Any way to check when fibre will be available in my area?

dub_nerd said:

In answer to your original question -- were KN Circet the network installation guys you spoke to?

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Yes it was. I couldn't remember when I posted originally but recalled since.

dub_nerd said:

We had them pull fibre through underground ducting nearly 2 years ago and string it up the telephone poles to drop points, all ready to go. Took almost a year after that before it went live. The online maps were useless, and even Eir couldn't tell you over the phone when it would happen. They said that it was up to the "engineering department" and the support people didn't know any more than you could get on the online maps.

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Thanks. Still no sign of fibre services here and now I'm in a new 12 month VM contract, so I'll see what the story is in a year's time I guess.

There are pockets in Dublin city with are 'cut off' by the Luas lines. They cannot be dug or crossed over to easily to lay new infrastructure. There are plenty of spare ducts etc, but it is no longer a simple issue of putting a overhead line between two buildings or digging a trench.

So the saga continues...
The Circet guys were around again this week and I had a chat with them.
They're working on behalf of Open Eir.
They told me that they were installing fibre and that it's still copper only in the estate.
So I don't know if the Circet guy a few years ago was fibbing or what.
The latest guys said that once they have it installed it should be a matter of weeks until retail services are rolled out.
Fingers crossed as my VM cable broadband contract is up in the summer and I'd prefer not to have to do the cancellation and re-sign up dance in order to get the new customer preferential rates...

ClubMan said:

So the saga continues...
The Circet guys were around again this week and I had a chat with them.
They're working on behalf of Open Eir.
They told me that they were installing fibre and that it's still copper only in the estate.
So I don't know if the Circet guy a few years ago was fibbing or what.
The latest guys said that once they have it installed it should be a matter of weeks until retail services are rolled out.
Fingers crossed as my VM cable broadband contract is up in the summer and I'd prefer not to have to do the cancellation and re-sign up dance in order to get the new customer preferential rates...

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See if you have good 5g coverage. My BB is now 5g and speeds are 200mb + even at peak time.

ClubMan said:

The latest guys said that once they have it installed it should be a matter of weeks until retail services are rolled out.

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I was you in October

ClubMan said:

Fingers crossed as my VM cable broadband contract is up in the summer and I'd prefer not to have to do the cancellation and re-sign up dance in order to get the new customer preferential rates...

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I was dancing in February.

Just checked what's available now and there's nothing to suggest I'll be hanging up my dancing shoes yet.

peemac said:

See if you have good 5g coverage. My BB is now 5g and speeds are 200mb + even at peak time.

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Yes - I will consider 5G when I'm closer to the end of my Virgin Media contract.
But there's a gamer in the house and I'm not sure that they'd appreciate the latencies on wireless broadband...
Who are you with for 5G broadband and did you get your own modem/router or take it from the service provider?

ClubMan said:

The latest guys said that once they have it installed it should be a matter of weeks until retail services are rolled out.

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Not sure what "installed" means but middle of summer last year the fibre guys called to my house in Blackrock, Co Dublin to ask permission to run the cables up to my ESB meter in the garage and that's the last I've heard from them
None of the providers we contacted at renewal in March were able to give a date as to when we might get service
But in fairness the service I have from Pure is at the moment ample for our needs

Cervelo said:

Not sure what "installed" means

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In this case they seem to be just installing it in the ducts in the estate. They're not knocking on doors or running it from the path/kerb to individual homes as far as I know. I don't know if that only happens when somebody signs up for a fibre based service (which is not possible right now).

Cervelo said:

but middle of summer last year the fibre guys called to my house in Blackrock, Co Dublin to ask permission to run the cables up to my ESB meter in the garage and that's the last I've heard from them
None of the providers we contacted at renewal in March were able to give a date as to when we might get service
But in fairness the service I have from Pure is at the moment ample for our needs

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Seems crazy to me that parts of the capital city still cannot get fibre services in this day and age. As I've said before, I'm c. 3km as the crow flies from the Spire although I'm aware that telecoms cabling often flies much more circuitous routes...

ClubMan said:

Yes - I will consider 5G when I'm closer to the end of my Virgin Media contract.
But there's a gamer in the house and I'm not sure that they'd appreciate the latencies on wireless broadband...
Who are you with for 5G broadband and did you get your own modem/router or take it from the service provider?

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I'm with Three. Using their modem but have an external booster.
No gamer here. Just Netflix and general stuff.

20mb would probably be sufficient for me.

peemac said:

I'm with Three. Using their modem but have an external booster.
No gamer here. Just Netflix and general stuff.

20mb would probably be sufficient for me.

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Thanks - 20Mbps would not be adequte here unfortunately.

ClubMan said:

Thanks - 20Mbps would not be adequte here unfortunately.

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That's what I was getting on 4g.

Every speed test on the 5g is 200mb+ , I simply don't utilise those speeds.

Just to update this thread... A few providers (eir, Vodafone at least) have been calling door to door in the area trying to sign households up for fibre (FTTH) broadband from next month. So progress, competition and alternatives to Virgin Media at last. On the other hand, at the moment it looks like cancelling/disconnecting VM and then signing up as a new customer for their 500Mbps @ €35 p.m. for 12 months (plus €30 activation fee) is still the best deal for my needs. Or even their 1Gbps @ €45 p.m., no activation fee, and maybe a One4All voucher. None of the fibre offers so far better those offers.

BTW it really annoys me the way that the sales people try to sow (often technically inaccurate) FUD by disparaging others' services rather than selling their own service on its own merits.

In case it helps anybody else, for the 3rd or 4th year in a row I've cancelled VM broadband and signed up as a new customer to get the new customer deal for another 12 months and it went without any hitches yet again. I gave my 30 days notice on the old contract and it terminated at the end of that 30 day period last Thursday, my account was closed and a final bill issued on Friday. I then signed up as a new customer (actually through Bonkers as they and Switcher also offered a €100 One4All voucher) for the same deal with the same details as before and it's all set up and working again. The were a few days downtime because this straddled the weekend but I just used 4G as a stopgap over the weekend. So €35 p.m. instead of €70 p.m. for 12 months and a €100 voucher. Happy days.

ClubMan said:

In case it helps anybody else, for the 3rd or 4th year in a row I've cancelled VM broadband and signed up as a new customer to get the new customer deal for another 12 months and it went without any hitches yet again. I gave my 30 days notice on the old contract and it terminated at the end of that 30 day period last Thursday, my account was closed and a final bill issued on Friday. I then signed up as a new customer (actually through Bonkers as they and Switcher also offered a €100 One4All voucher) for the same deal with the same details as before and it's all set up and working again. The were a few days downtime because this straddled the weekend but I just used 4G as a stopgap over the weekend. So €35 p.m. instead of €70 p.m. for 12 months and a €100 voucher. Happy days.

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I understand why you do this, I play the game with TV/broadband/electricity/phone every year. But you'd have to wonder how much is lost in the economy by conducting this busywork, between our time and the time to push the paper around in these providers. And how much is taken from people who do not have the where-with-all to figure these things out - the elderly, infirm, low SES, people working 2-3 jobs and raising kids to make ends meet. Utterly infuriating the whole thing.

Zenith63 said:

But you'd have to wonder how much is lost in the economy by conducting this busywork, between our time and the time to push the paper around in these providers.

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Not much in my case given that I'm effectively retired so no longer a productive member of society.

Zenith63 said:

I understand why you do this, I play the game with TV/broadband/electricity/phone every year. But you'd have to wonder how much is lost in the economy by conducting this busywork, between our time and the time to push the paper around in these providers. And how much is taken from people who do not have the where-with-all to figure these things out - the elderly, infirm, low SES, people working 2-3 jobs and raising kids to make ends meet. Utterly infuriating the whole thing.

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Yeah I don't get it either. I expect 98% just renew without arguing so economy of scale soaks up any cost incurred by those haggling or cancelling.

ClubMan said:

I gave my 30 days notice on the old contract and it terminated at the end of that 30 day period last Thursday, my account was closed and a final bill issued on Friday.

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Interesting and thanks. I gave 30 days notice till 28th of June but didn't get the email for bill till 7th of July and was paid on the 15th July. I guess I could have just applied thru switcher from 28th but was reluctant due to not getting the notice. Due to this lag I went exploring my options and so far so good working off my (new but cheap) 5g phone using all you can eat payg.

ClubMan said:

In case it helps anybody else, for the 3rd or 4th year in a row I've cancelled VM broadband and signed up as a new customer to get the new customer deal for another 12 months and it went without any hitches yet again. I gave my 30 days notice on the old contract and it terminated at the end of that 30 day period last Thursday, my account was closed and a final bill issued on Friday. I then signed up as a new customer (actually through Bonkers as they and Switcher also offered a €100 One4All voucher) for the same deal with the same details as before and it's all set up and working again. The were a few days downtime because this straddled the weekend but I just used 4G as a stopgap over the weekend. So €35 p.m. instead of €70 p.m. for 12 months and a €100 voucher. Happy days.

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This is great to know, we are in the same boat, tied to VM in Cork as no fibre in our estate and no competition. Will definitely be doing this.

ClubMan said:

In case it helps anybody else, for the 3rd or 4th year in a row I've cancelled VM broadband and signed up as a new customer to get the new customer deal for another 12 months and it went without any hitches yet again. I gave my 30 days notice on the old contract and it terminated at the end of that 30 day period last Thursday, my account was closed and a final bill issued on Friday. I then signed up as a new customer (actually through Bonkers as they and Switcher also offered a €100 One4All voucher) for the same deal with the same details as before and it's all set up and working again. The were a few days downtime because this straddled the weekend but I just used 4G as a stopgap over the weekend. So €35 p.m. instead of €70 p.m. for 12 months and a €100 voucher. Happy days.

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That's good to know. What do you do about VM's cable modem and router? Do they want the equipment back at end of contract and do you have to get new ones? (EDIT: just checked back over the thread and I think you said that was the case).

Anyone know the deal with FTTH providers (Eir, Vodafone, Pure etc.)? Can something similar be done? I've been moving provider to keep cheap rates, last move was Vodafone to Pure Telecom, next month I'll be doing the reverse. Would probably be handier if I could just cancel and renew with the same provider. As for the modems, I always use my own so the provider's modem is always sitting still wrapped in its box ready to return at the end of the contract.

(EDIT2: Just checked Bonkers.ie which you mentioned, and there's a new and interesting blurb about Vodafone 500Mb fibre:

€30.00 for the first 6 months and €40.00 per month thereafter (plus FREE activation). Installation fee of €50 may apply depending on geographical location. €10 discount for 6 months is available to both new and existing customers who are out of contract. Vodafone’s price plans are available to new and existing customers. Vodafone Home customers will no longer experience a jump in their monthly price once their minimum contract term ends (often called a “thereafter price”). This provides customers with value in the long-term as well as the short-term. T&Cs apply.

Are they finally cottoning on? Went to check Vodafone's own site for more info but it's down for maintenance. But potentially you just come to the end of your contract and renew at the same price. When I checked with them before switching this time last year it was a very different story. Crazy thing was I was perfectly happy with both their service and price, just not with the "thereafter" price).

dub_nerd said:

Are they finally cottoning on?

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This appears to be the case. We are with Vodafone on eir wholesale ftth, 1GB service for the last few years. Renewed this year and got “New” offer price/deal. Had to argue the case and quote the eir offer, but no termination and new sign up palaver and no downtime. Paying €40 per month. The following are the terms from the Vodafone confirmation:

Your Order details
1 Gigabit Full-Fibre Broadband
€50.00 a month for 12 month contract
Unlimited fibre broadband
1 Gigabit Full Fibre Broadband - €50.00 per month
Broadband 10 euro off for 12 months - €10.00 per month

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It suits me to to stay with the same provider as we use one of the mesh devices as the router (plugged directly into the ONT) avoiding the need to use the Vodafone Gigabox and moving to a different provider can trigger a lot of time wasting reconfiguration.