ISP EE UK Corrects Confusing Issue with FTTP Broadband Checks
Mobile operator and UK ISP EE have this week updated the home broadband coverage checker for their new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based services, which since launch (here) hasn’t recognised availability in every area where the new Openreach network has already been deployed.
At the time of launch in late September we remarked that “none of the FTTP postcodes we tried in EE’s checker returned a result for their full fibre plans,” although we assumed this would be a short lived teething problem. Since then our readers have continued to highlight that EE’s checker was not picking up on a lot of existing FTTP deployments, which meant that the service could not easily be ordered.
We have been chasing this issue with EE since early November and are pleased to find that it’s finally been resolved. From what we’ve been able to gleam, EE’s initial FTTP launch was only made available to those with an existing Optical Network Terminal (ONT) installed (i.e. you either had to be living in a new build house with the ONT pre-installed or have previously had a working FTTP line before choosing EE for migration).
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Since most people taking FTTP today via existing properties will be getting it for the first time (i.e. no ONT installed), then the above situation meant that the bulk of those trying to order the service from EE would have been unable to do so. In order to correct for this EE have now added Managed Installs, which enables an engineer visit to build the final drop of fibre and ONT into your home (i.e. EE’s checker now returns positive results).
As a result of this the setup and install fee for existing homes without an ONT is now £100 (it’s just £50 if you have an existing ONT). As a reminder, here are EE’s top ultrafast packages using FTTP.
Fibre Max 100Mbps
PRICE: £39 a month for 18 months (£40 thereafter)NOTE: If you’re an EE mobile customer it’s £35.
Fibre Max 300Mbps
PRICE: £47 a month for 18 months (£48 thereafter)NOTE: If you’re an EE mobile customer it’s £42.
Fibre Max 900Mbps
PRICE: £60 a month for 18 months (£62 thereafter)NOTE: If you’re an EE mobile customer it’s £54
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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The article reads as if it was unintended behaviour. It was not, it was a soft launch in greenfield areas/brownfield properties with an existing ONT. 2 stage installs were always planned to launch this month
The article explains what happened and that it has now been resolved. Sadly, they failed to clearly communicate all of this to either ourselves or those who attempted to use the checker, until now.. and only after much nudging.
My FTTP went live just over a week ago, the only 2 suppliers that picked up on this right away were BT and Zen, all the other supplies were still only showing FTTC.
I found a deal with BT in the end for £20.99 for Fiber 100 and no install charges, so I went with them as Zen cannot do VOIP at present, so they had to add on another £9.99 for line rental.
Just check with EE and is now showing correctly
Where did you find BT Fibre 100 that cheap?
That deal has now expired and it has been replaced by this one:
[admin note: Removed link – commercial referral links are not allowed in news comments, please use the direct link https://www.bt.com/campaign/full-fibre-240%5D
Thank you Roger for the reply.
Obviously I missed that offer and the current BT offer isn’t up to the same level.
It is a pain trying to see prices especially when BT hide differing prices under different URLs with confusing names.
Try using the link inserted by admin but remove %5D at the end.
@roger
Hi, I figured that out thank you at the time I tried the link. So I’ve looked at the Black Friday pricing.
What I meant is that BT have other URLs which offer different pricing but only it you know of them. The URLs are not linked by BT’s landing pages.
e.g. Fibre 900 is listed as £59.99 per month as part of Black Friday and yet some URLs offer it at £49.99 per month. So the Black Friday offer can be beaten by the other offers on the BT site, once you do the maths looking at the effect of the “3 free months” across the total contract time.
How do I know if the results are returning FTTP rather FTTC options on the EE website?
The FTTP packages can go up to 900Mbps.
Thanks Mark. The Openreach engineers were installing the cables to the posts last week, so I presume it’ll be going live soon. There are multiple cables hanging from the posts, would these be in preparation for the fibre cables to the house?
I’d suggest keeping an eye on Openreach’s checker and the BT Wholesale Broadband Checker (Full Address Search), as those should tell you when it’s live.
It can take a while after the cables go in, mine took about 3 months, also they might switch part of the install area on before others.
The BT Wholesale Broadband Checker shows FTTP is available, but the Openreach checker doesn’t. Guess I’ll be waiting a while, as per Roger’s comments.
Be aware that the “FTTP on Demand” listing in the BTW checker is not the same as a native FTTP build.
Ahhh, that means that it’s not available then.
Had exactly the same problem with Talk Talk so, as BT are now matching their Black Friday deals, went with them.