Product Process descriptions

If an ONT exists at the premises with a spare data port, you may place an FTTP order without the need for an engineer visit and simply order a subsequent service to the spare port.  This can apply to the first FTTP service being provided on an existing ONT, as in the case of Greenfield new sites, or to the “start of a stopped line” (if the customer had FTTP, ceased it, and is now coming back to it again) or as an additional service on an existing ONT that has multiple data ports.

When placing an order that does not require an engineer visit, you must use the existing ONT details from the line checker (eMLC) to confirm which device at the location has the free port for the service you are ordering.

For subsequent services at properties that only have a single port ONT, we may default your order to an engineer-visited box-swap to a multiport ONT.  See Second Line section. 

For orders placed without an end customer appointment, if there are no spare ports on the target ONT we will reject the order with KCI 8011 (There are no spare data ports on the requested ONT at the end customer premises).  You will need to recheck availability, place an alternative order (such as a takeover or appointed box-swap) or contact us if there is an issue preventing the order progressing.

You may optionally opt out of the installation of a multiport device by selecting the ‘Restrict swap’ value in the ‘ONT Type requested’ field at order placement.  More details about that field in the Configure your product section.  Opting out of a multiport swap will drive a full subsequent line into the premises.  See the second lines section for details about installation of a second ONT and FTTP line.

You can find more details about how we orchestrate a remote activation in the Test before provision and Activate service sections.

In the same way that we can remotely activate a subsequent service on an existing ONT, the first service at a Greenfield property can also be remotely activated.  You will know that this is the case because eMLC will have the “Existing ONT availability” marker set to Y, and the ONT details will be available and will show the data port/s as spare:

You can find more details about how we orchestrate a remote activation in the Test before provision and Activate service sections.

CPs can also submit a L2C pre-order for GEA-FTTP within ‘Greenfield’ (New Site) defined end customer premises, while the network build is ongoing, before the pre-built network is fully commissioned, including the GEA Cablelink availability.  The ability to do this is determined by the allocation of a ‘P’ (planned) flag for the address on the eMLC tool (explained in more detail below).  Such orders will be accepted and held by Openreach until the build is completed and fulfilled as soon as the network is ready for service.

Pre-order is possible whether or not the Openreach Handover Port Service ID is known (i.e. where the CP’s GEA Cablelink order is still in provision).  We will validate the handover port during order orchestration and will issue a delay message to have this detail amended later, before the KCI2 order confirmation message is issued.  See the Validate Handover Port section for more detail about this delay.

New Site Pre-Order FTTP availability is shown on eMLC as “P” (Planned) where GEA-FTTP Infrastructure is being built and essential order-enabling information is known to Openreach, namely:

·         Openreach network is built to the Splitter and the Light Loss test is complete

·         Full postal address has been confirmed against the plot number of the end customer premises

For the above to be in place and the ‘P’ status set on eMLC, we are approximately eight weeks ahead of the property being declared Ready for Service (RFS).

Where a pre-order is placed, CPs will receive the KCI2 confirmation when the ONT installation in the new property is complete and there is a light path end-to-end from the Headend L2S in the Exchange to the ONT.  As the ONT is pre-installed, the service activation will take place as a remote activation on the CCD.

This is also the point where the FTTP availability flag in eMLC updates to ‘Y’.  Note, however, that eMLC requires an overnight data upload for the status change to appear, so CPs may not actually see the ‘Y’ marker until the day after the published ready for service date (i.e. RFS+1).

Pre-order process

For Greenfield New Site locations, we will set the Existing ONT Availability (FTTPExistingONTAvailable) and New ONT Availability (FTTPNewONTAvailable) flags to P once the splitter is commissioned and we will NOT provide an Available Date.

A pre-order for a Greenfield New Site premises will be accepted if eMLC shows FTTP availability as P.  There will no longer be any dependence on Available Date.

Placing a Greenfield new site pre-order

A pre-order for a Greenfield New Site will be accepted if eMLC shows FTTP availability as P.

You should place your order with a CRD of either: the date your customer is moving-in, or the date from which they require service – whichever is later.

Following initial BAU validations, we will return KCI1.  As BAU KCI1 will contain the Service ID – it is suggested that this is used as a reference if a query is raised to the New Sites team via the existing New Sites Formwize process (full details of this process are covered in the Ultrafast and Superfast Customer Service Plan).

For all Greenfield New Site pre-orders, we will then send you a delay message with a new response code 8023 (The Openreach infrastructure required to fulfil this order requires plan and build by Openreach and your housing developer.  We will target build completion ahead of the Customer Required Date <CRD> provided.  We will keep you informed of progress.)  <CRD> Date as provided in order in format YYYY-MM-DD.

Greenfield New Site pre-orders must be placed with the Site Visit Reason (SVR) = No site visit and without an ONT Reference.  This will trigger a new site project within our systems that is targeted towards the requested CRD and will make the order follow the Greenfield New Site pre-order process described below.

We will reject pre-orders with any SVR other than No site visit.  Rejection will be with response code 9030 (%1 cannot be requested on %2) where:

%1 = <value of sitevisitreason> i.e., Standard/Premium/Advanced
%2 = “Greenfield pre-order”

If a Greenfield New Site pre-order (FTTP Availability = P) is placed with SVR = No site visit and with an ONT Reference, the order will not trigger a new site project and will instead wait for FTTP availability to become ‘Y’ on eMLC via as-is Plan and Build activity.  eMLC will be checked on a daily basis and once FTTP availability becomes ‘Y’, the order will progress as BAU.

Progress messages

Following the sending of 8023 we will keep you informed of progress by sending you Order Status Update messages with the existing 600 (<Free Text>) response code.

The messages, sent as the text for the 600 response code, are shown in the table below.

A timeline for the above messages and overall journey is shown below:

Jeopardy management

If the pre-order falls into jeopardy management with our New Sites team, we will trigger ad-hoc order status update messages to you using existing response codes and notes.

Our agents will use the following response codes along with accompanying manually entered notes.  Notes will appear within the Notes (ListOfNote/Note) field via B2B and as additional 600 delay messages on HUD, see examples below.

Examples of how the messages and notes will appear via B2B and HUD are shown below:

Customer Required by Date (CRD) changes

If you wish to change the CRD (e.g. the customer’s moving date has changed) you can do so pre-KCI2 with a Customer Requested Amend only.

BAU validations will be applied to the date changes and Expedite requests will be rejected with existing response code 9810 (The order cannot be expedited at this time.)

Please note: The Order Status Update – Amend response with the 540 (Order Status Update - Amended) response code will not contain an Order Target Date (OrderTargetDate) or Committed Date (CommittedDate) for pre-KCI2 amends.

For Greenfield New Site pre-orders only, we are relaxing the existing restriction and allowing Customer Requested Amends pre-KCI2.  Amends may be submitted with any amendable parameters, excluding SVR, which will be rejected with response code 1802 (Cannot amend order before KCI2).

There will be no amend charge raised for CRD amends pre-KCI2.

Order progression following ONT commissioning

Once the ONT has been successfully installed and commissioned, the order will progress as BAU.

Openreach Handover Port validation

If we need a valid Openreach Handover Point Service ID from you, we will send you a request with the existing 9543 response code.

9543 (Please provide a valid HandoverPortServiceId.  If you fail to provide a valid value before [date], the order will be cancelled.)

You will have 60 working days to provide a valid Handover Port service ID before we auto-cancel the order.  You will receive the BAU reminders during this time:

9592 (We are waiting for a reply on your order, which has been in delay since [date]. If you do not reply before [date] the order will be cancelled.)

9230 (This is a reminder that the time limit for responding on this order will expire shortly.  The order will be cancelled if no response is received.  Cancellation will occur on [date])

Pre-KCI2 Service Test

Once the handover port details have been successfully provided (if requested) we will run the pre-KCI2 service test as BAU.

Following the service test, we will send KCI2, and the order will progress as BAU.

As BAU, if an ONT fault is found we will send KCI2 with the following:

·         Additional response code 574 (Delay encountered during automated test of new service)

·         Site Visit Reason changed from No site visit to Standard

·         End customer appointment added.

Heads Up Display (HUD) changes

Progress updates and milestones

We will also keep you informed on the pre-order progress with similar update messages to those above on HUD.

In addition will also display additional milestones associated with the pre-order build project.

Example screenshots:

Additional attributes

There are two attributes to the ‘More attributes’ order information to provide the ‘Newsite Preorder Reference ID’ and a ‘FTTP Greenfield’ flag.

Example screenshot:

A working line takeover (WLTO) is the term used for the scenario when an end customer is taking over the GEA-FTTP service of another end customer.  Many also refer to WLTO as the home mover scenario.  It can be accompanied by a change of CP, and a change of the product configuration such as the service bandwidth or service maintenance level. 

CPs can place a Working Line Takeover (WLTO) order on behalf of an end customer moving into a property to take ownership of a working GEA-FTTP service previously used by a different end customer moving out of the same address.

As part of this request, the existing end customer’s service will be manage-ceased on the required date and a new service will be remotely activated for the incoming end customer on the ONT port made available by the cessation of the previous end customer’s service.  We’ll arrange all of this by data configuration using the existing ONT.

If the existing working FTTP service is owned by a different Communications Provider (CP), they can cancel, amend or control the cease date of their end customer’s service if required.

Please note that working line takeover is not to be used to arrange the migration of an active service for the same end customer moving from one CP to another.  It is specifically for use in home move scenarios as described above and where the action to cease one service and provide a new service on the same ONT port is arranged on behalf of two different end customers and so this does not require or follow the notification of transfer process handling applied to other CP Migration orders.