Openreach to Stop Providing Battery Backup for FTTP Broadband

At present new installations of Openreach’s (BT) Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based UK ultrafast broadband ISP technology all come with a Battery Backup Unit (BBU) by default next to the Optical Network Unit (ONT), which helps users to maintain access to emergency services if they use VoIP. But this is about to stop.

The operator is currently in the process of deploying their 1000Mbps capable FTTP “full fibre” broadband network to cover 3 million UK homes and businesses by the end of 2020. After that they also have an ambition to extend the service’s coverage to a total of 10 million premises by around 2025.

Unlike traditional copper lines, which can be powered via the exchange, fibre optic lines cannot carry electricity and as such end-users need to supply power at their end (home or business) in order to help maintain the connection. Obviously this would become problematic in a power cut, particularly so for FTTP-only properties, and so Openreach and a few other providers have long included a BBU with their new installs.

The BBU simply consists of four replaceable 2000mAH-NiMH (1.2v) BYD rechargeable AA batteries (charged by the fibre unit) and it is the end-users responsibility to maintain these. The bad news, according to several ISPs that we’ve discussed it with, is that Openreach have said they will stop providing ONT BBU units as default in FTTP-only areas and then only on exceptional basis (exceptional may mean those at risk, who depend on their landline for voice).

At this stage no firm dates appear to have been set but Openreach are understood to be discussing the change with ISPs, albeit mostly related to their plans for the remaining stock of BBUs (these are designed for use alongside their Huawei based ONT). Apparently these may become available to ISPs early next year (possibly at a cost but this is undecided).

The timing is interesting since the change appears to be occurring at roughly the same time as Ofcom’s new guidance is being introduced, which covers how UK providers of Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) or similar broadband-based phone / voice services can ensure that their customers are still able to call the emergency services in a power cut (here).

The regulator’s guidance is based around four principles and the first one says that providers “should have at least one solution that enables access to emergency organisations for a minimum of one hour in the event of a power outage in the premises” (e.g. battery backup). But crucially these are just general “expectations” and as yet Ofcom has not strictly imposed anything on operators in respect to the broadband side of things.

A big question mark thus remains over where the responsibility (if any) for maintaining voice services will come from in the future as network operators / suppliers increasingly adopt a broadband-only focus to service provision, although in the future it seems likely that ISPs may be expected to take some of the burden if they offer voice. Obviously the main concern today is for those who may not have an alternative method (e.g. mobile).

One possible reason for OR’s decision might be because, strictly speaking, they cannot ensure availability of VoIP for 999 access in an FTTP-only property via just the BBU (i.e. your router and phone handset would also need to be protected by a battery or UPS). But if somebody is able to power their router/handset via another method then the need for a BBU would be negated.

We did ask Openreach for a comment on Wednesday but sadly they have not responded.