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FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet

chesterfield
Grafter
Posts: 2,349
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet

Dont know if this is the right section but here goes:
My exchange and a few surrounding cabinets have recently been upgraded to FTTC, with a date of 1st November for the cabinets.  I enquired some time ago about my own cabinet and was told by BT that it was not commercially viable.  So when the FTTC dates were set, sure enough I checked the phone number of a property connected to a cabinet in the centre of the village and the FTTC date was 1st November.  I checked mine and it had no date.
Again another big hint was the replacement of several of the cabinets in the village with new large ones with the tell tale vents etc.  Our cabinet was also replaced, but not with a fibre one - just a newer version of the same size to replace the old rusty 80s one.
Fast forward a few months and I thought I would check again, just out of morbid curiosity.  It is now showing March 2014 for my cabinet. Smiley
What are peoples opinions on this, is this just a date that BT stick on all the cabinets that have not actually been done in an otherwise FTTC area, and Im actually not likely to get it.  Or do they only stick dates against the cabinets that they actually intend to upgrade?  Just seems a little strange that they would renew a cabinet with a non fibre one, just to upgrade it again to a fibre one five months from now.
Any similar experiences?
8 REPLIES 8
tijara33
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Re: FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet

If you're going to be upgraded then they will also a fibre cabinet near to your ordinary one. In my village the old copper cabinet was replaced a few weeks before they installed the new fibre cabinet a few yards away.
chesterfield
Grafter
Posts: 2,349
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet

Yep - Ive seen the new fibre cabinets next to the standard ones, but my cabinet is stil just a standard (wouldnt expect a new additional one to be going in yet if its not due to Mar 2014 though).
Just wondered if anyone else had previously been on a commercially unviable cabinet and then seen it upgraded at a later date?
Im surprised as our exchange doesnt server that many people.  Maybe we are the trial village for the local councils spending on BDUK?  Not read anything on the council website to say as much though - last time I heard, they hadnt even chosen a supplier - from a list of one.
davidj66
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Re: FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet

Certainly here in welsh Wales ,March 2014 seems to be the date they have bunged in for BDUK expansion of a lot of exchanges not previously viable - but it doesn't currently show at cab level on BT Wholesale checker for my little exchange Undecided
x47c
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Registered: ‎14-08-2009

Re: FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet


As part of the upgrade path old and 'overfull' pcp cabinets need to be re-shelled first.
This is done literally by cutting off the old cast iron/steel shell and installing over the top a new shell with much more room inside it.
The original innards remain as they are.
This is because they need space on the RHS in the cabinet for the krone blocks where the tie cables from the fibre cabinet come in and are terminated.
These blocks are used to cross connect your line in the pcp to the fibre cabinet alongside.
chesterfield
Grafter
Posts: 2,349
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet

Thanks for that, it would seem to explain a lot.  The cabinet that they have replaced mine withis certainly deeper than the old one.  Perhaps this, combinced with an actual date being assigned to our cabinet means they are looking to upgrade us to fibre afterall.  I wont hold any hope that the date doesnt get changed though.  Grin
MisterW
Superuser
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet

Quote
I wont hold any hope that the date doesnt get changed though.
Probably a good idea Smiley In the past the 'end of quarter' dates (Mar,Jun,Sep,Dec) have been used as placeholder dates. They seem to mean that 'something' is planned but no date has really been assigned. As the end of quarter date approaches the set date will be moved to the next quarter. Once a 'real' plan has been decided the date will usually be set to a non quarter one.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

pjmarsh
Superuser
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet

Yep, mine has just gone from December 2013 to March 2014.  Previously I think it was at December 2014.
Phil

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

spraxyt
Resting Legend
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: FTTC date on previously "not comercially viable" cabinet

Here an FTTC date of 31-May-2014 was recently added to the availability checker for my line. The green cabinet was re-shelled about a month ago and a fibre cabinet is being installed this week. According to the road works bulletin similar installation work is ongoing at several cabinets on our, and neighbouring exchanges.
Our exchange began accepting FTTC orders in March this year, with just a few fibre cabinets installed and progressively enabled close to the exchange. We are just outside that initial footprint.
David