Which fibre package would you release?
Compare fibre packages using orderable addresses and expected active lines.
The question
You plan a fibre rollout in England. You can choose one package for the quarter with a £400,000 capital budget. Your goal is at least 100 active lines within six months of availability. If the cost per expected active line ties, choose the larger expected count.
| Package A | Package B | |
|---|---|---|
| Planned addresses | 600 | 500 |
| Forecast orderable by quarter end | 480 | 400 |
| Package cost | £360,000 | £300,000 |
Forecast 25% of orderable addresses become active within six months. The rollout owner approves the address release.
“Which package would you recommend, and which records would you check before release?”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: Choose the denominator
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Apply the 25% estimate to orderable addresses.
The strong move. The take-up assumption applies to addresses that can place an order.
Apply 25% to all 600 and 500 planned addresses.
Tempting, but it misses something. Some planned addresses are outside this quarter’s forecast. They cannot count toward this release estimate.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I’d use the 480 and 400 forecast orderable addresses to estimate take-up. I’d show planned, orderable and active in separate fields.”
Why it works: The take-up assumption applies to addresses that can place an order.
Step 2: Compare the first plan
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Carry A forward as the first recommendation, subject to the address check.
The strong move. Both meet the target and unit costs tie. The larger expected count is the tie-breaker.
Choose B on package cost alone.
Tempting, but it misses something. B costs less overall and has fewer projected lines. The unit costs tie, so the larger expected count decides this comparison.
See how a strong candidate says it
“A projects 120 active lines and B projects 100. Each costs £3,000 per expected active line. A has the larger estimate and fits the budget. I’d check the release evidence before committing.”
Why it works: Both meet the target and unit costs tie. The larger expected count is the tie-breaker.
Step 3: Recheck the release
The delivery owner confirms that permission delays push 160 of A’s forecast orderable addresses past the quarter. A’s package cost and all of B’s figures stay the same.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Recommend B for the quarter and keep the delayed A addresses out of the release.
The strong move. The delay takes A below the 100-line target. B still fits the target and budget.
Keep A because it still plans 600 addresses.
Tempting, but it misses something. 160 of A’s forecast orderable addresses moved past the quarter. The take-up estimate must use the revised count.
See how a strong candidate says it
“A falls to 320 forecast orderable addresses, 80 expected active lines and £4,500 per expected line. B stays at 400 orderable, 100 expected active and £3,000 each. I’d recommend B this quarter.”
Why it works: The delay takes A below the 100-line target. B still fits the target and budget.
Step 4: Give the address status
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Use the verified address record and label the active line count as a forecast.
The strong move. The customer-facing message depends on the address record. The financial estimate depends on orders and activations.
Tell customers that 100 lines are already active when the package clears.
Tempting, but it misses something. The 100 lines are forecast after availability. The address release alone gives no evidence of customer activation.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I’d ask the rollout owner to verify the release for B’s addresses. I’d tell customer teams which addresses can order once cleared. The 100 active lines are a six-month estimate based on 25% take-up.”
Why it works: The customer-facing message depends on the address record. The financial estimate depends on orders and activations.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Recommend B for the quarter and ask the owner to clear the address list.
- Because
- B forecasts 100 active lines at £3,000 each. The delay takes A below the target.
- What would change it
- New permission dates or revised take-up evidence would change the next comparison.
Common traps
- Counting planned addresses as orderable.
- Treating expected active lines as completed connections.
Check your answer
- I used the right denominator.
- I calculated the cost per expected line.
- I checked which addresses slipped.
- I kept the customer message tied to the address record.
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026