This is a work in progress, please check back for updates -18th November 2023

Link – My Youfibre installation

Link – Trooli coming to town

Link – Excellent reading – Youfibre Unofficial Technical Notes by Andrew Oakley

Press Release

8 June 2022 – Netomnia press release regarding full fibre broadband to Doddington – details HERE, (doesn’t mention Chatteris, but in the current infrastructure works permission from Cambridgeshire County Council, Netomnia have used the Project Reference as – J032025-172553-Doddington).

Letter from Netomnia

Dated 13th June 2022, addressed simply to ‘The Occupier’, warming people up to minor disruption due to civil works, with the end advantage of FTTP Ultrafast broadband.

Available for Pre-Order

I was informed on the 28th June 2022, that the Youfibre website was allowing certain Chatteris postcode areas to pre-order the service, this early tranche looks that the selected properties have connectivity to the buried Openreach duct system, those properties with overhead or directly buried cabling are not included as yet.

I used Postcode Checker to determine service eligibility at the moment.

If you want to ‘dip your toe’ in the Youfibre pool, you can sign up for a ‘no contract’ service, instead opting for a 30 day rolling renewal option.

1 July 2022 – For Info: Direct Debit set up with my bank using the name of “GC re Youfibre Limited”, the GC stands for GoCardless the company they use for Direct Debit collections.

30 June 2022, I’ve pre-ordered 150Mb service and received my confirmation, the key points are:

• Pre-order early and get 6 months free
• 150Mb package costs £25 inc VAT for 18 month contract
• As its a pre-order, no monies are taken until service is delivered
• As this is a pre-order, I can cancel my intention for installation without penalty
• I can take up this offer, at this set price for up to 24 months into the future, this will allow time for my existing service contract to expire and it will also allow me to let people know of my gmail email address, rather than the one tied into Talktalk.

19 June 2022 – Youfibre ‘door to door’ canvasser called, informing me that Youfibre is coming to the area and was looking to see if I was interested so that I could receive a’ follow up call’ and newsletter, I did say I was already signed up, but I think she needed my details for her ‘quota’.

20 February 2023 – I decided to renew with TalkTalk for a few reasons:

• Uncertain that Youfibre will be live when my current TalkTalk contract expires, meaning the loss of any bargaining power,
• TalkTalk offered 150Mb service for £23 per month on an 18 month contract, which is cheaper than I was paying for 65Mb,
• I reflected on how I felt ‘locked in’ to the TalkTalk email service, for example the number of accounts where my password resets link to this,
• My home network would need a static IP from Youfibre at an additional cost of £5 per month making the overall cost unattractive,
• Youfibre in the town helped me negotiate a competitive price from TalkTalk.

23 February 2023 – Netomnia network is now live to certain parts of Chatteris as the roll out continues.

FTTP Rollout

Yet more choice for broadband provision in Chatteris, with the rollout of XGS-PON. 100% fibre to the premises, (FTTP) supplied by wholesaler Netomnia, whose mission is to become the third largest national, full fibre infrastructure operator.

The main difference with Netomnia is that it is a totally independent network, synchronous or symmetrical speeds, (same uploading speed as the downloading speed), resilient fibre optic design and with speeds up to 10Gbps (10,000Mbps)!!.

Netomnia sister company, YouFibre, are the Internet Service Provider (ISP) for this Ultra Fast Broadband FTTP, although it is expected that other ISPs may take advantage of the services that this wholesaler offers and partner with Netomnia.

Unforeseen Delay to Delivery

The expected go live date was September/October 2022 and availability and rollout details can be checked HERE, this has been delayed due to unforeseen duct blockages or lack of duct capacity necessitating significant civil works.

Partial Go live for Chatteris is February 2023 as I understand it.

The Openreach duct route from Doddington has been extensively damaged over time due to it being made of clay, this has led to investment in repairs and new ducting to be installed.

The above images are just one example of what Netomnia are up against, the installer of the street lights in a section of Doddington Road have damaged and blocked the clay Openreach ducts, meaning that the main spine fibre cannot continue to Chatteris until repaired _{(Taken 1/12/22)}.

Infrastructure Enabling Works

Flurry of broadband activity in the town, as Virgin Media are expanding their existing infrastructure at the same time as Netomnia are installing theirs.

A blog on Virgin Medias expansion works is HERE.

Netomnia infrastructure works started in early May, with the installation of Netomnia double size footway boxes to house either the Level 1 (L1), Level 2 (L2) or both splice enclosures for there dedicated fibre network around the town.

These will be interconnected by sub ducts which will ultimately connect to the main spine bringing the fibre service into Chatteris via Doddington.

The fibre sub ducts are being drawn into Openreach’s existing ducts as a result of OFGEMS Physical Infrastructure Access agreement which permits Communication Providers access, this means there is not a lot to see as the splicing nodes will be in the cable chambers in the pavements as I understand it.

By using Openreach ducts, just like Virgin Media are doing, the micro duct which brings the blown fibre to your house, uses the existing duct which is used for your landline telephone. If the service is via an overhead line, a fibre cable can also be used, Netomnia have, in other towns, installed telephone poles where otherwise customers would not have been able to get a service.

The ducts Virgin Media use are Green in colour, whereas Netomnias ducts are Purple and Openreach are Grey, all for ease of identification.

Netomnia are using Opals Group to undertake the work of installing the physical infrastructure to allow the fibre cables to be blown in at a later date.

Another new footway box going in, connected to an existing Openreach box, this activity is being replicated in many places across Chatteris and demonstrates considerable investment in infrastructure.

Link to Mills PIA Equipment Catalogue.

Netomnia network backbone fibre microtube link to carry a single fibre optic cable with 288 cores, being pulled in from Chatteris to the Doddington local head end ,or Level 0 which is in the Telephone Exchange.

The microtube journey is in Openreach existing duct routes along Doddington Road, when Virgin Media followed the same route in 2017, they had to dig a new trench all the way, this is the massive benefit of the Physical Infrastructure Agreement.

The microtube used is manufactured by Radius Systems – MiniGlide 16/12 and line printed with Netomnia branding.

Guide on installation of fibre cables by blowing – HERE.

6 July 2022

Opal engineers installing a Connectorised Block Terminal (CBT) in Farriers Gate footway box, the CTB which is stood up. belongs to Openreach, (I’m connected to it!), whilst the one lying on its side, belongs to Netomnia.

What is interesting to note is that both companies are using the same manufactures CBT, this must mean that the consumers installation process will be the same as that used by Openreach and described in my Talk Talk Future Fibre Blog.

8 August 2022

Civils contractors have started to excavate pavements to install new ducts (or tracks as Opal refer to them), where the existing Openreach ducts are either blocked or congested.

Blockages/congested routes are indicated by a red ‘B’ and direction arrows have popped up across the town ready for remedial works:

13 September 2022

Installation underway of Netomnia Connectorised Block Terminals (CBT) on the existing telephone poles where the duct to the local footway box is available, this will enable subscribers with overhead lines access to ultrafast fibre optic broadband.

This images show two different versions of Netomnia installed standard 8 port CBT’s, details on fibre equipment can be found HERE, it is interesting to note that Openreach install up to 12 port units.

All around town a number of footway markings are appearing at the base of telephone poles, indicating that a new duct link (pole bend), to the nearest footway box is due to be made if no existing duct exists, or if the existing one is blocked or damaged.

The last three picture in the slide show above show the existing copper telephone cables feeding the pole are above the surface of the pavement, causing Netomnia to install a new pole bend bend:

Netomnia advance notice indicating new poles are to be installed:

I contacted Netomnia on 16 September to gain further information, confirmation of 5 new poles to be installed was provided by Opals Senior Project Coordinator on the 28 September, the proposed ROUGH locations are:

• Corner of West Street and Gibside Avenue
• Newlands Road
• St Martins Road – Installation delayed – new pole application 13 Feb 23
• Victoria Street
• Pound Road – Installation not required, used long overhead span

Update 27 October 22 – Netomnia Pole Installed, Gibside Avenue

31 October 2022 – Newlands Road –

Ian and Steven were the technicians installing the 9 meter high pole working for Instalcom Ltd, they did a great job, were really friendly and customer focused. Brilliant ambassadors for Instalcom Ltd.

1 December 2022

With the imminent fibre spine link to Doddington being established after several delays due to duct damage/blockages meaning extensive civil works to rectify, their are at least two teams installing CBTs on existing telephone poles and a fibre technician has started splicing works from the CBT (Level 4) to the Level 3 node.

The image above is a fibre splicing enclosure (Level 3 Point), this example has 5 fibre cables, these are broken down as follows:

Two fibre cables are from two 8 port pole mounted CBTs (Level 4 ), depending on the CBT manufacture, of which Netonmia use two, either there will be one fibre spliced supplying all 8 ports due to an inbuilt optical splitter in the CBT or 8 fibres from each CBT port will need to be individually spliced to the fibre cable from the upstream Level 2 splicing connection.

Once completed, the enclosure will be stowed in a footway box making for a neat installation.

For clarity as I understand it, Level 0 is the origin of the fibre service which is Doddington Telephone Exchange, the main trunk cable from Doddington comprising of 288 fibres is terminated in a number of Level 1 hubs in Chatteris, 7 in total, 4 on the journey from Doddington and 3 in Chatteris.

Level 2 branches further sub divide into multiple Level 3 connections as above, before final connection to individual 8 port CBTs, Level 4.

From the CBT, this is the last leg of the fibre cable before it enters your property.

Each trunk single fibre can accommodate 32 properties, therefore the maximum number of properties served by one trunk cable is 9,216!

23 January 2023

The Netomnia network in Doddington is now LIVE and there is a real push to get Chatteris online after significant investment in installing new ducts due to the existing ducts being blocked/congested/damaged.

Technician fibre splicing the 288 core trunk fibre cable from Doddington exchange mid-way to Chatteris, the design of the system will allow for future expansion, to illustrate this, the whole of the current Doddington and Chatteris scheme only use 60 fibres in the exchange!

26 January 2023

Start of the Level 1 Chatteris core distribution fibre splicing to other L1 nodes, not all fibres are spliced through, only the ones required for this phase of the scheme as this saves both time and money:

29 January 2023

Level 2 (L2) Distribution node being spliced in the rear of a specially adapted vehicle, in the picture you can see a 44 core fiber which is black with a yellow tracer, this is from a L3 node, the other two black fiber cables are 288 cores linking further L2’s.

The L2 node will be located in a new Netomnia installed double footway box which was installed in May 2022.

1 February 2023

Caught up with the second splicing team who were working on the Level 3 (L3) terminations:

The picture shows two black with yellow tracer cables, each of which has 48 fibres, these are the interlinks to other L3 node fed from the L2 distribution node.

The tiny coloured tubes in the picture contain 12 fibres and each 48 core has 4 of these tubes.

The four clear tubes in the enclosure are from the pole mounted CBTs (L4), looking closely, one of these is a smaller diameter than the other three, this is due to the smaller tube only has one fiber in it as the 8 way pole CBT has an inbuilt splitter, whereas the other three have 8 fibers in the tube, one to each CBT port.

I did ask the reason for two differing types of CBT and the chap said is was due to how the network was designed.

Footway hardware ready to mount the completed L3 node so it can be neatly stowed.

9 February 2023

Plenty of continued activity by Opals Group, Netomnias infrastructure contractor, in New Road a footway box CBT was being relocated to another footway box due to the original box being over congested and not meeting the space requirements required by Openreach.

Further down the same road, a splicing technician was busy with a complicated L3 node.

10 February 2023

Notification of new pole installation in St Martins Road posted on the 10 February 2023, the first notification of a new pole in this location was on the 13 September 2022, but installation could not proceed as the proposed location did not give the required amount of room to pass on the pavement.

New pole position is on the opposite side of the road to the originally proposed location, position marked on the ground, (circle with a cross in it), next to the Virgin Media cabinet.

Around town, I also noticed a new sign dated 8 Feb 23, has been posted indicating the installation a new pole in Station Street.

14 February 2023

Lots observed today, L3 splicing by Aldi, fibre being blown in New Road, Level 2 (L2) splice being made off at the top of New Road and preparations being made by St Peters Drive/New Road for another L2 splice..

Big push to get Chatteris online me thinks!

Further down New Road, scoping for a L2 spice to be undertaken over the next day or so.

The above picture shows the In & Out main 288 fibre core cable from/to other L2 splice enclosures (blown in purple duct), also you can see two 48 fibre core cables from L3 distribution splice enclosures all ready to be dressed ready for termination.

17 February 2023

Level 2 splice feeding Farriers Gate being undertaken, the fibres are live from Doddington, so as each fibre is spliced the light continues onto the next L2 /L3 & CBT.

Network deployment is progressing well in Chatteris, a few duct blockages to clear before the L3 fibres can be drawn in and connected.

In another part of the towns deployment is delayed due to scaffolding being built directly on top of a footway box, the Netomnia infrastructure team need to get a spine sub duct pulled through this in order to connect a Level 2 node.

The testing team for my area is due on Monday 20th February, where they will confirm satisfactory light levels at the CBT’s ready for customers connections.

19 February 2023

Sunday and three splicing teams are on the go in town, by Spectacular a Level 2 node was being spliced, the picture also shows a completed Level 1 node which feeds the Level 2 being worked on.

In the footway box is two empty purple sub ducts ready for the spine fibre to be blown in once the obstructing is cleared as written about on the 17th February.

23 February 2023 – NETWORK LIVE

The Netomnia network in Chatteris is now officially live after testing.

Netomnia technician removing a dust cap protecting a port on a CBT prior to connecting his test equipment.

Plugging his Exfo Optical Power Meter into the port he noted the reading of -20.35dB which was a pass, anything greater than -22.75dB is a fail.

His test confirms the correct optical signal level at the CBT from the Doddington exchange enabling sign off with the next step being canvassing for subscriber uptake.

1 March 2023

Opals engineers working to unblock a duct route to Fenton Way business area, the equipment costs £10k and is designed to push a heavy duty rod through obstructions, but not in this case 🙁 meaning a civils team will need to excavate and manually repair the ducting.

Just before coming across the guys rodding, I saw a Youfibre ‘door to door’ sales representative hard at work selling the benefits.

16 March 2023

Still lots of civil works bring Netomnia’s fibers to parts of the town once the duct restrictions have been resolved, as parts of Chatteris are now live, a mail drop has occurred enclosing the following leaflet:

21 March 2023 – Subscriber Feedback

This is probably the most important section of the blog as customer satisfaction in such a crowded marketplace is crucial, as bad news travels fast.

I’ve attached, (with the authors permission and my thanks), unabridged Facebook comments on their experience and performance using YouFibre:

• Mr Green

• Mr Naisbett

• Mr Thompson

My order was delayed by quite a bit, (original install date in September last year) but it finally got put in a couple weeks ago. There was the big hold up at the other end getting it connected but once things were rolling and I got the all green, they came and did the outside line (annoyingly without prebooking, but whatever) that took like 10 minutes. Much less faff than Virgin Media. And then their install lads came and sorted me out a few days later of an evening.

Polite and friendly on all occasions, they made it clear they don’t actually work for YouFibre though, and that at times they don’t get all the information they should have, so please do be patient with them if they don’t have 100% correct info, that sounds like it’s on YouFibre’s call centre.

I wasn’t aware of them using a strange NAT setup so thanks whoever it was pointed that out, I was hoping to avoid getting a static IP but if I need that to break through a forced NAT then sobeit.

Speed has been excellent so far, I got their YouMesh thing with the 1Gb Service, which is a bit paradoxical given you can only get 250Mb from the ‘Nodes’ even if you use a cable, which is a bit silly, so I’ve unplugged those and just use the Eero main hub for now. I’ll be plumbing it into my own Mesh later once I’ve got the time, but for now, happily getting 750Mb + both ways via WiFi on a WiFi 6 connected device that’s not exactly right next to it, so pretty pleased with that.

Haven’t tested the latency extensively, given I’m on WiFi currently that seemed pointless to do yet, may report back with findings at a later point.

Definitely recommend them, they’re less than half the price of Virgin Media and that’s excellent for a symmetrical line in the UK. I just hope they prove to be as popular as they should be and spread to other areas, the UK needs more competition in the broadband Market, BT only do the bare minimum and VM are just pricing things stupidly.

18 April 2023 – Another New Pole

Two new poles were installed today on behalf of Netomnia, (Park Street and St Martins Road), these will be used as transit poles to reduce the overhead fibre span distance to the next pole/other poles having CBTs fitted.

Guys setting up for the installation, the difference between these poles and the one installed in Newlands Road is that it came complete with pole hardware already fitted, (steps & top ring), and it also bears the name of the provider.

11 October 2023 – New Poles

Two new transit poles have been installed today carrying overhead fibre optic cables to enable service connections to be available on existing poles:

Corner of Railway Lane and Horsegate Gardens.

New pole outside The Ship, a further pole is due for installation in the town but I do not have the location at the time of this update.

Installer Risk & Method Statements

How will a new service get to my property?

Their are only two options, the fibre either goes above or below ground!

Netomnia are able to use existing Openreach underground ducts which brings your telephone line to your house, these same ducts are used to draw in a new fibre optic cable which terminates directly inside your home.

It might be the case that your existing telephone cable does not use a duct and the cable is ‘directly buried’ in the ground, I’m not sure how Netomnia would tackle this if you wanted the service, they may opt to install a new telephone pole, and use overhead lines to your house from this.

Virgin Media use ‘directly buried’ micro ducts from the pavement ‘Toby boxes’ to your house external wall to bring their fibre to the house, but they are the only provider to do so as I understand it.

If your telephone line comes in overhead, then a fibre optical cable will use the same method, as long as the pole has been enabled with the network hardware.

DP262 Pole – New Road 11th October 2022

The Pole Siting Code of Practice is below:

This telephone pole is nearest to where I live so it was quite easy to monitor its progress:

• 25th May 22, Sub Duct installed to upstream footway box
• 26th May – 29th May, New double footway box installed near pole DP262
• 11th June, floor markings appear indicating the pole needs a new duct installing
• 22nd August, Opals civils install new duct to pole DP262
• 11th October, pole CBT installed
• 17th February 23, L2 splicing to make pole live for testing on the 20th February.

Pole Mounted CBT Connection to L3

The fibre cable to the pole CBT in the above image was neatly clipped down the pole and ran in a new duct to a footway box for splicing and this method is adopted where duct access is available.

Another method Netomnia employ to get a CBT fibre cable to a pole or number of poles is overhead, this could be due to duct blockages, duct capacity issues or financial considerations based on time.

The above picture is of an existing Openreach Pole in Fairway with three telephone lines fanning out to the right, the horizontal cables at the top of the pole are fibre cables to other pole mounted CBTs, from this pole you can see that six CBTs will be spliced here.

Another example from New Road where the fibre for five other pole CBTs are fed overhead and will be terminated in a footway box near the base of the main pole in the picture.

Technician splicing 6 fibres, (5 plus 1 from the poles CBT), New Road.

Fibre/Broadband equipment in the home

Based on information from forums on Youfibre installation, the feedback is very positive in other towns.

Very little information regarding Youfibre installations exists currently on the internet, probably due to the company only relatively recently formed.

The fibre can get to the property either via the existing telephone duct or via overhead from the same pole as your phoneline,.

The externally graded fibre is spliced in an enclosure to a fibre cable suitable for installation into the property.

Images of different Customer Service Points used by Netomnia.

ONT

A patch fibre from the fibre outlet socket, links to the Optical Network Terminal (ONT), for convenience this will be sited next to the existing BT socket.

Information on the difference between OLT and ONT – HERE.

The type of ONT used is Adtran SDX 622v they’ll provide this if you take their phone or 10G service else it’s a Adtran 621i.

Images above are of the Adtran 622v.

Hub

Youfibre supply a eero Pro according to their website, the manual link is HERE.

The ONT needs a power socket as does the eero hub, so wherever you want the service to go, check you have a free double socket.