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Community Fibre build in North London

Five months since receiving the CF leaflet and nothing here yet.

In the meantime, we've batted away a few times persistent Openinfra snake oil salesmen who've come knocking on the door (with rubbish like it'd get installed by the end of last year; trying scare tactics like if you don't sign up now, it won't be free installation etc).
 
@jhm

I would think after 5 months from a leaflet there would be some signs of progress.

It may be difficult to tell with another non-Openreach installation there but if you have a look at the poles along (say) Hampden Way you will see the new Community Fibre style of installation (you can even see it on Google maps).

There is typically a (second) box on the pole and a black fibre with a yellow stripe running up the pole (the incoming fibres).

If that's all there then Community Fibre may be close to offering service. I assume you have tried starting an order at their website.
 
I'm on the one of the roads off Verwood Drive (where I think all the cabling is underground). The water company checker for works:


showed the following last year August:

"Roadworks, delays unlikely
4 Aug 12:20 - 8 Aug 23:59
Verwood Drive

Responsibility for these works:
Community Fibre Limited"

and then a day later the leaflet was dropped in the door!

Yes, I've been checking the CF checker - religiously at first (as I thought it would be imminent) but only occasionally now.
 
@jhm

For obvious reasons, it's much harder to tell how progress is in areas where everything is underground.

Have you tried calling the Community Fibre Customer Service:

0800 082 0770
Monday to Friday: 8am - 9pm
Weekends: 9am - 7pm


and asking if they will be in a position to serve your address in the next few months.

If they don't say that they will perhaps you need to look at any other option.
 
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I passed Oakwood tube station on Wednesday afternoon and saw workers feeding green tubes under the pavement there but wasn't able to see what company it was for. Checking on bidb I can see community fibre have some works planned in Enfield! It seems to be parts of Palmers Green, Edmonton, Winchmore Hill and up around Carterhatch lane. It would suggest that they're planning on expand into Enfield this year (aside from a sliver of Southgate that's next to Barnet)

Update: They've got some more works planned from the 9th to 13th in Oakwood just east and west of the Piccadilly line.

Update 2: Had a nosy today and saw them at work, unsurprisingly. I had a look at the telephone poles and they had black boxes mounted at the top, some had a single box, some had one each side. I remember someone mentioning it before, is there any other explanation (i.e. openreach or another company) or does that mean it's the work has been carried out?

Update 3: They're still working in the area and have plans to continue into early march. I'm taking that as a sign they're definitely coming

17-3 Still working in Oakwood and Cockfosters with plans to continue into April. Also some planned work near the great Cambridge roundabout in early April

28-4 They're now doing work in Windmill Hill and Chase Side in Enfield Town! Still can't order in Oakwood or Freston Gardens (E. Barnet) but saw some cable being laid last week.

17-5 They're currently working in Southgate and will be working near Broomfield School in mid-June

7-6 They're going to be working along Enfield Road/Slades Hill/Windmill Hill (AKA the A110), Chaseville Park Road, Vera Road and Bush Hill between the 9-13 June. It's been over 3 months since they started here, I've got another 3 months until my renewal

4-7 A month later and they're back. Turns out they only did one, now they're by the bus stop (cotswold way westbound) and then they'll be doing the one near Glebe Road
 
Last edited:
@jhm

For obvious reasons, it's much harder to tell how progress is in areas where everything is underground.

Have you tried calling the Community Fibre Customer Service:

0800 082 0770
Monday to Friday: 8am - 9pm
Weekends: 9am - 7pm


and asking if they will be in a position to serve your address in the next few months.

If they don't say that they will perhaps you need to look at any other option.
Thanks for the suggestion! It's been 7 months since I received the leaflet through the door. Just phoned CS, gave them my exact address (what used to be the Charles Church development off Chalk Lane and down Verwood Drive) and they said the ETA is the end of this May. Only a few more months then!
 
Thanks for the suggestion! It's been 7 months since I received the leaflet through the door. Just phoned CS, gave them my exact address (what used to be the Charles Church development off Chalk Lane and down Verwood Drive) and they said the ETA is the end of this May. Only a few more months then!
They're doing some work on Cockfosters road this weekend, just outside the tube station. Maybe that's related to you're road
 
Hi I am located in finchley central,along one of side roads off regents park road
i have seen a lot of activity on one.network in my area for commuinty fibre however i still dont see anything on thier postcode checker dose anyone have any idea how long it takes for commiunty fibre to go live once they have finished installing thier equment/cabling @ street level any help would be apperactied
Kind Regards Jason
 
You are a bit away from live Community Fibre service areas but in just the sort of area that Community Fibre is currently adding to their coverage.

Generally, the physical install is seen "some months" before service is available.

A letter through the door is a much better indication that you will get service "soon".

I wouldn't sign up to an 18 month contract (or even 12 months) with a different provider but that's about all you can do at the moment.
 
ok thanks i dont understand why some the new builds in finchley central have 900mb
and other areas in finchley dont example N3 1FA, and
Adastra House, Finchley. Albert Pl, Finchley, London N3 1QB
 
ok thanks i dont understand why some the new builds in finchley central have 900mb
and other areas in finchley dont example N3 1FA, and
Adastra House, Finchley. Albert Pl, Finchley, London N3 1QB
There is no set pattern to there roll out some weeks, some (like myself) waiting. Some blocks in my area have been done wile others still waiting for months. The rollout where poles are in use seem the fastest route to connection. I'm in direct contact with them for work and still don't get answers. From all that is mentioned is it well worth the wait
 
Interesting update to bidb.uk. Now when you hover over a marker it'll tell you why the works are being performed as well as the date. A few community Fibre sites say
"THESE WORKS ARE FOR A SMALL EXCAVATION, CONNECTION WORKS AND REINSTATEMENT"

Would I be correct in interpreting that as them digging up the road/path, laying something underground and then putting everything back?

This is different to other works that basically refer to clearing blockages.
 
I have finally seen the private community fibre contractors laying the cable in the BT ducts, so can't be too long away for me in Harrow.

Can't wait to move on from virgin media.
 
Lots of work going on in Enfield this month, currently in Bush Hill Park and Enfield Chase. I notice that BIDB.uk has a lot of listings for CFL 110/106 chambers which appear to be for the installation of manhole covers in the ground. It looks like the CBT(?) is installed in there rather than on a telephone pole as I saw in East Barnet. I could understand if there were no poles to attach things too but there are plenty of those.

Does anyone have any idea what homes might be served by one of these underground units? Currently they're up to 800M between them, can we glean from that that each one will serve properties that are 400M away?
 
Lots of work going on in Enfield this month, currently in Bush Hill Park and Enfield Chase. I notice that BIDB.uk has a lot of listings for CFL 110/106 chambers which appear to be for the installation of manhole covers in the ground. It looks like the CBT(?) is installed in there rather than on a telephone pole as I saw in East Barnet. I could understand if there were no poles to attach things too but there are plenty of those.

Does anyone have any idea what homes might be served by one of these underground units? Currently they're up to 800M between them, can we glean from that that each one will serve properties that are 400M away?
CFL usually uses AFNs (Aerial Fibre Nodes) not CBTs like Openreach. Are you sure these are AFNs? It might be a splitter node, where fibre gets splitted. There is no way to know for sure either way. Just keep checking the CFL site for availability.

PS: There is a dedicated CFL forum now: https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/forums/community-fibre.628/
 
Oh I must have missed that, thanks.

Sorry about the terminology, I was referring to the node that seems like it'll be underground.

I'm a bit confused about the comment that they have no customers in Enfield yet, though.
I didn't say they have no customers in Enfield, just that nothing shows active on the the Thinkbroadband map. The map lags reality, sometimes a few weeks, sometimes a month. But looks like Community Fibre hasn't gone live there yet, at least as of a month ago.
 
I didn't say they have no customers in Enfield, just that nothing shows active on the the Thinkbroadband map. The map lags reality, sometimes a few weeks, sometimes a month. But looks like Community Fibre hasn't gone live there yet, at least as of a month ago.
No, AFAIK they haven't. I just didn't understand why you mentioned it in the first place
 
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