On Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:59:15 UTC+1, John Rumm wrote:
On 13/10/2020 08:46, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Monday, 12 October 2020 22:56:02 UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 12 Oct 2020 15:38:45 +0100, alan_m wrote:

From memory the contract had to be with EE.

Most if not all none Openreach physical broadband providers only
offer a single ISP be that one they also run or one contracted in.
So no choice of ISP like you get of OPENreach.

When FTTP was installed for us, we had very little choice of ISP.
Most wouldn't touch us.

A quick check suggests that there are still problems.

Not all ISPs do, however there is now good choice of those that do. Even
when getting ours a while back there were probably half a dozen that did
then.

We found that many checkers said they could supply fibre, but when
they found out it was FTTP only, they would not offer anything. But

Sometimes it takes a while for the openreach databases that indicate
what services are available to be updated and indicate that FTTP is live
- so you may find with new installs that many can't actually identify a
service they could provide for.

True - but Openreach did update their database fairly quickly.

Even when I contacted some of the ISPs, they either didn't understand, or their internal systems were not checking the Openreach database, or something.

their websites often continued to make offers based on FTTC. (It is
because our copper is so bad, we couldn't get even halfway acceptable
broadband until FTTP was laid. Totally unsuitable for FTTC. But the
ISPs don't know/understand that.)

That's usually the main driver for Openreach to in install FTTP -
basically when (like here) the cabinet network is unable to support FTTC
at the location)

Our cabinet was showing that some properties it supplied had pretty good broadband. But others, sometimes literally the house next door, had appalling speeds (like us). Openreach decided to install FTTP capability for every house. Since when we have seen them installing FTTP for, I'd guess, at least half the properties we can see from the road outside our house.

I actually got a map, checked the broadband claimed for every property, and marked them all up. There was no sense to it at all. Especially as all the ducting is in tiptop condition, properly installed, and with good access.

Looking back, it appears that someone made a few mistakes either with the original installs, or how they recorded the information.

The people who did the work were excellent. Friendly. Worked hard and long hours. Came from up to several hundred miles away as well as some locals.

Afraid the few ISPs which at the time would offer FTTP were either much more expensive or unimpressive outfits. A&A, for example, were more expensive and had a download cap.

The companies that came out well were Openreach (once they made their decision to go ahead), BT, and Plusnet. Our annual renewal with Plusnet had only just been done when the FTTC option appeared. Despite their T&C saying we were stuck with them, Plusnet did agree it would be unfair and agreed a refund. They were very pleasant to deal with.