your present telephone/broadband get to your house? >> Via Telephone poles. The wayleaves, held by the road association give a non-transferable, non-assignable right so I am not sure how they will do it. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 14:47   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Bromptonaut

I suspect that if the poles went up for PO Telecoms/BT etc they'll now be Openreach and probably be used to support telecoms wires whether cable ir fibre. We've had pretty much the entire village cabled for FTTP. Work was done by Gigaclear who offer a retail deal. However the work was funded by the Council and others and other providers use it. Some places needed the pavements up with some inconvenience but in this road, built c1998, they just threaded the fibre though the conduit used for the copper stuff. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 09:54   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - bathtub tom

>>Did you need/have a qualification for the roles you filled? I've a C&G full tech certificate in telecommunications. This has been referred to as equivalent to a degree. I declined the invitation to study for a master tech as I'd had enough of further education, having obtained an ONC in electrical/mechanical engineering along the way. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 07:47   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Biggles

I was once an engineer without a degree in engineering. Ubique. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 08:26   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - RichardW

Chambers gives a wide ranging definition of engineer, including those undertaking public works, so strictly the man bringing the fibre could be considered an engineer. However, as the aforementioned Degree Qualified Chartered Engineer, this does irk somewhat! I tend to refer to my self as Chartered or Professional engineer. Many other countries, notably the US, have a Professional Engineer registration. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 11:56   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - zippy

>>Many other countries, notably the US, have a Professional Engineer registration. There was this interesting case in the USA recently: ij.org/press-release/federal-judge-hands-free-speech-victory-to-retired-engineer/ ij.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Nutt-v.-Ritter-opinion.pdf But then this is the country that banned medical professionals from quitting their "at will" jobs and getting better paid jobs elsewhere. (At will is where the employer can sack you without reason.) www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-01-24/wisconsin-hospital-sued-workers-for-quitting-thedacare Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 12:35   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Zero

In the states, a train driver is called "The Engineer" Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 12:32   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Zero

Well they certainly have the right to use OpenReach poles here. At this moment planning my move from virgin to box broadband FTTP. Neighbours was strung over the BT poles. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 14:01   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - martin aston

My brother was a highly skilled technician at PO then BT for thirty odd years. He served an apprenticeship and was regularly retrained as technology advanced. Part of the reason they were termed “engineers” was their union’s understandable drive to protect pay and conditions. Being an “engineer” was worth a few pay percentage points. Although pay assessment has moved on there may still remain some halo effect in being considered an engineer. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 27 Apr 24 14:32   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - Zero

Better than being called a "poles 'n holes" guy I guess Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 8 May 24 16:02   Taking Bets On FTTP installation - zippy

Well, I don't mind admitting when I am wrong and this is a bet I lost. A lad turned up at the appointed time (a bit early TBH). Said he'd not been to this road before. No problem, he has two mates and a cherry picker. Fiber connected across several poles, using BT infrastructure and to the house. Set up nicely, cleaned up (not to Mrs Z's satisfaction). Getting the promised 900mbs with a wired ethernet connection and between 150mbs and 400mbs on wifi depending on the device and location. Something I didn't know, it needs two plugs. One for the router and one for the device on the wall and there are two new boxes on the wall, one for the fiber with a laser warning label and the one I just mentioned - the "modem" I guess or whatever it's called in digital terms. Reply to this message | Report message