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City Fibre Roadmap

Posted: Thu May 30, 2024 10:56 am
by Bwlmog
Morning all,

Does anyone know what the current City Fibre roadmap is looking like for reaching out across the Aquiss customer platform? I’ve currently pre-registered for the service but there doesn’t seem to be anything available that provides indicative timelines for availability.

The idea of a Symmetrical Connection really appeals to me as we are using video calling a lot more for work and the extra bandwidth when my wife and I are in video calls and the kids are home and online gaming would really come in handy.

Whilst I don’t want to move away from Aquiss, there are other operators now in my area offering a Symmetrical Connection and my head is getting turned.

Thanks in advance👍🏻

Re: City Fibre Roadmap

Posted: Thu May 30, 2024 11:31 am
by Martin
Bwlmog wrote: Thu May 30, 2024 10:56 am Morning all,

Does anyone know what the current City Fibre roadmap is looking like for reaching out across the Aquiss customer platform? I’ve currently pre-registered for the service but there doesn’t seem to be anything available that provides indicative timelines for availability.

The idea of a Symmetrical Connection really appeals to me as we are using video calling a lot more for work and the extra bandwidth when my wife and I are in video calls and the kids are home and online gaming would really come in handy.

Whilst I don’t want to move away from Aquiss, there are other operators now in my area offering a Symmetrical Connection and my head is getting turned.

Thanks in advance👍🏻
We get a some advanced notice of future postcode areas, but these are only within established build areas, however, like most full fibre builders, they are all keeping their cards close to their chests as it's become a commercial fight in the field. CityFibre have no plans for new cities currently (with the exception of bringing LITs network onboard) as it's generally focused on filling out current areas first.

That all said, whilst we are under NDAs I can't reveal names, but we have live interconnects and onboardings, going in with 7 fibre networks currently, so we may be in a position to offer you services across another network.

Re: City Fibre Roadmap

Posted: Thu May 30, 2024 11:38 am
by Bwlmog
Thanks Martin,

I know Netomnia are currently available in my area and are offering this service. They keep knocking my door and trying to get me to switch. Hopefully, they are one of the companies you are speaking to as your service to date has been absolutely superb.

Regards,

Neil

Re: City Fibre Roadmap

Posted: Thu May 30, 2024 3:20 pm
by PaulCM
It’s the symmetric bit which really appeals ( don’t need the headline download as much now I’ve retired). And would be really great to lose the pppoe bottleneck too!

Any of Aquiss’s NDA things likely to help in Wales?

Paul

Re: City Fibre Roadmap

Posted: Thu May 30, 2024 4:37 pm
by Martin
PaulCM wrote: Thu May 30, 2024 3:20 pm And would be really great to lose the pppoe bottleneck too!
We still deploy with PPPoE, even across CityFibre, as it just works for us to steer multiple platforms and network into a common framework. I also still like to have a bit of a gatekeeper authentication approach to doing things.
Any of Aquiss’s NDA things likely to help in Wales?
We have had conversations with network builders who have coverage in Wales, but nothing formally signed as commercials not quite where would like them, but doors open and discussions still to be had.

Openreach currently accounts for circa 55% of properties passed in Wales with full fibre, so they are doing most of the heavy lifting.

Re: City Fibre Roadmap

Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2024 10:47 am
by PaulCM
FYI pppoe performance seems to be an issue once you get over 1Gbs for some routers. pfsense/opnsense I know about (admittedly it's a FreeBSD pppoe implementation issue - it's single threaded so can't use multiple cores :( ) Brief google suggests other devices (Ubiquiti?) may have issues. PPPoE is a nasty hangover from dial up days and should be retired!!

Not sure that the authentication piece is necessary either as you enable/disable the physical line - it's not like ye oldee days with dial up from anywhere with a phone line...

Polite request to modernise?
Paul

Re: City Fibre Roadmap

Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2024 2:41 pm
by Karl3018
PaulCM wrote: Sat Jun 01, 2024 10:47 am FYI pppoe performance seems to be an issue once you get over 1Gbs for some routers. pfsense/opnsense I know about (admittedly it's a FreeBSD pppoe implementation issue - it's single threaded so can't use multiple cores :( ) Brief google suggests other devices (Ubiquiti?) may have issues. PPPoE is a nasty hangover from dial up days and should be retired!!

Not sure that the authentication piece is necessary either as you enable/disable the physical line - it's not like ye oldee days with dial up from anywhere with a phone line...

Polite request to modernise?
Paul
Another shout for PPPoE to be shown the door - my virtualized router sees 840 down max and that's with a 3.4GHz Xeon CPU. When I connected via an older Draytek 3900 (no longer fits my use case) I saw 930Mbps; this has a dualcore ARM CPU but still resulted in a 50% load - this device dates from 2012.

If PPPoE is used to aid gatekeeping, how do ISPs which use DHCP (IPoE) control access (e.g. TalkTalk residential, Sky, Toob)? I cannot see how it can be by hardware lockdown as I have a colleague on Toob who uses a UDM SE directly connected to the ONT, rather than the supplied Eero router.