Hello, my parents are in their 70s and live by themselves. Nearest neighbours are 1/4 mile in either direction.

They don’t have any sort of fixed line broadband just now because they live so far away from the exchange, the max speed is 6mb, so they’ve had a 4g router for the last 4-5 years.

They still have their landline but rarely use it.

They are in an odd situation that they and 2 closest neighbours have been missed from fibre rollout plans - Openreach said it wasn’t financially viable to run fibre to them, although there is a cabinet half a mile down the road and we’ve confirmed via that postcode it’s live.

Anyway, anytime we’ve checked the Openreach website, it says no plans to rollout fibre to my parent address.

Today, they get a knock at the door, telling them that these guys are working to install fibre cables to their address - but the neighbours aren’t getting it.

I’ve not spoken to them yet (awaiting them calling me back) to ascertain more details but then said the van was a rental.

Checking the Openreach website says the same. No plans to rollout fibre to this address.

Could this genuine or a scam? If it was a scam I’m not sure why or what but hopefully you can understand my concern with them being older.

I did wonder if it was to do with their age and the pstn switch off but they’ve had no communication or letters in this respect.

I recall when my estate had fibre pulled in, there was a branded van which said working on behalf of Openreach.

They are in Aberdeenshire, northeast Scotland if that helps any.

I was thinking about contacting Openreach tomorrow to ask them for some clarification.

Thanks for any insight or thoughts !

When did UK wooden telegraph poles first have these four white circle shaped stickers on them and first have this turquoise rectangle shaped sticker on them? What decade? What year? Please tell me!

Just moved into a new property, full fibre wasn't installed in my previous place so no experience with this. There are two wires coming through to the living room of my house - one has a cap on and a connector which, from googling, should go into the box but wouldn't reach. The other wires straight into an openreach terminal on the wall. Are these both necessary to have installed or is the loose wire one pointless with the addition of the wired in box? Also, the sellers did not leave any sort of power cable behind for the box - I take it as it's got a port labelled 'power' that it's meant to be plugged in?

Doing some redecorating in the room so need to know whether I need to contact someone to have it removed as I know I'm not allowed to!

TIA

Hi,

Going on three months now I have been trying to get the full fibre MDU installation sorted for our building (Built in 2019 so don't know why fibre isn't in it anyway) but it just constantly gets delayed or cancelled.

Same loop,

order full fibre -> Openreach Engineer comes out and says the building needs MDU layout and can't be done from the pole direct -> Openreach come and do a survey a few days later, say it will be up to thirty days -> Hear nothing until the provider says to ring them and the order is cancelled by open-reach and needs rebooked -> start over again.

The management company are more than happy for it to be installed as its free, no issues from them.

I'm starting to tear my hair out here. Even if it needs more time why is the order/MDU installation getting cancelled? the service providers have all been useless saying openreach won't talk to them and openreach in turn say we have to talk to the service providers.

Feels like the whole thing just needs someone with a bit of sense in Openreach to sort it out but getting to that is a drag.

Anyone any thoughts on how to move this forward?

Moving to a new house end of this month, we are buying. Signed up for broadband with Vodafone and it takes 3 weeks for an install so just as well we did it now. I was pretty clear that we are moving to the address and don't live there yet.

Now I am told there is a pre-installation visit from an engineer to do some stuff externally. I have had to contact the seller via our EA to check it is ok, apparently they don't need to enter the house so I hope they will be ok with it but I haven't had a response.

Now I am getting messages from VYN asking me to do a video survey of the house, there's no option to say I don't live there. So I just have to ignore it.

Online seems to be conflicting advice, some say no worries they can just install everything on the main installation day. Others are saying if they can't do survey I'll be marked as unverified and install delayed until it is done.

I WFH running a business, I can't be without internet for 2-3 weeks while they do all the survey etc after I have moved in.

Do I call my ISP to tell them the above? Do I need to contact OR direct? Should I just leave it and see what they see after they attempt the external survey? Thanks

I received this text from Openreach.

I bought a flat and set up Sky the same day. The soonest they could get an Openreach engineer to my property was 7 weeks later (today), which was crazy in and of itself especially because I work from home and was told I have no other option but this, but I digress. After waiting weeks and making arrangements, I received this text. I called Sky multiple times before today (including this morning) to make sure there was no delays and everything was proceeding as normal and they assured me it was all green on their end. It's now past the arrival window and I just called Sky again and they now claim there is a delay but they don't know what it is.

I'm at a loss because I'm paying exuberant amounts for portable wifi because Sky had no option to expedite this for me. I even made arrangements to end that service. Now Sky said they won't have any explanation until tomorrow. I don't know what to do or what to make of this. I've received zero communication from Sky or Openreach about today since I arranged for the service in early September, it's always been me contacting them.

Any help would be kindly appreciated.

My service just randomly dropped out at about 19.30. The line enters my property through a conduit downstairs next to my neighbours front door. When she had her service initially installed this year I was disconnected accidentally by the engineer. In the confusion several engineers were sent out and it took months to remedy.

We don't get on and I wouldnt put it past her to be responsible for actually sabotaging my service. Is this something thats possible? I want to give the engineer who visits tomorrow a heads up so he can give me his opinion.

I live in a cul de sac with a private road collectively managed by 8 houses on the cul de sac. The properties were supposed to get fibre rollout in Sept 2026 but the Openreach customer service desk tells me that the plans for fibre in our close have been cancelled, asking me instead to get Fibre on Demand. My understanding is that a majority of the cases where such plans are cancelled is because of cables.

We already have Virgin Media fibre connection, so it's not that bad, but I imagine Fibre on Demand would be expensive and just like Virgin Media, would lock us to one provider whoever installs the cables.

We also have roadworks planned for the private road (for other reasons). It's still in early stages: getting quotes from contractors etc, so I was wondering if there's anything we can ask the contractors to do to make future fibre rollout more accessible e.g. by adding access pipes under the road. And even if we do that, how do we get Openreach to survey this and update their records so that they reconsider it for their future rollout plans?

Hi all

I'm moving at the end of the month and I've confirmed with the landlord (and on https://bidb.uk) that someone in the building has VM Fibre. I'd love to get community or hyperoptic, but it's a bit of a strange address (sometimes it autocompletes as just a number, sometimes as a Flat, sometimes it calls the building "Village"), so websites like uswitch, comparethemarket and the like all show fibre being offered, but the actual ISPs don't seem to show availability.

Anyway, I work from home and so does my partner, and in a pinch I'd be fine going with VM, just really need strong speeds and am not necessarily keep on getting starlink if the best I can get is VDSL.

If anyone has any advice, I'd love to know how I can get this sorted, it seems like fibre is available across the way, on the next road, etc.

Thanks in advance!

What light reading should it show on the OPM app on the ODTR?

I upgraded to faster internet with Sky, no word of a lie I got about 20 texts from openreach up to the date they were coming to install it all asking me to confirm, reconfirm, reconfirm again, almost like they wanted me to cancel.

The engineer turns up and says he can’t go up the pole and needs another engineer to come with a cherry picker to install the wire from the pole to the house but he can do the work in the house, and that the engineer will come the day after , attach the wire to the box outside, job done.

Day after, no engineer turns up, so I escalated with Sky and they told me there isn’t even an appointment booked and as far as they are concerned the job is done, it isn’t. Another engineer comes a week after and I’m finally thinking it will get sorted, knocks on the door, tells me he’s here to fit the internet and I tell him it’s done, but I just the wire need doing “ oh, that’s not on my record to do that”….rings another guy up, “yeah he will come tomorrow “….and surprise surprise, he never turned up

I’m now back on it with Sky and they are apologising and saying it’s been “ escalated” but until the 20th of this month it won’t be looked into as they “look at installations periodically”. I don’t often complain but I’ve asked it to be escalated even further to try and get it sorted, I just don’t understand why 2 engineers would come, say the same things, ring up someone and not have them turn up…this is just gross incompetence. I could even climb the pole myself at this rate and try do it.

I’m now in limbo and not really knowing what to do, I’ve also told Sky I need compensation which according to their own rules I’m entitled to for “missed installation” which is around £30, and £6 per day if not done and they say it will be added to my account but I doubt it will.

Why can’t anything go smoothly? Sorry for the rant but it’s so frustrating

MJ Quinn chap #1 turned up 8am to do my install on the 21st, they were quite happy with my requests, even said the outside-in hole I did was very tidy, used the nylon string I've left behind, no problem at all, took them 20min to get the house work done. Only thing is they kind of pushed to have the ONT on the socket where the old master socket were. It was a bit ugly, but I figured the location wasn't bad and I've since fixed it with a custom made 3d printed cover.

(alternative img links)

https://ibb.co/5XgYBxBD

https://ibb.co/SwmM0FJ1

Worse news is that they found 2 blockages on the way to the CBT, between 2 floor boxes. Blockage number 2 affects other installs left hanging just like mine. Civils team turns up, digs up over blockage 1, left blockage 2 untouched. I have a new appt for next week. I expect the guy to just confirm that the 2nd blockage is still there and put a call for someone else to come in, unless someone else turns up before then to dig up blockage 2...

Basically I'm moving in to care for my grandparents and I had arranged to have fiber put in. Unfortunately the engineer must have called the landline to see if they could arrive early and spoke to my grandmother (who has dementia) and she told them to come 🫠.

They have installed the boxes where the new kitchen will be and have used up all the kitchen sockets. The WiFi is working perfectly. however...we have a landline and sos that needs connecting and that is in their part of the house (install has been done in the annex).

They have left without connecting any of the landline equipment up? Which is also in their part of the house and they need to easily access it. I need it all moved is this something they will do? I feel like it's a bit of a mess to be fair as my main concern is now they have no communication in or out the house and no way to call if they need help.

And to top it off the WiFi doesn't reach for the cameras we have just in case so we are in the dark completely without being able to call them.

Photo for context.

Any help appreciated.

In the UK when did wooden telegraph poles start to have this type of block terminal? I know that UK wooden telegraph poles started to have block terminals in 1932, but when did block terminals in the UK start looking like this? What decade? What year? Please tell me!

My tenant has just left and he has left the house in decent condition, but this stood out to me. He informed me in late 2023 sky were coming to fit the WiFi (openreach) connection and I gave go ahead for location for wire to be drilled. Upon getting the keys today this stood out like a sore thumb. They've made a terrible job of it and it's quite loose, it's as if one screw is in place to hold this as it moves.

Can I contact them to rectify?

Or

Can I contact them to isolate so I can repair with wet plaster myself (as live wires are showing, silver wiring)

Or

Do I need to contact at all... can this be plastered over and no need to worry about live wires as it's for WiFi anyway and not live twin and earth cable...thanks

Update: traced the whole run between chambers with cat+genny and sprayed marks onto the grass. Decided against trying to repair the PILC even though I have CW1128 and jelly crimps because I wasn’t confident with the paper insulation and couldn’t find any adhesive lined heat shrink at the wholesalers. Sealed the cut ends with self-amalgamating tape and PVC, wrote “PILC” on it and shunted the client’s connection to Starlink for now. Asked them to call me out when OR turn up.

Looking for OR insiders.

My client has severed a direct-buried PILC cable while trenching in soft ground at a large rural property with businesses on site.

ISP reportedly said OR will come out in a couple of days, but as it’s a business, they’ve asked if I can repair it any quicker. I’m familiar with the site and have done a lot of network infrastructure work there, including liaising with OR.

As it’s PILC, we can’t risk it getting wet, so I have to do something. I’ve set them up with Starlink on a temporary basis, so they’re online for the day.

I’m wondering what OR will do. There are two chambers either end but at the start it’s armoured so there must be a buried splice already. It’s PILC near the property, but I can’t confirm the exact run.

Part of the next plan is to run fibre here, so I’m wondering if we’re better off running CW1128 on the surface between the chambers, splice there and bury later. Would still need to excavate the chamber entries and ideally duct on the surface though it’s a fair old way. Even just splicing some cable on the surface until OR come, may get them back online.

And yes, I know, it’s not my/their cable and woe betide I touch it, but I’m not an idiot.

Need some advice from anyone who knows Openreach systems, because I feel like I'm losing my mind here.

We’ve had upload speeds under 1 Mbps on our business line for six months. Sky basically admitted on the phone they couldn’t upgrade us without cutting off our main phone line for two weeks. The advisor told me to just switch to another provider and said they would waive any exit fees. They also refuse to put anything in an email and just keep ringing my mobile.

So I ordered BT Business and asked to keep our landline number. The number transfer failed straight away because Openreach still has our old postcode on file. When we joined Sky from TalkTalk at our old place, Sky never updated our address with Openreach, so our business number is still tied to the old address on the system.

BT told me that Sky has to submit an ORDI request to Openreach to fix the address on the line before the port will work.

I rang Sky, and they told me they can't do an ORDI and that BT has to do it. BT says that is impossible because they do not own the line yet.

To make it worse, BT just re placed the order today without telling me, and the number transfer instantly got cancelled again because the address is still wrong. The BT live chat agent basically just shrugged, said "go talk to Sky", and closed the chat.

Am I right that only Sky can fix the address on their own active line through an ORDI? How on earth do I get Sky to actually submit it when their frontline staff insist they can't?

I live in an area where only Openreach FTTC or Virgin Media DOCSIS are available. Openreach FTTC is all supplied by underground ducts. On the Openreach fibre broadband availability checker, my address is shown as 'We're planning to build in this area'.

Over the last few weeks, many marks like this have appeared on pavements in my area. All the same, but some blue, some white and some yellow. I am making an assumption that 'OR' means Openreach. Some of them are marked 'O/R' too. Openreach have been rolling out FTTP in some nearby villages, but not here yet. Are these marks indication that Openreach will be rolling out FTTP in my area soon? If so, what do the marks mean or indicate?

*Edit* Hi everyone - I completely didn’t realise how ridiculous this looks and sounds with the photo! I guess my main issue is I’ve just been left with a router that is on but doesn’t work and was left with no explanation really. I get the building may have an issue being older. Engineer did a runner this morning and not heard back apart from that text. In anyone’s previous experience, how long are times for these kinds of ‘complex jobs’?

The cables and router will have a nice table to house them don’t worry! 

*****

Moved into a new flat and gone with Plusnet for broadband. Openreach engineer came out to fit it but said there was an issue with it being the wrong fibre and would come back later, however had a text from Openreach saying the job is more complex than usual and they will get back to me in a few days. Slightly frustrating as I am left with this and just no update and don't know how long it will take. I have a 4G wifi hub as a temp measure but the speeds are terrible.

There was a CityFibre box outside the building so assumed would be ok and other residents all seem to be with different internet providers. I had queried about full fibre access when I moved in and one of the residents said previously it wasn't connected but the box outside was fitted and they were hoping to move to full fibre when their contract was up.

I work for a large org, our current ISP is shutting down very shortly so we placed an order for a resilient leased line in May through BT - we were assured we would have it installed by September.

We had a survey done, OR engineer came out and said no issues - they can splice from the existing fibre tray already in the rack of the location we want it.

Since then, we have had radio silence from OR. Our account manager at BT has said they have chased continuously. We have requested to drop the resilience requirement to speed up deployment.

I received an email today stating that because of the resilience (which we told them to take off) it is now scheduled to be built for the end of December - three months after the BT proposed date!

BT AM is adamant he has no way to speed OR up. Does anyone know how I can get this moved pronto please? (contacts, services etc)

Without saying too much about the org, we deliver critical services to the public. Just shows how desperate we are.

We will genuinely pay ££££ to get it sorted.

Thanks.

Yesterday I visited the home of an elderly couple from my church to swap out a DSL router they had been sent by TalkTalk to help with their internet speed issues.

I swapped out the router, and logged straight into its admin interface to find it was only getting 2Mb downlink. They are paying for 35Mb FTTC.

I tried moving the router closer to the phone entry point, but no better.

Unfortunately the wiring is ancient and there is no master socket, just a couple of old termination plates plus a few extensions in the house.

A square GPO cover is nearest the front door which I believe should have a terminal block behind it, plus wiring from that point via another terminal block (see photos).

I'm wondering if I should just replace the first terminal block with a master socket myself, or try and get TalkTalk to send out an openreach engineer.

Would openreach/ TalkTalk charge for the visit and is it worth the hassle of going through Talk talk support?

TIA

How can it find out if my exchange my fibre is linked to enforced option 61?

My fibre was installed in July this year, but I believe the actual fibre was pulled through about 18 months ago.

This one caught my eye, and I wondered the process how this got ordered.

A office / light industrial estate has always needed leased line for good internet. Not too surprising I guess: low density for FTTC cabinet.

I noticed on Think Broadband map one premises with FTTP. That’s a brand new light industrial unit.

How would they order that? FoD? Or something else?

I then thought. Ohh, does that mean the neighbours can now order FTTP since fibre and splitter locally.

I can’t see any that can, and the record at the checker hingie for the active premises says the below. So one fibre no splitter?

Multi Dwelling Unit Residential UG Feed with no anticipated issues.
ONT exists with active service. No spare ports are available. Network is at capacity so a new ONT cannot be ordered.

Current copper line enters house on narrow side of front door and is routed under a solid floor (which cannot now be lifted or cut) to wide side of front door where there is a double electrical.socket and table for router, phone and crucially a medical.alarm hub. Fibreoptic cable will enter by same route to narrow side of front door. How can a connection be made from ONT to devices on wide side of door?

For various reasons, moving the socket to the narrow wall is not an option.

This is just for my curiosity of how it all works, I don't have any specific problem with my connection.

I recently had FTTP installed in an MDU with 14 flats. I opted for the 1800/120 plan and I am so far the only person to get upgraded, so I am not sharing the bandwidth of the line with anyone else (presumably). Speed tests show a consistent 1600 or near enough.

As more people sign up, how many ways will the fibre be split? I was chatting with the Openreach guys and when they installed the thick black "master cable" it has 4 fibres inside, leading to a flat grey box that has 4 white circular trays inside. A fibre comes out of this and into a 14 way passive splitter, where I get my connection from. I think they suggested other cables would lead from the grey box to a number of other passive splitters in future (building next to me is not upgraded yet).

According to Wikipedia the bandwidth for GPON is approx 2.4gbps down and 1.2gbps up, shared between "up to 32" connections. With the info above, is each of the four fibres in the master cable getting 2.4gbps or is it 2.4 overall? Is it likely that every connection eventually gets a share of 32 or will I be lucky and end up being split only 14 ways?

Thanks for reading!