Openreach update on fibre install

Hello everyone. I have a quick update on where we are with Openreach and their install of the pole and fibre to the exchange.

As many of you will know, Openreach have given Gigaloch a few dates for completion of this work which have come and gone. The work being installing a new telegraph pole and connecting the green cabinet with the exchange via fibre.

Reasons given were weather, manning, more important jobs to complete after a storm etc etc.

They have now reverted back to Gigaloch with a new date of the 11th March 2022. I have no doubt this will not go ahead given last nights storm and the one about to hit this evening but we can only hope.

In light of their inaction I decided to write an email to out local MP Edward Timpson in the hope he could put some weight on this issue and ensure it gets completed in short order.

Whilst I am yet to hear back from him or his team regarding this, I thought I would share with you said email.

Good morning Mr. Timpson.

I am a resident of your constituency residing in Mouldsworth.

You may or not be aware that an Internet Service Provider called Gigaloch is currently building a full fibre network here. The build continues to go well with installs in local properties continuing.

The issue and the reason for me reaching out to you is due to an extremely important part of the build which is being held up by Openreach.

There is a requirement for fibre to be run from Manley Exchange to the Green cabinet outside Manley Village Hall. This is approx. 100m distance.

Openreach have been promising for a few months now that they are coming to install this; however, there always seems to be a reason why they are missing their own deadline.

First it was that they had no telegraph poles, then the recent storm, then it was man power etc etc etc.

Gigaloch have stated they will do the main work and then an Openreach engineer needs to attend to plug the fibre into the exchange. Unfortunately Openreach is not agreeable or more correctly, won't give an answer.

This has caused a fair bit of frustration with the constituency residents as there are many homes right now that are just waiting for this final piece of the puzzle. They can then get 'switched on' to full fibre broadband.

I am one of these people and I am also the person who brought Gigaloch to the table for us. Naturally any frustrations fall at my door.

We as a community had lost faith in Openreach some years ago and this hold up just seems to be them flexing and teaching us a lesson.

Can you or are you able to assist us here and put some parliamentary pressure on Openreach to do this work?

There are currently 3 villages - Mouldsworth, Manley and Ashton Hayes which are so very close to having full fibre which will sit nicely with the Government's commitments.

This perhaps shows that maybe Openreach are not on board with your commitment and may actually be responsible for any failings during this journey.

It's not going to be Openreach that the people look to, it will be the government for that failing.

I look forward to your response.

There currently is a big push for full fibre by the current government and the chosen provider for Connecting Cheshire seems to be Airband. I hope that Mr. Timpson will assist with our issue even though it's not an Airband installation.

In my eyes it should not matter who the provider is as long as there is someone willing to complete the work. Time will tell if Mr. Timpson agrees with me.