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ConnectFibre: how are they doing it?

tom_uk

Member
Hello the forum

Recently I've been connected by an ISP called ConnectFibre who are rolling out FTTP to the area where I live (Totley, in Sheffield). They are indeed doing work - a number of new poles have gone up and I've seen their vans and workforce doing things. Now we've reached the point where they are seeking customers, and tbh I'm interested. However a chat this morning with a customer sales rep - i.e., not a technical person - has raised some question in my mind. That person gave me some answers, but I'd like to fact-check them here.

First, it's suggested that ConnectFibre are putting in their own infrastrucure, and not relying on OpenReach - I hadn't realised that could happen. Does that sound genuine?

Secondly, the quid pro quo for doing so is that ConnectFibre will have exclusivity in providing FTTP in the area until 2025 (they expect to supply connections from November this year). Is this exclusivity likely to be the case? - I had naively assumed that once FTTP was available I'd be able to buy the service from a number of ISPs (the way I can buy electricity or gas from different providers).

Finally, they are offering a synchronous service. I hadn't realised this was possible, and what I've read had suggested that FTTP, like ADSL, would be asynchronous (albeit with rates closer to each other).

Does all this sound reasonable/possible/likely?
 
First, it's suggested that ConnectFibre are putting in their own infrastrucure, and not relying on OpenReach - I hadn't realised that could happen. Does that sound genuine?
Yes, this is correct. They're building their own network and are genuine (though a very small company in comparison to a lot of the other altnets).

Secondly, the quid pro quo for doing so is that ConnectFibre will have exclusivity in providing FTTP in the area until 2025 (they expect to supply connections from November this year). Is this exclusivity likely to be the case? - I had naively assumed that once FTTP was available I'd be able to buy the service from a number of ISPs (the way I can buy electricity or gas from different providers).
This is probably an answer that's true, but not "correct".

They definitely won't have exclusivity to deploy fibres in a region. But that raises the question, who else will want to?
So will they be the only fibre until 2025? Quite possibly.

A lot of companies only sell services on their own fibres. Connect Fibre is one of them.
If it was Openreach FTTP, then sure, a bunch of providers would be selling on the same infrastructure from day 1.
This may change, Connect Fibre may choose to wholesale, but that's not the case today.

Finally, they are offering a synchronous service. I hadn't realised this was possible, and what I've read had suggested that FTTP, like ADSL, would be asynchronous (albeit with rates closer to each other).
This is another complex topic. You can assume the packages they sell are correct though. It's definitely possible to reach 1:1.
 
Finally, they are offering a synchronous service. I hadn't realised this was possible, and what I've read had suggested that FTTP, like ADSL, would be asynchronous (albeit with rates closer to each other).
Possibly you mean “symmetric” - roughly identical download and upload bandwidth on the circuit.

Many ISPs offer this, especially Alternative Network providers such as ConnectFibre, as they see it as an appealing differentiator between themselves and an ISP which may use the Openreach FTTP network to reach you.

Whether or not this is useful to your situation is debatable. Folks that do a lot of content uploads to work networks, cloud and other providers may benefit from the increase in upload bandwidth. If you mostly ‘consume’ that is download large content, then it’s less important.

I think the other points @Msh has covered off.

If you want to read more about them Mark has some articles on here which may help inform you.



 
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Many thanks for the replies. The information you've given is encouraging. I'll be honest, I've not really been aware of the 'altnet' thing; I've been waiting for BT/OpenReach and had assumed that they were/would be the only game in town. Thank you for enlightening me!

But it looks as if ConnectFibre are going to be the only game in town where I live so I shall probably sign up with them. Their website suggests that doing so at this stage doesn't commit me so nothing lost, etc, but potentially some savings gained.

PS - I had done a search for 'ConnectFibre' on this site, and had found the original 2019 post referred-to, but hadn't spotted the others. They seem to be switching their attention to the NE Derbyshire/S Yorkshire/N Notts triangle - Creswell, Killamarsh, Thorne are all mentioned.
 
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Many thanks for the replies. The information you've given is encouraging. I'll be honest, I've not really been aware of the 'altnet' thing; I've been waiting for BT/OpenReach and had assumed that they were/would be the only game in town. Thank you for enlightening me!
It's quite an irritating problem in the UK market at the moment. People tend to learn about altnets that are absolutely irrelevant to their area, or move to another area where they don't exist and subsequently don't learn what's new in the area.
At least Connect Fibre are putting effort into letting the residents they exist.

But it looks as if ConnectFibre are going to be the only game in town where I live so I shall probably sign up with them. Their website suggests that doing so at this stage doesn't commit me so nothing lost, etc, but potentially some savings gained.
Building fibre networks takes a lot of time and effort. Even if another shows up soon (and there are a few in your part of the country), there's a good chance it'll not be during the time you're in the contract anyway.

PS - I had done a search for 'ConnectFibre' on this site, and had found the original 2019 post referred-to, but hadn't spotted the others. They seem to be switching their attention to the NE Derbyshire/S Yorkshire/N Notts triangle - Creswell, Killamarsh, Thorne are all mentioned.
They have a list of regions here.

Personally, I'd probably end up signing up with them if I wasn't currently in a contract.
 
I am waiting alt network in Stevenage... more speed better price competition always good for us customers 😄
 
They have a list of regions here.

And indeed SW Sheffield is included.
Personally, I'd probably end up signing up with them if I wasn't currently in a contract.
At the moment they're just taking pre-orders, with no definite commitment. Delivery is supposed to be from November this year and my current BT contract runs out in the New Year, so that seems handy. And indeed the delivery date might well slip.


I'd like to ask another question, please: there must be some record somewhere of this company (and others, in other locations) getting permission, or approval, to do all this. Would this be from OfCom? And if so, is it publicly available/checkable? I'm not doubting ConnectFibre's powers or anything, but I have become quite interested in the administrative underpinnings of all this.
 
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And indeed SW Sheffield is included.

At the moment they're just taking pre-orders, with no definite commitment. Delivery is supposed to be from November this year and my current BT contract runs out in the New Year, so that seems handy. And indeed the delivery date might well slip.


I'd like to ask another question, please: there must be some record somewhere of this company (and others, in other locations) getting permission, or approval, to do all this. Would this be from OfCom? And if so, is it publicly available/checkable? I'm not doubting ConnectFibre's powers or anything, but I have become quite interested in the administrative underpinnings of all this.
They’d have code powers, however they’ll need to apply for street permits for any roadworks, footpath incursions etc. so the local authority will hold these records - however only a brief / nondescript outline is typically only available to members of the public. Check out bidb
 
Just for completeness here as bidb doesn't currently show historic completed works; here are all the works Connect Fibre have marked as completed in/around Totley

HGVPfHL.png
 
Just for completeness here as bidb doesn't currently show historic completed works; here are all the works Connect Fibre have marked as completed in/around Totley

HGVPfHL.png
And indeed that is exactly where I live. In fact I've had a good look at some of those new poles!

Can I ask, where did you find this map? (What's 'bidb'?) And what's the significance of the three comments below it?:

Primary Connection: BT Openreach FTTP 900
Active Redundancy: Three 5G
Router: MikroTik CCR2004-1G-12S+2XS
 
And indeed that is exactly where I live. In fact I've had a good look at some of those new poles!

Can I ask, where did you find this map? (What's 'bidb'?) And what's the significance of the three comments below it?:

Primary Connection: BT Openreach FTTP 900
Active Redundancy: Three 5G
Router: MikroTik CCR2004-1G-12S+2XS
That’s his signature 😂
 
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Can I ask, where did you find this map? (What's 'bidb'?) And what's the significance of the three comments below it?:
bidb.uk - a project of mine for tracking fibre rollouts.

That map came from the data I hold for bidb's streetworks information. It originates from feeds from gov.uk's Street Manager. It's just a screenshot of a database query.

and the rest is just info about my own connection; totally irrelevant (to pretty much everything I say here, maybe it should just go 😅)
 
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