Openreach and Gigaclear in Matlock

Curious white circles means fibre broadband is coming to Matlock

You will have noticed curious white circles drawn on pavements around Matlock. The explanation is that Openreach is currently installing "fibre to the home" (or as BT calls it "full fibre") to provide what they call "ultrafast" broadband. The circles are the locations for new poles to carry the optical fibre.

The current copper wire connections have reached the limit of what they can deliver, and telecommunications companies throughout the world are now replacing copper with optical fibre. Fibre will future proof telecommunications for many decades allowing new services to be provided. Many of these services have yet to be developed but 4K TV streaming will be better supported on fibre than on copper as will working from home, particularly when more than one of you is active.

Openreach has rigid price controls imposed on it by Ofcom and these price controls determine how the fibre connection is made - in ducts or overhead from poles. New developments have ducts in the ground and the new fibre can often be pulled through. But in older developments, the cable was installed directly into the ground. So there is no underground route for the new cable to follow. In these places, Openreach is planning to install the fibre on poles. In Conservation Areas, Openreach will have to dig the pavements and install ducts or will need to get planning permission if it proposes to use poles.

Elsewhere, Openreach has "permitted development rights" which means that it does not need planning permission to install poles in streets. It may take suggestions for minor changes to pole locations. So it is worth asking the question of the engineers before they start installing the poles and the cable.

Gigaclear is coming to town - what does this mean?

Gigaclear is another broadband supplier that installs its own fibre. Most Internet Service Providers, BT, Carphone Warhouse etc, use Openreach optical fibre and copper. However, some like Gigaclear install their own infrastructure. Gigaclear is coming to Matlock and we have been assured that they will be using Openreach fibre here. So we won't get multiple sets of poles. However, Gigaclear says that they will be installing a few boxes for equipment. They have permitted development rights for these boxes like Openreach and so there isn't much that can be done by the Council.

Your rights

Openreach engineers are saying that once 80% of customers on the Matlock exchange have access to a fibre connection, the copper lines will be switched off and anyone still on copper will not have a telephone service. This is not strictly true. Openreach's website says that once 75% of connections to a particular exchange can get fibre to the home or business, it won't be possible to buy a new copper based product such as a traditional telephone line. Existing contracts will be honoured. But at the end of the contract or if you change supplier you will be placed onto a fibre product. This means you will need a new digital telephone which your service provider should give you. Openreach also says that if you can't get a fibre product, your copper based service will continue. There are exceptions for vulnerable customers and those with critical equipment that may not work. If this applies, you should check with your service provider. Ultimately, however, the copper service will be switched off in Matlock.