Openreach Extend FTTP Uninhabitable Broadband Places Pilot by 7 Months
Openreach has confirmed that they intend to extend, again, their ongoing UK pilot of full fibre (FTTP) based broadband lines for “Uninhabitable Locations” for a further seven months. This pilot focuses on locations where the service is used to connect non-traditional end points, such as CCTV cameras, bus shelter signs, EV charging points, lift lines etc.
The pilot, which adopts a “Ruggedised” Optical Network Terminal (ONT) device for outdoor connectivity (pictured), originally began on 1st September 2024 (here) and was last year given a 12-month extension until 31st August 2026 (here). But the pilot, which was established to test the viability of the related order journey with Ruggedised ONT and estimated service costs, has now been extended again until 31st March 2027.
Openreach haven’t clarified why the pilot needs a second extension (see public briefing). However, fixing an ONT to the exterior of a building or structure does add complications, not least because you now need to consider the need for running power cables outside and adding extra protection for that, as well as the splice point of the fibre cable etc.
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Otherwise, there are no changes this time around and the operator continues to say that they may still, optionally, “look to exit the pilot early” (i.e. if it’s able to meet their objectives sooner). ISPreview previously suggested that there may be scenarios where complex home or office installs might also benefit from a Ruggedised ONT deployment, such as for certain exterior installations. Openreach are known to be open to considering this for the future, but at present the focus remains on connecting uninhabitable locations/sites.
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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I guess there might be some locations where an expensive ADVA unit is necessary, but I wonder if there are many more that would be better served just with an SFP ONT.
NBN in Australia do just that for their own version of this, which they call “smart places”, and it’s not like Australia doesn’t have its share of extreme weather.
The ADVA kit pictured is for ethernet point to point circuits
An SFP and “figure the rest out” would be my preferred way to go as well, considering the market for the product.
Witcher – could it not be both? The datasheet suggests the network interface is an SFP slot. So maybe they are supplying this with an SFP ONT (possibly matched to the OLT?) that looks like any gigabit ethernet SFP. If so then that is even more ridiculous.
Openreach would not use the term “FTTP” for their leased lines (where they already do provide a rackmounted ADVA, now Adtran unit)
If I was a business, I wouldn’t want to touch this since this is only a pilot and can be withdrawn at any time. I’m wondering if they are extending the pilot because on low take up.
If you were a business you couldn’t buy it as Openreach only sell to service providers. Pilots like this are to work through process issues and establish demand.
If there’s demand and the process can work then the work progresses to some kind of launch plan.
Does anybody know any participating ISPs?
Bus stop signs getting full fibre before me
Who now has has their 2029 date cancelled after CityFibre handed back their Nottinghamshire contract
Stuck with unusable ~1.5mbps FTTC, 2mbps ADSL, or 12mbps Three 4g but unuseable latency
All while people with GB+ speeds are getting multi-GB+ speeds
And now even unoccupied premises like a bus stop signs gets ‘full bibre’