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Unusable speeds while next-door neighbors have full fiber

mbas

Casual Member
Hi everyone,

So I moved into a new house (rented) and this place is very close to the center of a major city so it's not a rural area. The place is in a cul de sac residential area.
Unfortunately, I found out that there is no fiber broadband and I am getting abysmal speeds.
Openreach says that technically I got FTTC with speeds up to 80mbps. However, the actual speeds I have been offered are 4-6 Mbps download and 0.9mbps upload. I have tried different providers and all are promising the same.
The reason I am writing this post is that every single house in that cul de sac has got full fiber broadband except 4 houses. (Please see attached image).

I find the fact that these 4 houses including mine have been left out of plans for fiber in a major city, hugely unfair. Not only this but also no future plans from any fiber supplier to supply these 4 houses. Even though the current speeds are not usable by any means.

Just to add, I have also tried 5G/4G broadband and it is hit-and-miss, there are lots of surrounding buildings that are blocking the signal and I can barely get one or two bars of signal. I will need to invest a lot of money to get some antennas which again might be hit-and-miss and will also need the landlord's permission.

Please advise if there is anything that can be done about this situation. Is there any way to complain about being left out of plans? I mean surely 5mbps in 2022 in a major city should be worthy of complaining.
 
The first thing I would do is complete the Openreach Availability Checker Enquiry form and in the drop-down reason for the enquiry select:

“I cannot get fibre but my neighbours can”

There are further, more direct, escalations at your disposal such as using the executive complaints team by writing to the CEO, Clive Selley, but I would try the Openreach enquiry form first.
 
The first thing I would do is complete the Openreach Availability Checker Enquiry form and in the drop-down reason for the enquiry select:

“I cannot get fibre but my neighbours can”

There are further, more direct, escalations at your disposal such as using the executive complaints team by writing to the CEO, Clive Selley, but I would try the Openreach enquiry form first.
Thank you for your answer.
That was actually the first thing I did. A couple of days later I received a message from an advisor which seemed like a generic message. They said that no plans for my area at the moment and advised looking into Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) on Demand which basically means that I have to pay for everything as you know.
 
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Sorry to hear you are having this problem. Please excuse if teaching to suck eggs.
The thing that stuck out to me seems a confusion in terms. Whether its just in this thread or when speaking to Openreach or just Openreach not understanding what you are asking for. From what I have read here you are asking to have the same as your neighbours which is FTTC (Fibre to the Curb) to avoid confusion I would say do not describe this as "full fibre" because that is not what you are asking for. FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) is full fibre. FTTC being fibre to the green street cab and copper from there. Then Openreach responded as if you had enquired about FTTP, which you hadn't. So it might even be them not reading the request properly. Their focus being on FTTP. Your request going to the wrong team to answer.

Given the speeds quoted it appears as though you are getting ADSL?
I would go back to your ISP or Openreach (OR). Usually your ISP as Openreach contract is with your ISP. Raise a fault. Prob try and fob you off saying speed dependent on numerous factors.. blah.. push for Openreach to investigate - maybe get the wiring checked - whether you are direct to exchange - whether you can be moved to a copper pair to local street cab. Restate want to understand why neighbours can get FTTC, but you can't. Openreach rely on database - in professional capacity - I have known I have spare fibres at work for a new connection - but OR tell me all fibres are used - even though I know old circuits have been ceased. They are going on the database for info - sometimes that DB is not accurate.
A possible reason could be same as happened to an ex-colleague of mine a couple of years ago. He moved into a flat and tried to get FTTC, but was told only ADSL available. This was because the FTTC green cabs were all full. This might be the case for you - but be good to know if that is the reason and see if can get on waiting list to take over a ceased connection.

As for 4G, 5G... yes going to cost money. Test with a mobile and a few different SIMs. If have Amazon Prime. Order a router and antenna from there. Try it, if not, send back and get money back. Ask on here for advise on what kit to buy. Lots of helpful members will help you if needed - what websites to find masts, best signal, what router to go for, what antenna to go for. Good thing if can get it working - you can shop around for SIM deals any pay less what you would for internet down your phone line.
 
Sorry to hear you are having this problem. Please excuse if teaching to suck eggs.
The thing that stuck out to me seems a confusion in terms. Whether its just in this thread or when speaking to Openreach or just Openreach not understanding what you are asking for. From what I have read here you are asking to have the same as your neighbours which is FTTC (Fibre to the Curb) to avoid confusion I would say do not describe this as "full fibre" because that is not what you are asking for. FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) is full fibre. FTTC being fibre to the green street cab and copper from there. Then Openreach responded as if you had enquired about FTTP, which you hadn't. So it might even be them not reading the request properly. Their focus being on FTTP. Your request going to the wrong team to answer.

Given the speeds quoted it appears as though you are getting ADSL?
I would go back to your ISP or Openreach (OR). Usually your ISP as Openreach contract is with your ISP. Raise a fault. Prob try and fob you off saying speed dependent on numerous factors.. blah.. push for Openreach to investigate - maybe get the wiring checked - whether you are direct to exchange - whether you can be moved to a copper pair to local street cab. Restate want to understand why neighbours can get FTTC, but you can't. Openreach rely on database - in professional capacity - I have known I have spare fibres at work for a new connection - but OR tell me all fibres are used - even though I know old circuits have been ceased. They are going on the database for info - sometimes that DB is not accurate.
A possible reason could be same as happened to an ex-colleague of mine a couple of years ago. He moved into a flat and tried to get FTTC, but was told only ADSL available. This was because the FTTC green cabs were all full. This might be the case for you - but be good to know if that is the reason and see if can get on waiting list to take over a ceased connection.

As for 4G, 5G... yes going to cost money. Test with a mobile and a few different SIMs. If have Amazon Prime. Order a router and antenna from there. Try it, if not, send back and get money back. Ask on here for advise on what kit to buy. Lots of helpful members will help you if needed - what websites to find masts, best signal, what router to go for, what antenna to go for. Good thing if can get it working - you can shop around for SIM deals any pay less what you would for internet down your phone line.
I am really grateful for your detailed answer. I would like to elaborate on a couple of things.

My house on open reach is showing: FTTC with speeds up to 80mbps.
Neighbors' houses on Openreach are showing: FTTP with speeds up to 1gbps.
The speeds I am actually getting are 5mbps download and 0.9mbps upload.

If you look at the attached map, you can understand my frustration that the whole neighborhood has full fiber whilst I am getting these unusable speeds.
When I wrote to Openreach about this they advised me to get FTTP on my own.

I have already bought a 5G three router and the signal is bad, the speed is fluctuating, and is unreliable.
 
Thank you for your answer.
That was actually the first thing I did. A couple of days later I received a message from an advisor which seemed like a generic message. They said that no plans for my area at the moment and advised looking into Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) on Demand which basically means that I have to pay for everything as you know.
Have you written to the CEO / executive complaints team?
 
Ah ok. Then there seems to be a fault with your FTTC. Talking about FTTP might have confused the situation? I would advise to speak to your ISP and raise a fault. Sometimes frustrating with ISPs - "you have an internet connection what's the problem". Advise them that are on FTTC. What speed guarantee does your current ISP offer? 4 - 6Mbps seems very slow guarantee for FTTC. Is there any line quality stats and evidence of line drops that you can grab from the router to indicate a fault. To cover all bases how are you testing 4 to 6 Mbps? Want to check not a poor wireless signal. Given the info you supply and my take - I would be logging a fault on the line / see if can build a case for that.
 
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I am really grateful for your detailed answer. I would like to elaborate on a couple of things.

My house on open reach is showing: FTTC with speeds up to 80mbps.
Neighbors' houses on Openreach are showing: FTTP with speeds up to 1gbps.
The speeds I am actually getting are 5mbps download and 0.9mbps upload.

If you look at the attached map, you can understand my frustration that the whole neighborhood has full fiber whilst I am getting these unusable speeds.
When I wrote to Openreach about this they advised me to get FTTP on my own.

I have already bought a 5G three router and the signal is bad, the speed is fluctuating, and is unreliable.
I sympathise with your problem.
As far as the Three router...is it on a window sill? Position is key and moving or even just turning a few cms can make a big difference to improve both signal strength and signal to noise ratio. Try ALL of your windows....
Have you checked the Three coverage checker? What does that say for your address? It will tell you if it will work outside and or inside the house.
If it says inside, then phone Three for more help with the speeds.
They are upgrading and installing masts all the time so this could still end up your best bet as FTTP / Openreach can take years. An antenna need not cost a fortune and there are a few threads on here that will help you with that.

Have you found out if there is an independent fibre supplier on your road...such as City Fibre or similar? They could be more helpful than Openreach and may be able to hook you up. Ask your neighbours which they are on...
Good luck, let us know how you get on.
 
When taking up the issue with OR it may help to understand the history as to why most of the premises in the close can get FTTP and yours can't. It may be a database error or an engineering one or both.

My questions would be:
Are yours or any of FTTP homes fairly recent (build or conversion) and if so, the year and are they the same developer?
Are the homes supplied in the same way (e.g Pole or UG or mixed)
Is there a distinguishing feature of the four premises such as shared drives or private land which may cause a consent issue.
How far are you from the copper line cabinet (PCP/FTTC)?.

My view is the more you can find out the more focused your complaint can be.

Check https://bidb.uk/ for any likely activity and mobile coverage (as a guide).

You may need to share your exact location to one of us on the forum directly to assist.
 
Have you written to the CEO / executive complaints team?
No, I haven't. Probably will do it next.




Ah ok. Then there seems to be a fault with your FTTC. Talking about FTTP might have confused the situation? I would advise to speak to your ISP and raise a fault. Sometimes frustrating with ISPs - "you have an internet connection what's the problem". Advise them that are on FTTC. What speed guarantee does your current ISP offer? 4 - 6Mbps seems very slow guarantee for FTTC. Is there any line quality stats and evidence of line drops that you can grab from the router to indicate a fault. To cover all bases how are you testing 4 to 6 Mbps? Want to check not a poor wireless signal. Given the info you supply and my take - I would be logging a fault on the line / see if can build a case for that.
The guaranteed speed when I was offered was 5mbps, some providers were even offering as low as 2mbps. So it is not a problem with my wifi. That is also the speed that the router is getting on its internal page.
I signed up with Talk Talk and the sales team was not able to help with anything regarding the speed. The only thing the said was to contact them if the speed drops below 5mbps.
 
I sympathise with your problem.
As far as the Three router...is it on a window sill? Position is key and moving or even just turning a few cms can make a big difference to improve both signal strength and signal to noise ratio. Try ALL of your windows....
Have you checked the Three coverage checker? What does that say for your address? It will tell you if it will work outside and or inside the house.
If it says inside, then phone Three for more help with the speeds.
They are upgrading and installing masts all the time so this could still end up your best bet as FTTP / Openreach can take years. An antenna need not cost a fortune and there are a few threads on here that will help you with that.

Have you found out if there is an independent fibre supplier on your road...such as City Fibre or similar? They could be more helpful than Openreach and may be able to hook you up. Ask your neighbours which they are on...
Good luck, let us know how you get on.

It is on a window yes, the only room and only window at home where it gets a signal. Getting barely one bar. On their website, I am fully covered by 5G. But the indoor signal is very poor. If you see the map, the house is buried in the deep part of the cul de sac making it far from masts. However, to be honest, when I hold the router outside, I get a much better signal and speed.
As a result, I just bought an external antenna and TS9 adapters, and if you check my other thread, it didn't make any difference, it even seems to have broken the router. The main problem really with this is even when I was getting good speeds, the latency was so bad and there was lots of packet loss affecting my remote work.

As for independent fiber suppliers, I am not sure how to check them, seems like neighbors have had fiber for a while and just signed up with their ISP for an upgrade.
 
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When taking up the issue with OR it may help to understand the history as to why most of the premises in the close can get FTTP and yours can't. It may be a database error or an engineering one or both.

My questions would be:
Are yours or any of FTTP homes fairly recent (build or conversion) and if so, the year and are they the same developer?
Are the homes supplied in the same way (e.g Pole or UG or mixed)
Is there a distinguishing feature of the four premises such as shared drives or private land which may cause a consent issue.
How far are you from the copper line cabinet (PCP/FTTC)?.

My view is the more you can find out the more focused your complaint can be.

Check https://bidb.uk/ for any likely activity and mobile coverage (as a guide).

You may need to share your exact location to one of us on the forum directly to assist.

Thank you for the detailed answer.
1. None of the houses are recently built, actually if you look at the map, the houses on the part close to the main road are actually older than the houses inside.
2. There are no poles that I can see so I have to assume it's all underground.
3. There are no distinguishing features for these 4 houses, if you look at the map the houses are the southernmost houses, but so are the houses on the southwestern part. No other features that I can see.
4. I am not sure where the cabinet is.


I am happy to share my exact location if that helps.
 
So what exactly is the BT Wholesale checker reporting for the four houses marked with an 'X' and what is it reporting for the other houses with a 'check' mark?

You can obscure the address detail - just post up the relevant tabular result (including the footnotes).
 
So what exactly is the BT Wholesale checker reporting for the four houses marked with an 'X' and what is it reporting for the other houses with a 'check' mark?

You can obscure the address detail - just post up the relevant tabular result (including the footnotes).

That's what it shows for my house:

And that's what it shows for one of my neighbors:
 
That's what it shows for my house:

And that's what it shows for one of my neighbors:
Hmmm. If I was you I would be crafting that considered, well worded email to Clive Selley about why my property in a Fibre Priority exchange area had been excluded from the FTTP rollout with only 4 Mbps FTTC or 3 Mbps ADSL as an option....whilst my neighbours can get native FTTP.
 
Hmmm. If I was you I would be crafting that considered, well worded email to Clive Selley about why my property in a Fibre Priority exchange area had been excluded from the FTTP rollout with only 4 Mbps FTTC or 3 Mbps ADSL as an option....whilst my neighbours can get native FTTP.
I will do so, the only problem is that English is not my first language. So not sure about the "well worded" thing. 😅
 
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As it stands your fixed-line broadband speeds are beneath the Universal Service Obligation (USO) threshold.

You could therefore request (demand) an upgrade to your connection on this basis:


Now BT may decide to offer you a 4G/5G solution in lieu of FTTP, but I reckon its worth the ask.
 
It is on a window yes, the only room and only window at home where it gets a signal. Getting barely one bar. On their website, I am fully covered by 5G. But the indoor signal is very poor. If you see the map, the house is buried in the deep part of the cul de sac making it far from masts. However, to be honest, when I hold the router outside, I get a much better signal and speed.
As a result, I just bought an external antenna and TS9 adapters, and if you check my other thread, it didn't make any difference, it even seems to have broken the router. The main problem really with this is even when I was getting good speeds, the latency was so bad and there was lots of packet loss affecting my remote work.

As for independent fiber suppliers, I am not sure how to check them, seems like neighbors have had fiber for a while and just signed up with their ISP for an upgrade.
Ok well I would not use the bars as a guide, not very accurate...look at the signal strength when you log in to the router...closer to zero the better...twist and turn it to get the lowest reading. You might find a sweet spot.

Unfortunately the antenna socket on the router is extremely fragile...wired straight on to the motherboard. The forums are full of reports about this and it sounds like yours may have broken also.
It's a shame because I still think 5G is your best bet...towers are springing up all over the place and old ones upgraded..and you do have good signal already, at least outside your house. Mine works really well on the window sill...no antenna needed....it's better upstairs...but it's no use at all in the middle of the room.

Up until a few months ago I only had slow, copper wired broadband as an option. Now I have FTTC and 2 x FTTP suppliers as well as Three, wireless 5G.
So there is some hope for us all. All the best with it.
 
I will do so, the only problem is that English is not my first language. So not sure about the "well worded" thing. 😅
Your command of English based on your interaction on this thread seems perfectly good. Just keep the message to the Openreach CEO factual, less can often be more. Perhaps show the output of the DSL checker for your property and the one next door and ask why 4 properties in your cul de sac have been left to languish on FTTC.
 
All right,
I thought I would share this news with you guys.

So I have written a formal complaint and sent it to the CEO of Openreach and also sent a copy to my local MP.
I have summarised the situation and attached the same map as above along with technical details from BT wholesale page for me and my next-door neighbor who got full fiber.
A few hours later on the same day, I received a follow-up email from the executive-level complaints team saying they will formally investigate this with the technical team.
24 hours later I received this response (through a phone call on my personal mobile first thing in the morning)

I’ve had a look at our fibre infrastructure in your area and I’ve established there capacity on the network.

This means that full fibre is now showing as available to order at your address.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to hear this. I couldn't believe my ears that I will be getting full fiber after struggling with 5mpbs speeds. I kept saying: can you repeat this, please? Are you sure I can order this now?

I have ordered Fibre 500 today and should go live in three weeks' time.

Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions.
May you all have a good day!
 
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