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FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

amcclean
Rising Star
Posts: 1,817
Thanks: 7
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

I know a while back BT ran the race to infinity encouraging people to sign up as wanting fibre but is there anyway having missed the boat on that chance an area can make their voice heard?
Looking at the FFTC and FFTP lists that are being published it seems that very few places in Scotland are ever mentioned and Virgin are not increasing their coverage either.
Can anyone advise of a way to be heard. exchange code is wscam.
Cheers,
podman
9 REPLIES 9
lexusuk
Grafter
Posts: 567
Registered: ‎20-10-2009

Re: FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

Hi podman,
I'm afraid we are not aware of any way that end users can effect the BT fibre product road map.  The only cases that I'm aware of raised a lot of the installation costs themselves.
Perhaps someone else can help?
amcclean
Rising Star
Posts: 1,817
Thanks: 7
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

another 100 plus exchanges up for fftp and fftc but only 5 or so in Sunny Scotland. One day when the rest of the country is covered more of Scotland may get more that a few token upgrades.
there must be some way.
adamwalker
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 16,871
Thanks: 882
Fixes: 221
Registered: ‎27-04-2007

Re: FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

You are making your voice heard here podman. However you may want to address this concern directly with BT too.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Adam Walker
 Plusnet Help Team
HairyMcbiker
All Star
Posts: 6,792
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Fixes: 21
Registered: ‎16-02-2009

Re: FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the roll out. I know our local councils were talking about being more connected over the entire Borders region but that’s all it was.
You at least had the 21st C up date we never got that not even a date listed, BUT we are now scheduled for FTTC next year  Grin Grin
You can always pester your local MP to take up the cause  Shocked
amcclean
Rising Star
Posts: 1,817
Thanks: 7
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

Would rather have missed the 21cn update as it made little to no diff. I have sync of 6600 at present not much higher than adsl 2+  not far from cabinet.
Will start pestering mp next week.
podman
David_W
Rising Star
Posts: 2,305
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Registered: ‎19-07-2007

Re: FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

From what I've read, money has been put aside for upgrades to the Scottish exchanges, but the Scottish government said it wasn't enough.  They were allocated £68m and want £300m.  I'm not sure it's BT you should be having a crack at about it but the Scottish government who are not matching the investment from Westminster, that at least would get some of the major exchanges upgraded. 
Add in possible funding from the EU (if they are not bankrupt yet) and with £68m from Westminster, £68m from Scotland and try to get the EU to match that and you're looking at over £200m that can possibly be invested in getting Scotland onto fibre.  However, Scotland has 1070 exchanges including 400 of the smallest in the UK so it is a major challenge right there, but I'd bug your local SMP/MP about it, your government has £68m to spend on the project so make your voice heard by the people that control that funding, your government.
amcclean
Rising Star
Posts: 1,817
Thanks: 7
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

Cheers,
Letter sent to M.P. and request to Virgin on who to contact to influence their roll out.
Podman
David_W
Rising Star
Posts: 2,305
Thanks: 33
Registered: ‎19-07-2007

Re: FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

It's not Virgin, it is anyone.  Basically Westminster put £530m into the pot for BT to upgrade exchanges to Fibre, the plan being to have the highest rate in Europe by 2015.  Any company can apply to have money as long as it's used to upgrade the exchanges - Fujitsu (I think it was) wanted some of that cash to upgrade the most rural exchanges to 1Gb for instance, except they wanted £500m to do that so kind of got turned down.
£68m isn't enough however to upgrade Scotland, it's no where near enough.  It's costing over £100m for BT to upgrade 100 exchanges in Cornwall to Fibre by 2014 (100% coverage) and Scotland is a lot larger than Cornwall and has unique problems.  I guess one way to do it would be to work with local businesses to find out how much upgrading your particular exchange would benefit local businesses, how much extra it would bring in to the economy.  Heck, if the money is just there waiting to be claimed and used, with a good enough business plan and enough support local people could (maybe, possibly) apply for it themselves to upgrade their own exchange with their own ISP, though that is something that would need to be checked, it may be impossible or it may be possible, all depends on how the funds can be allocated.
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
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Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: FFTC or FFTP how can we make our voices heard

The money is not for the exchanges but to lay the fibre and fit the street cabinets