Talk Talk Launch Openreach FTTP 500Mbps Broadband Service UPDATE
Budget conscious UK ISP TalkTalk has finally soft launched their first “Future Fibre” broadband packages based off Openreach’s (BT) ever expanding Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, which at the time of writing appears to offer ultrafast speeds from 150Mbps to 500Mbps. No 1Gbps, yet.
The new FTTP service has been in trial since the end of last year (here) and its launch is intended to complement their existing ultrafast packages, which are based off both Openreach’s hybrid-fibre G.fast product (covers 2.8 million UK premises) and Cityfibre’s (FibreNation) rival FTTP platform (around York, Dewsbury etc.). In the future the ISP will also gain access to the rest of Cityfibre’s full fibre network but they aren’t there yet.
In March 2020 Openreach finally added two new consumer tiers in the shape of a 550Mbps and 1Gbps service, which was soon followed by similar retail products from BT and a handful of smaller ISPs (here). Unfortunately, TalkTalk’s new data-only (no voice) full fibre plans have yet to adopt all of these and at launch their top package speed will be 500Mbps (75Mbps upload).
At present the related “Future Fibre” page on their website doesn’t provide a lot of information and you have to phone them in order to get the details, although they appear to be charging £34.95 per month for their 150Mbps package and £39.95 for the 500Mbps service on a 24 month minimum contract term. You’ll also receive their existing Wi-Fi Hub router and all the usual extras.
One slight problem for TalkTalk in this is that they now have a bewildering array of “fibre” packages on different platforms and technologies. We have the regular FTTC (VDSL2) based “Faster Fibre” and “Superfast Fibre“, the G.fast based “Faster 150 Fibre“, the Cityfibre / FibreNation (FTTP) based “UltraFibreOptic” and now the Openreach FTTP based “Future Fibre.” Fun times in the land of conflicting terminology.
As expected, TT’s Business Division is also soft launching Openreach based FTTP packages, but the associated page on their website doesn’t yet include any pricing information (expect it to be more expensive though, naturally). Nevertheless, it’s TalkTalk’s residential packages and their low pricing that will surely draw all the attention.
UPDATE 31st July 2020
We had to nudge TalkTalk a couple of times, but they have now officially confirmed the above details and that it’s initially only a phased launch that will be available to “some” customers. The provider is still in the process of testing and learning, so apparently that 6 month trial they had wasn’t enough.
By the sounds of it an online ordering facility will follow in the coming months and TalkTalk seem keen to implement a way of informing existing customers when FTTP goes live in their area, which could be a very effectively way of boosting take-up.
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 and Linkedin.
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That is an amazing price for 500mb, sign me up.
That’s exactly what I was thinking, my new place is going to have FTTP so been debating who to go with.
James, I was waiting patiently for FTTP for a couple years. Then, shortly after it becomes available, I move house, and have to wait all over again.
But, as you and DaveD say, when FTTP does arrive, that’s bargain pricing.
The only thing that worries me is TalkTalk support as I heard a lot of terrible reviews. I know Zen has good support and BT have a dedicated UK team for FTTP that are pretty good.
Vodafone (CityFibre) far better, 500 Mbps average upload & download speeds at £42 a month, or 900 Mbps average upload & download speeds for £52 a month and if you have a sim card or phone contract with them, you get discount on top.
Dunno about you but I’m sick of companies restricting the upload speed. Vodafone has the right approach.
Quite alarming they don’t even have a public facing availability checker yet.
Can think of a few reasons why they wouldn’t, none of which are an excuse, but scary a company that size having people call in just to find out if FTTP is doable.
Neither do Sky. Ditto for Zen. Its pretty much a soft launch for TT/Sky/Zen until they get their online systems in place for FTTP orders. Not a big deal if you know how to use a phone.
@Steve
Even for a soft launch the checker is trivial to do.
Zen have checkers for 330 and below. I’m not sure why Sky and TalkTalk don’t have any checker at all.
Zen has the checker all the way, including “500” and “900”, as of my check, about 30 seconds ago
There own checker is a mess, 4hrs of phone and chatline so far and still haven’t resolved all the issues around ordering this product. I would advise anyone to stay well clear until they have some idea of who can get FTTP.
@Plusnet should take noticed of this!
I’m sure they noticed, after all, it is Plusnet (BT)
Have to admit, the 550/75 up is quite cheap, does anyone know the price out of contract?
I still object to their use of the “For Everyone”. There is no TalkTalk service of any kind available in my area.
Nice price and my BT FTTP contract is up in the next couple of months – but it’s TalkTalk so hmmmm no thanks.
Yeah im switching from virgin to talk talk, virgin does £46 with contract and £56 without. Talktalk is doing it for £39 wow
Same here Jordan, I have a VMB 500 line and a TalkTalk FTTC connection as backup. The virgin service has been appalling lately, total service outages, terrible speeds (like 3mb). Now FTTP is on my street I am moving to TalkTalk, who, in their defence have been rock solid.
As an aside, I spoke to TTB today to see if future fibre is coming, they said yes, soon. They couldn’t give me speeds or prices so I will go with residential for now.
TTB will be selling FTTP from tomorrow (29/7). 60 notes a month (+ vat) for half a gig and 70 notes a month for 1 Gig.
@Mexican DFS,
I assume this is still consumer 115up, and not 220?
Best not risk ordering anything from these guys.
They’d probably arrange to have my ONT wiped clean and reset then put a 110 Mb service on port 4.
Will give both them and Sky some time to bed services and processes in.
Haha
Shame that they will never install fibre in my area, but its nice to dream about those speeds haha
In the last week or so, I’ve gone from FTTP order being placed, to it being cancelled, to then placed again, and now cancelled again with a recommendation from TT to go to BT!
I think TT should be paying me for ‘training’ their agents, everyone I’ve spoken too (and it’s been a few) haven’t had a clue as to porting numbers to VoIP providers, and have had to seek advise from there managers.
Given that TT have just started selling FTTP beyond a trial phase there are likely to be some teething issues as the systems are new to TalkTalk given their former FTTP expertise was sold with Fibrenation to Cityfibre.
The issue could also be on Openreach side with possible system instabilities due to new system s being used for FTTP orders
I wouldn’t even say TalkTalk are really selling the FTTP products yet, there is no evidence of them on their website and checkers aren’t available.
Maybe some more waiting time for the other ISP’s.
BT Openreach is a joke, always have been and always will be. While they restrict both the downloads and upload speeds, other private FTTP/FTTH networks are selling unrestricted downloads/upload speed. The upload speed on VDSL, and CABLE has always been an issue because of the technologies they use, they are unable to provide the same speed in both directions, now we have TRUE FIBRE being rolled out and you have the likes of BT offering 330Mbps, and 500Mbps, with piss-poor upload speeds. Vodafone is rolling out 1Gb (900Mbps assurance) with the exact same download and upload speeds.
Just as well no-one forces you to buy their FTTP Mr Hayter.
While we’re exchanging messages:
I’m not aware of any network in the UK selling unrestricted download speeds to consumers. Allowing one customer to draw all the capacity for 32 premises makes it pretty tough with our advertising rules.
Vodafone stuff most certainly doesn’t have a 900 Mbit ‘assurance’ and aren’t running over a symmetrical network.
VDSL being sold asymmetrically isn’t because of the technology. It has symmetrical profiles.
Most ‘TRUE FIBRE’ is running on asymmetrical networks, though I’m not quite sure what comes into my home if it isn’t ‘TRUE FIBRE’. Looks like single mode fibre with an APC on the end.
In the case of Vodafone/CityFibre 2 x 900 Mbit/s customers on the same split pull their full data rate upstream the capacity is now being drawn at 160%. Even if they’re the only 2 customers on the split they’re getting 600 Mbit/s each.
How exactly do Openreach explain this to their wholesale customers who expect and demand zero contention from them?
More upload would be nice but technical constraints make symmetrical problematic and commercial considerations take care of a fair bit of the rest. Hopefully this will change.
Do you have access to Openreach FTTP Mr Hayter?
Actually never mind. I don’t engage with lunatics who write things like this ‘When a virus learns how to jump animal to humans, it has to evolve again to learn how to jump between humans to humans, this takes time. This COVID was trainned before it was released, and most likely came from a lab, because they need it to evolve to make a vaccine.’
No, it doesn’t. When it infected the first human it was good to go infecting humans. That’s, err, how it managed to infect the first one.
‘Yep, and they start small. Now were seeing presidents being fact checked using infomation sourced from far left politicians and scientists.’
Right. The scientists fact checking Donald Trump are all far-left liars. The lunatics he praised yesterday, one of whom blames various ailments on sex with demons, are fine.
I do admire your consistency, though. Same standard of factual basis behind the comments here as the Hopkins/Farage-fest that is your social media.
Mr Simon Hayter you’re initial comment.
BT Openreach is a joke, always have been and always will be. While they restrict both the downloads and upload speeds.
BT do not and never have applied speed restrictions FYI so you would be better researching the bull you post in future. Have a read below.
https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/bt-s-approach-to-broadband-traffic-management
BTW: You spelt you’re surname wrong, HATER is much nearer. 😉
Currently not able to get this as an existing TT customer. The prices have appeared on their website now but I’ve been told that in my area TT are waiting on OpenReach to upgrade the line capacity in my street or something. It’s a shame because BT allow me to order the 900MBps package, but I don’t want to pay that much and it’s way more than I want. The upload boost is what I’m looking for. Shame you can’t customise your packages.