Speed issue (FTTC - Will it be used to provide 'up to 20Mb')

[#1]

I was upgraded to the 'up to 20Mb' service earlier this year and now get download speeds of around 1.8Mb (it was slightly more than this before the upgrade). The basic reason for poor speed, as I understand it, is distance from the exchange (about 2.5 Km). Therefore the existing BT infrastructure is unable to provide the service I am currently paying for.
Using fibre between the cabinet and the exchange would obviously improve the infrastructure and give me a speed closer to the 'up to 20Mb' my existing service is supposed to provide. Will it be used to improve existing services or will it only be used to provide premium services? I don't need Superfast broadband, I would just like something nearer to what I should already be receiving. Will it be premium or nothing?

[#2]

If your distance is correct can you post your router stats (speeds, attenuation anf noise margin) as you should be getting much better speeds than that

[#3]

I got 2.5mbs at 6.5km so it sounds like you have other problems as suggested above...
Good news is I get 37mbs at 500m from the FTTC cabinet 

[#4]

Quote from: geoffd

Will it be premium or nothing?

As far as I can work out, it is pretty much going to be premium or nothing.
I kinda agree with you that it would be nice if there were some price policies that allowed FTTC to be used to merely give the 50% of the country with "distant" (2nd-class) service something that matches what the "near" (1st-class) customers are already getting for a standard price.
But that would require ISPs to start marketing (and pricing) based on an actual/sustainable service level, rather than the underlying technology or an "up-to" speed. Perhaps a package split based on whether the line can sustain "HD Video", "SD Video", "YouTube Video", or "Text Only".
But that would require BT to change their wholesale offerings, and probably require most ISPs to change their marketing & pricing structures. Not forgetting that FTTC is going to have a hefty rollout cost to recoup - and you have to ask who is going to stump up the dosh for that.

[#5]

Sorry chaps. I know the purpose of this forum is to discuss fibre and it wasn't my intention to moan about my existing speed as I have assumed it is a given (it has never been much better). However, as you have asked Jim :  speeds 447 / 2,976 kbps, attenuation 25.0 / 49.0dB, SN margin 17.0 / 15.0dB. According to btspeedtester my configured speed is 2000k. The distance, 2.5 Km, is from SamKnows and seems reasonable knowing where the exchange is. I would appreciate your views and advice and I will pursue away from this forum if you think worthwhile. Thanks.

[#6]

With an attenuation of 49dB your line length is nominally the same as mine (about 5km) so either your line takes a devious route or there is a problem.
Can you try the test socket and see if the attenuation changes.
The fact that your noise margin is 15dB does indicate a problem with either excessive errors or instability.
Note that on the same attenuation I can hold over 4000kbps at 6dB

[#7]

Jim, appreciate the advice. Now connected to the test socket and the speed is 2,592kbps, attenuation 49.0dB and SN margin 16.0dB. So slightly worse!!