Frostbite - does your mate live in a village several miles from the nearest town?
Optical should give broadband to the area as the line is digital anyway, but if your pal lives in a rural area then it's more likely that BT don't want to pay yet for putting broadband kit in the exchange. In cases like this you get 400 mates to sign on the BT web site asking if broadband is available at that postcode, then they think that there is enough demand.
If he lives in a town then I think someone may not be telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.