FTTP on Demand (FTTPoD)

Modified on Mon, 21 Oct at 6:36 PM

What is FTTP on Demand (FTTPoD), and how is it ordered and installed?

This is a very in depth article, deliberately technical, and aimed at those providing support for FTTPoD. If you are a customer, an end-user of this service, you may still find this article helpful so as to gain an insight into the fulfillment journey.

Key differences to regular FTTP

has a variable installation cost based on distance and location
radial distance between customer premises and fibre aggregation node can be up to 999 m
typical lead times are 6 to 12 months
minimum term of 1 years
increased cost, reflecting extra work to provide fibre over a greater distance or through difficult obstacles
installed as 330 Mbps (50 Mbps up), but up-gradable to 1000 Mbps (220 Mbps up) after 12 months
- After initial 12 months standard FTTP, at standard pricing, can be selected instead of the FTTPoD 330/50.

Order journey

Desk survey: this will determine if an FTTPoD order can potentially be provided, based on the following info:
- Site postcode
- Full address of property
Site survey: OpenReach will survey the site, route to fibre aggregation node, and assess requirements for Local Authority Highways permits and/or wayleave agreements with any land owners or property owners upon which the proposed fibre cable ducting and/or overhead poles will impact.
- There is non-refundable charge for this survey of £350+VAT; deducted from the bill if order goes ahead
Acceptance of ECCs(Excess Construction Charges): customer agrees to the quoted installation fee
- IMPORTANT: customer only has 20 working days to accept or reject quoted ECCs
Planning: route for new infrastructure is planned, and any necessary planning permissions, highway closure agreements, and wayleaves are sought. This process takes a minimum of 3 months. A prospective completion date is provided for the customer so that they can plan their interim connectivity to match.
Build infrastructure: new ducting, overhead poles, optical cable laying, distribution points, and network capacity and built. this process can take as little as 3 months, but possibly up to 9 months in difficult to deploy scenarios. The build phase is KCI (keep custom informed) so that any delays are reported back to the customer immediately.
Installation of CSP: OpenReach engineer attaches external CSP (Customer Splicing Point) box to property, and connects to either Footway or Pole (underground ducting or overhead cable).
Internal installation: Optical cable fed through wall from CSP to interior of property, along to the interior ONT (Optical Network Terminator); the ONT presents a standard Gigabit Ethernet connector for connection to CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) - the customer's router. Subsequent to an internet connectivity test, OpenReach hand over the solution as "completed".
- The ONT can be up to 5 m from the external entry point, or 30 m if a "Premium" install is authroized
- The ONT must have 2 x wall-mounted power sockets within 1.5 m (extension cables not acceptable)