Comments on: Plusnet to Trial Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC)

By: Bob Pullen

Bob Pullen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:05:46 +0000

@David, at such a slow speed you might notice a subtle increase in speeds but admittedly it will be nothing compared to that offered by fibre.

There's a list of exchanges that are being considered for fibre here - http://www.samknows.com/broadband/news/bt-fttc-locations-mapped-531.html

There's another (slightly different) list available here - http://users.plus.net/QL:22E8B989

By: David J Barry

David J Barry — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:32:42 +0000

I live in Elm Park, Hornchurch, east of London. My speed is also 0.5mbps which would not improve (according to BT wholesale's on line checker) were I to go over to BTs expensive ADSL2 service. I'm just too far from the Hornchurch exchange to benefit.
With so many people around here switching to Virgin Media's FTTC service (and seeing a twenty fold increase in their speed) I'm getting itchy feet!
I've been a plusnet customer for a while now but I could loose patience with BT's lethargy on FTTC.
Does anyone know when it's coming to me?

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:22:44 +0000

Roger & Mike - I live in Milton Keynes and can only get 0.5 mbps as I live about 4 miles from the exchange, so I can sympathise with you. However, if BT can keep there promise on timescales then FTTH will be coming my way by March 2010, and I presume other exchanges there after. http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2250431/bt-announces-fibre-premises

By: roger

roger — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:22:35 +0000

Couldn't agree more with you Mike. Admittedly I get slightly faster speeds than you (approx 1.3 MB) but that's still pitifull compared to cities and towns . . . and I'm only about 2.6 miles from my BT Exchange. I'd be happy to be perfectly honest, if I could get 4MB . . . but even that seems years away!

By: Mike Ruffles

Mike Ruffles — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:12:38 +0000

May be it is inevitable that the trial is partly in London, but it is truly annoying that yet again even better services are being provided for localities which already have decent broadband provision.

Where I live broadband doesn't even achieve 0.5mg yet we're charged as though we're all able to receive a comparable service. Given the development of broadband content with ever higher bandwidth demands, it won't be long before rural broadband becomes functionally impossible as most applications will take too long to load to be of any use.

Jealousy doesn't come into it, as we should all be able to receive a similar service for the same payment - unless there a demonstrable commitment to consistent universal broadband delivery standards, why should rural broadband users be expected to pay the £0.50 tax to develop a wholly inequitable model of service delivery?

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:14:20 +0000

Did anyone else see the Gadget show a few months back. They looked at broadband speeds around the world. I know people are getting excited about FTTC but when you compare the UK to I think it was Singapore where 200Mbs is considered slow and 1Gbs is a fast connection you realise we are so far behind in the UK its quite pathetic really.

Just goes to show what a forward thinking government can achive when they want to.

By: Picnic

Picnic — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:35:09 +0000

So jealous

By: Dave Tomlinson

Dave Tomlinson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:18:02 +0000

I'll look into this, thanks.

By: Owl

Owl — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:07:09 +0000

Anyone else being contacted by a sales company trying to get you to switch to BT for the trial?

By: Confused1

Confused1 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:23:35 +0000

Been called twice by people asking if I want to go on the trial. Both trying to get me to give them my MAC and switch to BT. First said only BT on the trial so if I wanted to be part of it I'd have to switch. Second call started off the same way but when I challenged them about other ISPs they said I could be on trial with other ISPs but at the end of the trial only BT customers will be allowed to stay on FTTC so if I don't want to be disconnected and I want to be on the trial I'd have to switch to BT now.
Any truth in either of these statements or are they just blatant mis-selling?
Assuming it's not true PlusNet should warn all customers in the trial area to be wary of such calls otherwise you'll end up losing a lot of custiomers.