British fibre networks/

[paulandailz]

We have now been waiting for 4 months to be connected to broadband, not even a land line. We live on a small new build for residents with disabilities of different kinds. Broadband is my way of keeping in touch with family and friends. There are residents that require care lines . Vispa are using British fibre networks to complete the hook up and they just give you every excuse under the sun. It’s an absolute disgrace. This is there advert off there web page, makes you laugh talk about false advertising.

will be connecting your new homes to pure fibre, not only will your customers have a broadband connection which will work for future generations, but they will have ISP choice.

This innovative approach will mean your new home purchasers are connected to the internet before they move in. Which means they no longer need to wait weeks before an engineer turns up.

The days of your customer waiting for connectivity only to find out it’s slow are over, if you connect to British Fibre Networks you have true fibre connectivity. We not only ensure choice but also make sure the home is connected before the customer moves in.

In all British Fibre Networks sites, we will provide full support to your show home or sales office. This support will demonstrate the capability of our pure fibre home. Our team will be on hand to offer a full programme of marketing support, which will add value to your offer.

 

[Meatball]

This appears to be the responsibility of your developer. I am presuming that the properties were advertised with broadband capability (or at least telephony) in their specification. Therefore if the developer has a contract with a particular provider and has shunned Openreach then its their responsibility to ensure it happens, especially if it should have been there on occupation.

Is the problem with Vispa or British Fibre Networks? i.e has FTTP been provided to the site?

If British Fibre Networks or one of their nominated ISPs are unable to meet their timescales then an alternative network provider could be engaged. But it will depend on your agreements with the developer and the developers agreement with the provider. BFN and their ISP partners only have minimal presence currently to discrete sites. So it may be a connectivity delay.

The short term solution (if a reasonable 4G signal is available) is mobile broadband. Many alarm systems also now have a 4G backup facility. If the dwellings are in close proximity then there may be an opportunity to have one 4G broadband router providing a shared WIFI for moderate use and VoIP.

 

[Mark.J]

I recall BFN having big plans for the UK (they wanted to account for 35% of new build homes by 2021 - a lofty ambition), but we've hardly heard a peep out of them over the past two years. They're part of the i4 Technology Group.

Account Suspended

They still seem to be a fairly small business, judging by their latest micro accounts:

I4TG LTD filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

I4TG LTD - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

 

[BillyGH]

I along with 9 others are finding BFN a total joke. They have made countless false promises (as well as their other company i4Technology). It harks back to the days of everyone slating TalkTalk for poor service but British Fibre Networks are definitely leading the field.

From other forums they're not delivering installs (some going over 8 months!!), leaving suppliers high and dry and not paying staff. All being kept on the quiet behind a big corporate flashy website and big persona. The fact many of these new builds are being tied to Vispa / BFN is unbelievable when a company can't even get themselves in order. Hardly surprising if you do some digging on their main leaders and their past activities. Good Luck Paulandailz, we're all in the same boat with a shambolic company here.

Steer clear of them at all costs. We will be using a sim router from CarphoneWarehouse

 

[paulandailz]

Should of been with us last Tuesday but contacted us all on the development the night before with excuses. We are now at 5 months

 

[BillyGH]

Should of been with us last Tuesday but contacted us all on the development the night before with excuses. We are now at 5 months

It's ridiculous, I cannot understand how companies like this can get away with it, or where they can be reported to. Like many other big companies, they need reporting for none payments too. Lots of irate people out there.

 

[paulandailz]

I’m in the process of reporting them to the ombudsman but I do not hold my breath. Even when they do install my internet they say I have only one ~ISP to choose from which is Vispa who are not the cheapest which I don’t mind if the service is fast but I think that is a monopoly which is not allowed in this country, I should be allowed to have any ISP I want.

 

[Meatball]

"a monopoly which is not allowed in this country" is not the case. Unlike other utilities there is no regulatory obligation for a broadband network provider to open up to multiple ISPs. There are tens of thousands of homes with limited ISP choice (e.g OFNL, Gigaclear, Permisson's FibreNest). Currently this is mainly New Developments that do not utilise Openreach but going forward there may be only one providing Ultrafast or higher capability to existing premises and infills.

British Fibre Networks would defend themselves by saying they are new and have only been able to have specific agreements so far but that they do intend to be open to more ISP providers later. Similarly many other FTTP providers (some with higher aspirations) currently have exclusive arrangements with a particular ISP (including in-house).

Going forward a high percentage of UK homes may be totally dependent on a particular fixed network provider which will determine the technology, speed and service that they can receive. They will also then be dependent on the ISPs to offer a service over it. The only independent alternative may be Mobile or Satellite.

There will of course be the competitive areas where people will be able to change. But its a lot easier changing ISPs on the same network provider than the underlying network as well.

Whilst the long term availability and pricing in non-competitive locations is unknown presumably British Fibre wish to recover their investment, maintain reputation and Vispa want to make a profit. So I am assuming that what ever the barrier is they are working on it and will resolve it.

 

[paulandailz]

It’s the way they lie, I have caught them out so many times. I feel that they are more bothered about getting big companies up and running where if they didn’t they would get sued .

 

[Mark.J]

"a monopoly which is not allowed in this country" is not the case. Unlike other utilities there is no regulatory obligation for a broadband network provider to open up to multiple ISPs. There are tens of thousands of homes with limited ISP choice (e.g OFNL, Gigaclear, Permisson's FibreNest). Currently this is mainly New Developments that do not utilise Openreach but going forward there may be only one providing Ultrafast or higher capability to existing premises and infills.

Just to add that there is a caveat here where a network is part gap funded by a government contract (e.g. BDUK.. but not voucher schemes), which does require an open access wholesale model. The catch being that the wholesale model doesn't strictly have to be very competitive.

Gigaclear does actually offer a wholesale solution, but partner ISPs would struggle to compete with the discounts that Gigaclear itself can offer. As such, most wholesale solutions aren't really that attractive to other providers.