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Fibre Broadband: Who’s Doing It? UK ISPs offering FTTC and FTTP

Latest news for Fibre Broadband: Who’s Doing It?More than 60 ISPs in the UK offer fibre-optic broadband, whether it’s half-fat superfast FTTC (fibre to the cabinet), or full-fat ultrafast FTTP (fibre to the premises).

BT Openreach, which maintains the last mile from the exchange to homes and businesses, has supplied a list of ISPs who resell its services, and we’ve added some who also provide FTTC or FTTP on their own or through BT Wholesale.

I know an ISP offering FTTC or FTTP that’s not in your guide. What do I do?

If you know of another ISP deploying FTTC or FTTP in the UK, leave a comment below or email us at digital@recombu.com.

Why isn’t Virgin Media on the list?

Technically, DOCSIS cable is a version of FTTC but it currently delivers up to 120Mbps, and has been driven up to 4.7Gbps in trials, so it doesn’t fit into either category.

Fibre broadband connection by AndyRobertsPhotos/Flickr

Who’s providing FTTC?

NOTE: Most FTTC connections carry additional line rental charges.

  • AAISP: Up-to-40Mbps for business only via BT’s network, from £22.20/month plus VAT, with £100 installation. Also trialling an all-you-can-eat FTTC Etherway product with BT Openreach.
  • ADSL 24: Up-to-80Mbps down with up-to-20Mpbs up from £19.90/month for home users via BT’s network, or from £16.58+VAT/month for business.
  • Aquiss: Up-to-80Mbps from £30/month for home users, or £28+VAT/month for business.
  • Ask4: Uses Digital Region’s network in South Yorkshire at up-to-40Mbps, from £25/month.
  • BT: Choice of up-to-38Mbps with BT Infinity from £18/month, or up-to-76Mbps with BT Infinity 2 from £26/month.
  • Chess: Up-to-76Mbps business broadband from £24.99/month with 500GB of usage.
  • Claranet SOHO: Up to 80MBps with 20Mbps upstream over BT’s network, from £30.98/month.
  • Clearstream: Business ISP and network services provider with its own national POP network, and connections via BT Openreach FTTC.
  • Daisy Wholesale: Business ISP offering BT Openreach FTTC as one of a range of services.
  • Digital City: Sheffield-based ISP on the Digital Region network, offering businesses in the city up-to-40Mbps down and up-to-10Mbps up. Price on application.
  • DTC Direct: Docklands Telecom Centre at up-to-80Mbps down (up-to-20Mbps up) with up to 500GB usage.
  • Eclipse: Up-to-40Mbps downstream from £21.50/month with either 2Mbps or 10Mbps uploads.
  • EE: Up-to-76Mbps FTTC broadband available from £10/month with EE mobile customers getting £5 off all packages.
  • Entanet: FTTC at up-to-80Mbps over the BT Openreach network for both home and business users.
  • EXA Networks: Business ISP using the BT Openreach network for up-to-76Mbps connections.
  • Fast: A choice of download usage packages via BT’s network at up-to-40Mbps from £22.45/month, with 2Mbps or 10Mbps upload speeds.
  • Fluidata: Business ISP on the Digital Region network in South Yorkshire, offering low-contention connections at up-to-80Mbps down and 20Mbps up. Price on application.
  • Gamma: Up-to-80Mbps over the BT Openreach network, with its own national backbone.
  • Goscomb: Uses BT’s network for up-to-40Mbps with either 2Mbps or 10Mbps up, and a choice of usage allowances, from £20/month plus setup.
  • Griffin: Up-to-80Mbps business FTTC over BT Openreach.
  • IDnet: Home and business FTTC at up-to-80Mbps down / up-to-20Mbps up, from £25.52/month over BT’s network.
  • IFB: Up-to-80Mbps over BT Openreach for IFB Velocity business users, with 16Mbps guaranteed at peak times.
  • Kcom: National business arm of the Hull-based Kingston Communications group, offering upt-o-80Mbps over BT’s network as part of a range of services.
  • LittleBigOne: South Yorkshire ISP using Digital Region’s network to deliver up-to-80Mbps and up-to-20Mbps uploads, from £25/month plus setup.
  • Mainstream Digital: FTTC via the BT Openreach network is just one of many business ISP and hosting services.
  • MDNX: Business-grade FTTC with BT Openreach, with minimum speed guarantees.
  • Merula: From £16/month for up-to-40Mbps, with either 2Mbps or 10Mbps uploads, over BT’s network.
  • Newnet: BT-based with up-to-40Mbps from £30/month plus installation, with 10Mbps uploads.
  • Origin Broadband: Connects via Digital Region’s network in South Yorkshire, with speeds from 24Mbps down (10Mbps up) at £17.50/month, to 100Mbps or more (with 30Mbps up) for some customers.
  • Plusnet: Via BT’s network, with up-to-38Mbps from £16.49/month and up-to-76Mbps from £19.99/month.
  • POP Telecom: Home and business connections at up-to-80Mbps via the BT Openrach network.
  • Sky: Up-to-76Mbps over BT’s network, at £20/month for up-to-38Mpbs and £30/month for up-to-76Mbps.
  • Spectrum Internet: South Wales ISP running at up to 30Mbps for £38/month with 100GB usage.
  • Spitfire: Business-only ISP using BT’s network, delivering up-to-40Mbps down and 2Mbps or 10Mbps up, from £29/month.
  • TalkTalk: Adds on to Essentials or Plus broadband packages, using BT’s network, at £10/month for up-to-38Mbps or £15/month for up-to-76Mbps, plus £30 installation.
  • Timico: Up-to-38Mbps starts at £26/month with 9Mbps upload, up-to-76Mbps with 19Mbps up from £31/month. Uses BT network.
  • TitanADSL: From £25.99/month for up-to-40Mbps with 10Mbps uploads over BT’s network.
  • uno/xilo: Up-to-40Mbps with 2Mbps uploads from £22.99/month, and up-to-76Mbps with 20Mbps uploads from £29.99/month.
  • Updata: Symmetrical and assymetrical FTTC for business users via BT Openreach, into a national backbone for both  internet and closed regional networks.
  • Utility Warehouse: National reseller offering FTTC from £21.49/month with unlimited usage and UK landline phone calls.
  • UTV: Northern Ireland ISP providing up-to-40Mbps from £24.99/month with either 2Mbps or 10Mbps upload, using BT’s network.
  • Vispa: From £21.99/month for up-to-40Mbps downloads with 2Mbps up, with optional 10Mbps uploads.
  • Vivaciti: Up-to-80Mbps over BT’s network, from £25.89/month, with either 2Mbps or 10Mbps uploads.
  • Web Tapestry: Business and home broadband at up-to-40Mbps from £19.99/month, with either 2Mbps or 10Mbps uploads, over BT’s network.
  • XLN: Unlimited business fibre broadband over the BT network at up-to-40Mbps for £24.97/month (+VAT).
  • Zen: Provides both up-to-38Mbps or up-to-76Mbps over BT’s network, starting at £27.60/month. Uploads at 1.9Mbps or 19Mbps.

Who’s providing FTTP?

NOTE: Many FTTP connections carry additional line rental charges.

  • AAISP: Uses BT’s FTTP service to deliver 100Mbps at £34.20/month with 15Mbps upstream.
  • BT: Infinity 100Mbps FTTP from £35/month in selected locations. Currently trialling 330Mbps FTTP with small user group [link].
  • Claranet SOHO: Business connections at 110/15Mbps or 100/30Mbps, from £63.99/month, using BT’s network.
  • Entanet: One of BT’s FTTP trial partners, already offering up to 330Mbps where available.
  • Fibrebrand: Bournemouth-based ISP using the CityFibre network to deliver 1Gbps connections in BH10 and BH11 postcodes as part of a pre-launch trial.
  • Hyperoptic: London-based ISP and network owner, offering speeds from 20Mbps for £12.50/month to 1Gcps for £50/month.
  • KC: Hull-area ISP Kinsgston Communications offers FTTP from £35/month for 45Mbps, rising to £99/month for 350Mbps downstream.
  • MDNX: Trial partner for BT’s FTTP rollout expected to offer to business customers as the seervice expands aroudn the UK.
  • Plusnet: No commercial services, but currently trialling 330Mbps FTTP with limited user group.
  • Spectrum Internet: Business-grade fibre broadband across South Wales from Chepstow to Haverfordwest with coverage in Cardiff, Swansea and Carmarthen, at up to 10Gbps.
  • Updata: Business data services provider planning to implement FTTP for client network access.
  • Velocity 1: Irish ISP Magnet is expanding into Wembley City, student residences nationwide and the Greenwich Peninsula in London with speeds from 30Mbps for £20/month up to 100Mbps for £40/month.

Image Credit: Flickr user AndyRobertsPhotos

Latest news for Who’s Doing Fibre Broadband?

Openreach reaches 13m FTTC-ready homes but just 1.25m connected

More than three quarters of British homes and businesses can now access superfast fibre broadband through BT Openreach, but only 7 per cent are connected.

Parent company BT plc BT announced today that Openreach has put more than 13 million homes in range of FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet), from a total of 17.4m.

Fibre Broadband: Who’s Doing It? Openreach reaches 13m FTTC-ready homes but just 1.25m connected
Openreach FTTC is reaching 100,000 addresses every week

Engineers are adding more than 100,000 FTTC-ready properties per week, with 1.3m more added in the last three months of 2012.

The long haul will be convincing customers to sign up: just 1.25m homes are connected to FTTC across the UK, and a million of these are on BT Infinity with BT Retail, Openreach’s sister company.

The good news is that fibre sign-ups are rising, with more than 250,000 coming aboard in the last quarter of 2012 alone.

February 1, 2013

BT pilot could pave the way for FTTC self-install

ISPs like Sky and TalkTalk which use BT Openreach’s FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) network could soon supply their own modems to customers instead of having to to use the Openreach-branded ones.

Openreach has launched a pilot which could give other ISPs more control over the end user installation experience and integrate VDSL modem technology into their own routers.

Fibre Broadband: Who’s Doing It?  BT pilot could pave the way for FTTC self-install

Called ‘PCP-Only installation’ (Primary Connection Point), the pilot will see Openreach responsible for connecting homes on the FTTC network, checking for data activity and then leaving the ISP to do the rest. As well as potentially allowing for VDSL modem and routers to be combined, Openreach is looking to future-proof technology as speeds increase:

“Openreach’s move to a pilot phase for the PCP-Only installation approach is paving the way for allowing communications providers (CPs) more control around the end user’s installation experience, including the potential to integrate VDSL modem capability into their own devices.

“It’s up to individual CPs to decide if and when they decide to adopt this approach. We are working with CPs and industry bodies, such as the NICC and Broadband Forum, to make sure that such devices will be able to connect to and perform on the Openreach network, even as it continues to evolve.”

Freeing up the installation process and letting other ISPs get involved could also pave the way for customers to self-install FTTC equipment. If everything you need to get connected is in one box, connecting to faster broadband speeds could be a simple as current self-install methods on typical ADSL broadband packages.

January 2, 2013

BT trialling 220Mbps superfast fibre broadband

BT Openreach is trialling superfast fibre broadband speeds of up to 220Mbps (downloads) and 20Mbps (uploads) in four locations.

The new speeds, available on FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) lines, will be available in selected locations in Bradwell Abbey, Chester South, Exeter and York.

Fibre Broadband: Who’s Doing It?  BT trialling 220Mbps superfast fibre broadband

Only areas in these locations that are already part of Openreach’s current FTTP network will be able to sign up. The trial will take place throughout February 2013.

When the trial is over, Openreach will then extend the 220/20Mbps service to the other lines on its FTTP footprint. So ISPs like BT, Claranet SOHO and Zen could offer fibre broadband up to 220Mbps from the 1st of March onwards.

We contacted Openreach about the trial and so far all we know is that “BT is offering a range of speed options of which 220/20Mbps will be one.”

This is due to be available in June 2013. Other options currently available include 100/15Mbps, 110/15Mbps, 100/30Mbps, 330/20Mbps and 330/30Mbps.

A proof of concept trial has shown that BT’s FTTP network is capable of providing speeds of up to 10Gbps, so there’s room to go even faster if need be.

January 2, 2013

Openreach cuts FTTP prices for ISPs

Openreach has announced that it will be slashing the rental price of its 330Mbps FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) lines next summer, making it cheaper for other ISPs like TalkTalk, Sky and Zen Internet to offer FTTP to their customers.

Currently it costs ISPs £60/month to rent FTTP lines from BT, which in June 2013 will fall to £38/month.

Whether or not this 37 per cent saving gets passed on to the customer in some form or not of course is up to each ISP. It’ll likely depend on the demand for FTTP, which is currently available in just 20 locations in the UK.

Fibre Broadband: Who’s Doing It? Openreach cuts FTTP prices for ISPs

When BT’s FTTP On Demand programme rolls out, we should see FTTP coverage increasing. The FTTP On Demand trials are due to finish finish by Summer 2013, after which customers can pay to convert the copper ‘last mile’ of FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) with a fibre optic line, changing it from semi-skimmed FTTC into full fat FTTP.

December 5, 2012

Plusnet £5 a month for 76Mbps introductory offer

Plusnet has sneakily snuck out a new introductory offer – £5/month for its new up to 76Mbps fibre broadband packages for the first three months.

Added to the cost of Plusnet line rental of £9.49/month this works out at £14.49/month for the Extra Fibre Broadband & Calls bundle deal.

This gives you a monthly data cap 250GB plus unlimited overnight usage, a top upload speed of 19.5Mbps and evening and weekend calls to UK landlines. A wireless router is bundled free, but comes with a £4.99 charge for postage and packaging.

After the three month introductory period, the price of Extra Fibre Broadband returns to the normal rate of £19.99/month. Combined with the line rental this climbs to £30.48/month

Note that line rental only works out at £10.49 if you take a year’s worth of line rental out with Plusnet up front. If you opt out of Plusnet Line Rental Saver, then the price climbs to £12.99.

Plusnet is also discounting its Extra Fibre Broadband & Anytime Calls deal, which currently costs £8.49/month for the first three months. Again, after this period is up, the normal price of £23.49/month applies.

These deals are only Customers ordering online and those after the £5/month deal will need to quote ‘fibre5’ where prompted.

November 2, 2012

Digital Region to get over 50 new ISPs

Digital Region to get over 50 new ISPs

Digital Region, the fibre network that serves over 400,000 homes and 40,000 businesses in South Yorkshire will soon be home to over 50 new ISPs, thanks to a new Service Exchange Platform (SEP) deal.

The SEP was possible thanks to Fluidata, NETadmin Systems and Magdelene working with Digital Region to breathe new life into the regional network.

The three network management and ISP specialists have collaborated before on plugging a not-spot in Hampshire but this is the first time they’ve worked together on something this big.

The deal sees South Yorkshire residents now having more choice than anywhere in Europe and, according to NETadmin CEO Torbjorn Sandberg, “almost anywhere in the world.”

The Digital Region network uses FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) broadband to deliver speeds of up to 80Mbps to its customers. ISPs such as LittleBigOne have launched with some fanfare on the network but that hasn’t stopped Digital Region being put up for tender.

As ISP Review’s report says Digital Region still doesn’t have an owner and should BT step in to buy it up, then it could be the same story in South Yorkshire as it is elsewhere in the UK when it comes to choice.

October 31, 2012

Openreach to update FTTP choices in late 2013

BT Openreach will streamline the choice of fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) services for UK ISPs from 10 to five in September 2013.

The reduction will follow the launch of a new option in July 2013, providing 220Mbps downstream and 20Mbps upstream.

BT said the move follows consultation with ISPs, who didn’t want to offer or support a large range of FTTP choices.

“The revised portfolio provides our customers with a much simpler and more defined group of products from which to choose, allowing them to match the right GEA-FTTP product to their needs more easily,” BT added.

The new range will be: 40Mbps down/2Mbps up; 40/10Mbps; 80/20Mbps; 220/20Mbps; and 330/30Mbps.

Packages at 40/15Mbps, 100/15Mbps, 110/15Mbps, 100/30Mbps and 330/20Mbps will no longer be available from September 2013, but there will be support for users until March 2014 while ISPs move them onto one of the other packages.

ISPs currently get a discount on the 330/20Mbps service, but this will be discontinued at the end of June 2013 when 220/20Mbps goes live.

Take-up of FTTP over BT is still low, since it’s only available through 15 exchanges.

October 26, 2012

BT Infinity 100 FTTP boosted to 160Mbps

BT Broadband: BT Infinity 100 boosted to 160MbpsBT Infinity 100, the company’s flagship FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) product has had a speed boost, accelerating top download speeds to 160Mbps.

Top upload speeds have also shot up from 15Mbps to 20Mbps, bringing faster connections both up and down to BT customers free of charge.

The 160Mbps speed boost is rolling out now to 11 of the 25 exchanges where BT has enabled FTTP connections. These exchanges are Ashford, Bradwell Abbey, Chester South, Exeter, Forest Hill, Highams Park, Ilford Central, Leytonstone, St. Austell, Truro and York.

The remaining 14 locations – Bude, Burley in Wharfedale, Caxton, Falmouth, Hayle, Innerleithen, Lindfield, Liskeard, Madingley, Mile End, Penryn, Poplar, St Agnes and York – will see speed boosts rolling out over the coming weeks.

October 25, 2012

TalkTalk bringing fibre to Business Broadband

TalkTalk is smartening up its suited and booted Business Broadband deals with some faster fibre speeds.

More than 30,000 street cabinets connected to the upgraded Openreach network will be able to order the FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) based TalkTalk Business Broadband products.

TalkTalk bringing fibre to Business Broadband

As with TalkTalk’s residential Superfast Fibre Broadband packages, you’ll be able to order a Medium package, providing top download speeds of 40Mbps and a more expensive Large package, bringing a faster 80Mbps top download speed.

Available from November onwards, the prices for TalkTalk Business Broadband has yet to be revealed.

Currently, TalkTalk Business Broadband is priced at £24.50/month – £10 for the broadband plus £14.50 for line rental – so we can expect the price of business fibre to be a little upward of that.

October 24, 2012

EE to launch fibre broadband

EE logoMobile phone giant Everything Everywhere has renamed itself EE and promised to launch a superfast FTTC broadband service ‘in the coming weeks’.

EE, which owns Orange and T-Mobile, revealed its fibre broadband plans alongside details of its 4G mobile broadband service, which will launch at the same time.

The EE fibre service will reach 11 million UK homes and businesses by the end of 2012.

It will be an up-to-76Mbps fibre-to-the-cabinet service with up-to-14Mbps uploads, using the BT Openreach network, with customers receiving the Bright Box wireless router currently supplied for Orange Broadband.

September 11, 2012

Plusnet launches 76Mbps fibre broadband speed boost

Plusnet is boosting FTTC fibre broadband speeds across its network from up-to-38Mbps to up-to-76Mbps.

Following a seven-month trial with 700 Plusnet customers, the new service is now available to order everywhere where FTTC is available. The minimum upload speed for Plusnet FTTC broadband has also been boosted to 9.5Mbps.

There are now two tiers of Plusnet FTTC: Value Fibre at up-to-38Mbps down with 9.5Mbps up and 40GB peak-time monthly usage, from £16.49/month; and Extra Fibre at 76/19.5Mbps with 250GB from £19.99/month.

August 21, 2012

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