Full Fibre on Colmore Row (B3) Even When Checkers Say "Not Available"
- Power Fibre
- Sep 5
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 8
Colmore Row’s Business Broadband Disaster
For years, businesses on Birmingham’s Colmore Row and nearby streets like Waterloo Street, Temple Row, Bennetts Hill, and Newhall Street, have struggled with slow, unreliable broadband. The area has historically relied on ADSL and other copper-based networks, often topping out at 10–30 Mbps. To get stability, many were pushed toward pricey leased lines with long contracts and drawn-out installs, overkill for most small and mid-sized teams. Meanwhile, day-to-day operations still demand dependable connectivity for security systems, CCTV, VoIP calls, and card payment terminals.
The Full Fibre Revolution - What's Changed?
Now, full fibre (FTTP) is available across Colmore Row and neighbouring streets, bringing gigabit-capable speeds up to 5 Gbps and 10 Gbps for Leased Lines. Unlike old ADSL/FTTC networks that rely on copper from the street cabinet, Full Fibre Business Broadband delivers fibre-optic cable directly into your office for higher reliability, lower latency and clean VoIP/video. Crucially, one of our exclusive, business-only partners has already laid this network here; they don’t deal direct or appear on comparison sites, so we place those orders and we’ve already connected multiple neighbours.
Why Full Fibre Business Broadband Matters in and around Colmore Row:
✅ Reliable connection - Fibre to the premises cuts copper’s interference and distance issues, so POS, CCTV, access control and Wi-Fi stay stable all day.
✅ Crystal-clear calls - Lower latency and jitter mean VoIP/Teams/Zoom sound clean, even at peak times.
✅ Symmetrical Speeds - With our exclusive XGS-PON Network you can experience the same upload speed as you do download speed
✅ Ready for the PSTN switch-off - Native IP makes moving phones, alarms and lifts off analogue lines simpler and more reliable.
✅ Better value than defaulting to a leased line - Many B3 teams get enterprise-grade performance on FTTP at a lower monthly, typically 30% of the cost of a leased line; only choose a leased line when you truly need strict SLAs.
✅ Cleaner network design - Enough capacity to separate Guest/Staff/POS/CCTV/VoIP on VLANs, apply QoS and keep compliance happy without users feeling throttled.
✅ Resilience made easy - Pair FTTP with 4G/5G failover or a second circuit for near-zero downtime.
✅ Security & compliance friendly - Consistent connectivity supports logging, web filtering, PCI/GDPR policies and reliable audit trails.
Why Full Fibre Checkers Say "No" and how we turn that into a "Yes"
Why checkers say “no”:
Roll-out economics: Big retail networks (e.g., BT/Openreach and Virgin Media O2) tend to prioritise dense residential streets first. City-centre commercial buildings can be left later because civils, traffic management, wayleaves and heritage constraints make installs costlier and slower.
“You’ll buy a leased line anyway” thinking: In commercial cores, providers know a proportion of firms will take leased lines as it's the only option for sufficient speeds at that time, so they’re less motivated to light FTTP quickly. Checkers then keep showing FTTC/“not available.”
Data lag & building quirks: A building might be served to the basement, but your floor/suite isn’t flagged “ready.” Public checkers work at postcode/building level and miss these nuances, especially after refurbs or riser changes.
Why we say “yes”:
Business-only fibre already here: One of our exclusive partners has laid FTTP along Colmore Row and nearby streets. They don’t deal direct or appear on comparison sites - we can place those orders and light circuits that checkers don’t show.
Address + suite re-checks: We query multiple operators at suite/floor level, then speak with the landlord/FM to unlock risers and wayleaves.
Right product, not just the expensive one: Leased lines absolutely have their place (guaranteed bandwidth and tight SLAs). But for many professional services teams, FTTP is more than sufficient - often quicker to install and better value. We price both so you choose with eyes open.
BT Copper vs Power Fibre FTTP vs Leased Line - What's the difference?
Here’s the straight-up comparison. Copper-based broadband (ADSL/FTTC) rides on legacy telephone cabling, so speeds, especially uploads, are limited and can dip at busy times (and with the analogue phone network being withdrawn, it’s only getting less attractive). Full fibre (FTTP) brings fibre right into your premises, delivering fast, consistent, low-latency service that suits most SMEs perfectly—think VoIP, video meetings, card payments and cloud apps, at sensible costs. Leased lines give you dedicated, uncontended, symmetrical bandwidth with business-grade SLAs and 24/7 monitoring, the premium choice for mission-critical workloads.
Why Choose Power Fibre?
We’re local. Our team is based just round the corner in the Jewellery Quarter, so when you need help on Colmore Row you’re talking to people who know the buildings, the landlords, and quite often, your neighbours we’ve already connected. You can ring us, pop us an email, or get us on site without jumping through call-centre hoops. And behind that friendly, reachable team is serious muscle: our network is watched 24/7 on an enterprise-grade platform from a major tech partner, so issues are spotted early and fixed fast. It’s the best of both worlds, human support you can actually reach, with big-league monitoring keeping you online. You don't need to take our word for it.. check out our Google Reviews!
How To Get Full Fibre For Your Business (and why We're Not on Comparison Sites)
If you're still on ADSL/Copper or paying for a leased line you do not want, it's time to make a change. We keep this simple and deal direct on purpose. Comparison sites often miss our partner-only networks (they don’t sell direct) and add layers that slow things down. Speaking to us means faster answers, address-level checks, and one accountable team from first enquiry to go-live.
Your steps:
Send your B3 postcode, building number and/or suite number.
We run a multi-network, address-level re-check (including our business-only partner) and confirm routes with your landlord/FM.
You get a clear choice: FTTP (often quickest/best value) or a leased line where strict SLAs are essential—plus 4G/5G interim if you need to get moving now.
We handle the survey, wayleave and scheduling, then complete a tidy install and planned cutover.
You go live with monitoring and local support (business hours or 24/7).
Ready to start? Pop your details in the checker and we’ll do a free second-opinion availability sweep and come back with firm options and timelines.
At Power Fibre, we specialise in high-speed business broadband for companies on Colmore Row and surrounding streets.
We provide:
📡 Full fibre (FTTP) to your premises with gigabit-capable speeds (symmetrical options available)
🔗 Exclusive, business-only network access — we can place orders you won’t find on comparison sites
📞 Business VoIP/UCaaS with number porting and crystal-clear calls
🔧 Local support from our Jewellery Quarter team, backed by 24/7 network monitoring
💰 Flexible, transparent packages with no hidden fees
⚡ Business utilities (gas & electricity): tariff reviews, co-termed contracts, and renewals management
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