Openreach to Test New UK FTTP Broadband Standard Install Process UPDATE
Network operator Openreach (BT) has begun inviting broadband ISPs (CPs) to help test a new ‘Standard‘ install process for their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) lines, which will go beyond the existing method that largely runs an optical fibre cable into your home and then connects that up to an internal Optical Network Terminal (ONT / optical modem).
At present Openreach are investing up to £15bn to deploy their new multi-gigabit speed capable full fibre broadband technology to cover 25 million UK premises by the end of December 2026 (currently passing over 23m). After that, there’s a further ambition to reach up to 30 million premises by 2030, but the build plan for the 2027-2030 period and their final coverage target for this has yet to be confirmed.
Most home installations for this new service typically fall under the operator’s ‘Standard Install‘ process which, as above, brings the fibre into your property and connects it up to an ONT (pictured) on the wall. The Standard install process attracts a connection charge of £127.26 ex. VAT at wholesale, although after special offers many retail ISPs will often cover this for “free“.
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In addition, Openreach also offer a ‘Premium Install‘ and ‘Advanced Install‘ at extra cost, which usually goes a bit further and includes some extra work / testing. But the operator has just announced a new Proof of Concept (PoC) test that will slightly extend the Standard process scope to “offer connection of a CP-provided set-top box and/ or a Wi-Fi extender as well as the 1 device currently included“.
The move is likely to reflect the fact that a lot of ISPs now ship packages with bundled TV boxes and Wi-Fi mesh/extender systems. At the time of writing, we’ve only seen the public briefing for this, but we hope to have extra details soon. As this is part of the ‘Standard’ process then Openreach’s efforts may not involve detailed testing and setup of all the extra kit, which can in any case often be handled remotely by the ISP / Communications Provider or customer.
UPDATE 17th June 2026 @ 8:42am
We’ve managed to get a bit more detail on this PoC. The demarcation point for Openreach’s fibre will still be the ONT and ISPs who take part will have to provide Openreach with training to make sure their engineers are skilled in connecting the additional set-top box and/or Wi-Fi extender devices.
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The set-top box and/or Wi-Fi extender will naturally also need to be present in the end customer premises at the time of the FTTP installation, before Openreach’s engineer arrives. During the PoC, the connections will be treated as incidental engineering activity rather than a standalone service or product feature.
The PoC will allow providers to request connections of set-top boxes and/or Wi-Fi extenders for up to 250 orders, subject to the order being placed and connection completed within the trial period. Speaking of which..
An Openreach spokesperson told ISPreview:
“We’re running a trial to improve Full Fibre installs for service providers and their customers.
During the trial, our engineers will look at connecting extra devices – like a set-top box or Wi-Fi extender – as part of the standard installation. It will run from 13 July to 16 October 2026, using the same Full Fibre terms and conditions.
When it ends, we’ll work with service providers to review what worked, what didn’t, and what we can improve. We’ll use this to shape future products and how we deliver them.”
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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Is this also an attempt to offer a similar service to what some Openreach CPs already do. I seem to recall Sky getting permission to perform FTTP installations for their broadband customers.
That said, my “standard install” didn’t include touching the router. The guy did the outdoor work, called me to ask if the correct lights were showing on the ONT and that was that. I assumed they’d at least come back to check the light levels or do some checks with their own tester. I’m not overly bothered about it but other customers might be more particular.
Translation:
Everyone not using BT retail will now have to fight the engineers who will find the default method for BT Retail is this new method, and then basically insist everyone else needs the router etc etc there and can’t possibly just install the ONT and leave you alone
Why not? They often state speed is only garneted to the ONT and not WIFI.
But this actually saying they will now cover the router and a mesh point.
I can see why Openreach are doing this. It’s effectively standardised installation of not just the access network but also some of the internal services as well. This means that those retailers who offer this service will have access to every engineer on the Openreach network rather than just their own engineers.
Any news on the outcome of the Openreach XGS-PON trial? It’s been three months of testing a technology already widely deployed by their competitors, and many exchanges already have Combo PON OLTs ready to go, so you’d think they’d be aiming for rollout sooner rather than later.
Don’t you think you should provide fibre broadband to everyone before you go to the next level!!
No.
[see comment below]
My previous comment somehow got cut short, trying again (maybe Mark can moderate out the broken one)
Based on a recent FTTP installation, I would initially focus on the engineer delivering standard quality physical installation consistently.
The engineer doing my install took a number of shortcuts that I would not have allowed if I had been at home (my partner was not knowledgeable or confident enough or interested enough to challenge).
There was an existing edge of property customer connection box (from the neighbour’s installation) which I directed the engineer to use as it would align best with intended entry point on 2nd floor. (Previous copper line entered the other side of the property and entry was later relocated to 2nd floor from ground floor with exterior cabling from the grey copper cover to 2 line punchdown shared with neighbour).
I expected an “underground” drilling under my garden wall into or close to the connection box, and emerging from ground into an “elephants foot” protective cover to then run along side of garden wall to house, into an outside junction box, and then up to second floor and enter the house with an interior white “roman nose” as pictured above.
What I got was a hole drilled into cover of the customer junction box, black fibre barely protected by “ridgy” conduit, drilled through garden wall 6 inches above ground (blasting out part of the brickwork, which was a bit friable), the fibres (white and black) cable tied to existing cables for whole run instead of separably cable clipped, and no interior “roman nose”. (The Sky SR203 router was not replaced, Sky just supplied a yellow plug 1m Cat-5 flylead to connect SR203 to ONT)
Subsequently I have remediated most of these points best I can these points–covered the exit from the customer connection box with my own “elephants foot” (removing the “ridgy” counduit, and have an interior white “roman nose” on order to tidy up the interior entry.
I would also focus the service on ensuring that analogue landline service has actually transferred to VoIP (BT Digital Voice or Sky’s proprietary alternative); this will be important for certain customer segments that are retaining landline service, possibly with a Openreach/ISP provided UPS which engineer should also set up.
Well, you can PAY for a bespoke install – but expecting one for free is a bit much. So this is a rant for not getting what you wanted – like the Engineer has all day to work on just YOUR install
Sorry but no.
@simon says
Based on my interpretation of Openreach’s own publicly visible documents, I still think my installation was below published standard, i.e. my complaints should not be considered as custom.
Page 10 of “New-Sites-Fibre-Handbook-March-2026-online.pdf” seems to indicate that the “black” fibre cable should be protected end to end from snagging and animal bites, by installation of a “Connector Bend 4”. Yes the example photos in the document show exit from ground ducting into a Customer Splice Point (or wall box to protect entry into building) but I think the same principles would apply for exit of a black fibre cable above ground from a “FTTH Footpath demarcation box” (in my case a small square openreach branded box in the pavement at the edge of the property), especially on a well trafficked pavement where the cable is not naturally sheltered. My remediation was to buy and fit a “connector bend 4” and the small square cap to fully protect the cable from snag or bite.
My second concern is I do not think it is good practice to drill holes in the top plate of a “FTTH Footpath demarcation box”, to let in additional rain/on the ground water. My installation of the “connector bend 4” covers the hole to reduce water ingress (the on the ground water fortunately drains away from the demarcation box).
In my case, the Customer splice point part of the installation is to standard (placement and attachment), and my grumbles about using cable ties instead of dedicated nail in cable clips is more minor (I have partially remediated the use of cable ties with nail in clips, especially since the cable was tied to the old copper landline cable for part of the run. The landline cable is now redundant, and I carefully removed the cable back to the original grey wall connector box, once I was sure the FTTP connection was fully operational and stable, and secured the fibre up the wall with nail in clips).
Companies turning a blind eye to their own rules is pretty much par for the course these days (if it saves a few quid that is).
I would also focus the service on ensuring that analogue landline service has actually transferred to VoIP (BT Digital Voice or Sky’s proprietary alternative); this will be important for certain customer segments that are retaining landline service, possibly with a Openreach/ISP provided UPS which engineer should also set up.
I am being moved from Plusnet to EE as Plusnet will not do house phones even though they are still advertising it? EE are going to send me a new router so I will have to update all the appliances connected to the old router.So I am thinking of going elsewhere and getting full fibre, I wanted the router in my hall as it is the centre of my flat, and I have drilled a hole in the outside wall for there cable, but I have now been informed that under there health and safety they will only fit the ONT at the hole I made so the ONT and router will be in the bedroom where there is no power socket, so much for there installation.
These companies and installation are extremely poor and for BT to say they are thinking of upgrading is a joke. On one is looking after there customers.
They should all be reported.
Your story makes no sense – why would you drill a hole if you were only thinking of moving to full fibre? Everything you describe happening is as a result of your choices.
You could simply change the ssid and password of your new router to match the old one so that none of your devices need updating.
I have just replaced the Uni AC-LR access point I my house with a U7 LR and the Echo Dots and smart plugs all needed to be setup again despite keeping the same SSID, password and even IP address and DNS name of the access point. Some experiments suggest they are tied into the MAC address of the access point.
Bought a whoRwe router B535 333 several years ago, only use that at home and for you5ube etc, and take it away when in the caravan. It will be the future, two phones, 3 tablets, no hasle. And no aerial. Had some patchy reception in the Lynn peninsular, North Wales, but mainly good enough.
Yeah and this’ll result in even more absolutely beligerent ‘engineers’ insisting your ‘hub’ needs to be there to do your install even when the install is not ordered in this way.
Can’t wait to be fighting this every day as well.