Re: Re: Fibre Broadband

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Hello,

I am not entirely up-to-date with the technology and did a brief research on the fibre vs traditional broadband and like to share this with the less technical savvy residents.

Traditional broadband
Landline broadband, delivers through the telephone network, BT Openreach owns the network but sell your connection to your ISP to provide the service, requires landline rental typically around £14.50/mth plus the broadband charge, availability depends on approximately to local telephone exchange, speed advertised upto 16Mbps depends on the quality of individual phone lines and varies according to distance from exchange.

Cable broadband, delivers through the Cable TV network, Virgin Media is the sole provider, does not require landline but the cheapest broadband only service costs about the same as landline broadband (landline rental + broadband), availability depends on Cable TV network coverage, speed advertised upto 120Mbps depends on your subscription and speed is very much guaranteed.

Fibre broadband
FTTC, 'fibre to the cabinet' located at nearby the premises from local exchange, or half-fat superfast because the final stretch is still cooper wire and delivers through the telephone network, no installation required, costs landline rental plus the broadband charge, speed advertised upto 38Mbps.

FTTP, 'fibre to the premises', or full-fat superfast because the fibre network runs into the building and delivers through ethernet within the building, requires installation of new faceplate at individual homes, does not require landline costs broadband charge only optional phone line (via fibre) can be added at extra cost but this phone line can not be used during power cut, speed advertised upto 330Mbps, possible 10+Gbps.

I read this thread and the poster again, realised the initiative is FTTP with either BT or Hyperoptic.

I believe the BT option is through their Fibre-On-Demand programme which extends the fibre from the FTTC to the premises and delivers the FTTP. User covers the installation costs but can choose the provider.

The Hyperoptic option is using their infrastructure and they cover the installation costs but has to use their service.

Clearly in the long run, end-user's freedom to choose their provider can ensure competitive package and pricing, I don't know well enough  of who provide FTTP and their pricing nor how competition will pan out in the future, but certainly QoS will increase, costs will decrease.

The key of Hyperoptic is option is what terms of the deal we can strike. If we can get their competitive pricing according to their website:
£40 setup fee, 12mth contract
20Mbps £12.50/mth
100Mbps £25.00/mth
1Gbps £50.00/mth
optional phone line with free evening and weekend calls £12.50/mth, add anytime plus £3.00, add international plus £5.00.

And reassurance of no price hike in the future.

Simon, I am sure you will attract a lot more interest if people like myself whom the sole purpose of their landline is for broadband, realised it only costs £40 + £12.50 x 12mths = £190/yr or £15.83/mth guaranty 20Mbps on FTTP with Hyperoptic as an example. I don't know the pricing of BT nor other providers.

I believe I am not alone, the costs of landline + broadband is much more than that with pitiful speed and it feels the landline is really unnecessary while for most the mobile call allowance is plentiful.

Frank