No Fibre Broadband in my cabinet area

[#1]

I live in the GL20 8ES postcode area which is served by Tewkesbury Cabinet 11.  This is the only street in Tewkesbury which does not have fibre broadband.  We are stuck with 10 Mbps ADSL2+ whilst all the neighbouring streets have had 40 - 80 Mbps FTTC for a couple of years.  This is a densely populated urban residential area ... not a rural backwater.

BT Openreach have insisted that they cannot - ever - provide FTTC in this cabinet area because the cabinet is served by aluminium cable, which was installed by BT themselves some 25 years ago as "an experiment".

Is there anyone at Plusnet in a position to apply pressure on Openreach to upgrade this street to FTTC?  Especially now that Openreach is (nominally) separated from BT.

I would go to Virgin Media tomorrow - but alas, their network does not yet extend to this part of Gloucestershire!  I am in despair of ever having faster broadband than 10 Mbps.  It's like living in the dark ages.

Walt

[#2]

Hi there Walt,

I am sorry to hear there's no fibre availability at your address. I appreciate the frustration behind this, my parents were recently in a similar situation where only a few streets down the road properties were getting 80/20 but not their road.

I've checked the progress of this at https://www.homeandwork.openreach.co.uk/when-can-i-get-fibre.aspx and it seems that Openreach are just at the stage of looking into ways of providing this.

As a service provider we're not able to apply any pressure or query this with Openreach I'm afraid. If you don't already, I'd just advise checking the above link every so often and once it's available we'll be able to order it for you.

I apologise for any disappointment caused.

[#3]

As a service provider we're not able to apply any pressure or query this with Openreach I'm afraid

Openreach are not a consumer facing organization - the service providers that are customers of Openreach are among the few organizations that CAN apply pressure or query this with Openreach.

Maybe you mean Plusnet are not WILLING to apply any pressure?

[#4]

Thank you for your replies.

@Anoush wrote:

As a service provider we're not able to apply any pressure or query this with Openreach I'm afraid.

I beg to differ.  The following is quoted verbatim from the Openreach web site that you referred me to:

"Why can’t I speak to Openreach directly to complain?

Openreach has been set up to serve UK service providers. Service providers are the organisations that own the contractual relationships with you as end customers (whether residential or business).

Why can’t I contact Openreach directly for phone or broadband problems?

All of your details are held by your service provider. They provide your phone/broadband service and manage your account. We simply don’t have the information needed to help you.

Don’t worry though. If your service provider believes the fault is on the Openreach network they’ll contact us."

So you see, contacting Openreach on behalf of your customers is exactly what Plusnet should be doing as an ISP.  You and the other ISPs are the customers of Openreach and have access to them to discuss network problems.

Just last week, Openreach had a record fine - several million pounds - imposed upon them for failing to meet their obligations to ISPs in respect of business broadband service.  I hope a similar fine will follow in respect of residential service.  In the meantime, as @corringham says, it seems that Plusnet do not want to help.

Regards,

Walt

[#5]

Strictly speaking, Plusnet get their broadband from BTWholesale rather than directly from Openreach.

[#6]

Strictly Speaking, PluNet are a subsidiary of BT are they not? Ultimate responsibilty lies somewhere at the top of the chain doesn't it?

BTW can anyone see sense fining BT? Millions will be paid, but who pays? The customer. Better to insist on several million more invested in infrastructure to OFCOM satisfaction surely? If OFCOM don't believe the figures, make BT do more. They'll get the message if attempting to pull wool over eyes, but I suspect they are sharper than the regulator.

[#7]

It doesn't really matter that Plusnet are ultimately owned by BT. Openreach (and BTWholesale) are required to treat all their ISP customers equally providing the same services at the same prices.

Ofcom are probably more interested in cheap prices for end customers considering their latest consultation on introducing regulated lower prices for 40/10 FTTC.

Anyway, in general, if a cabinet wasn't commercially viable for Openreach to add FTTC, then it would be down to the county council or regional authority scheme to decide where to spend the taxpayer money on improving speeds. Alternatively, a few places pay for their own area's upgrade through a Community Fibre Partnership.

[#8]

It ought to be easier to speak to those who make the decisions, but I agree that being a subsidiary cannot be a guaranteed better relationship in an open market.

However, if instead of PlusNet I used another ISP, would they not complain to BTW if there was a service issue, and would I suspect demand compensation. Whether they pass that on is another matter, but businesses must be firm if they are to survive and hopefully prosper.

[#9]

The lack of availability of a particular technology is not really a fault or service issue that you can complain about and demand compensation.

I think a lot of the compensation arrangements are automatic, with fixed amounts of compensation, so that it's all the same for all ISPs.

[#10]

Well, this all makes very depressing reading.  I have been pursuing this issue for more than two years and no progress has been made.

I have now concluded that my time would be better devoted to encouraging Virgin Media to cable this district; they are considering it.  As soon as Virgin cable is available, I shall go to them.

As an alternative, I have recently done some tests using the EE 4G mobile internet service.  At my home, I can get three times the downstream speed and ten times the upstream speed compared with my present Plusnet ADSL2+ speeds.  The price of data-only mobile broadband is coming down all the time.  In fact, EE already have a data-only package which would just about be cost-effective for me, bearing in mind that I could discontinue my land-line rental altogether.  Maybe this is the way to go.

Walt

[#11]

I don't like the idea of compensation, I'd rather have the service that I paid for and the supplier the attached profit, that works and keeps all sweet.

As I see it Broadband is a service of equal necessity to Water, and electricity, no service or poor service is unacceptable and needs attention. I have a brother locally who has less than 2mbps down and 0.1-.0.2 Up. ADSL. There is no BTW FTTC and seemingly none planned which is disgraceful.

My village is served by 3 Cabinets, a long way apart and so runs of 800M (like mine) are common. In town, I can often see 2 other cabinets from the one I stand by, and the attached properties are no more numerous than in my village. I doubt if any run in town exceeds 300M whereas in the countryside probably most do.

There is no lack of technology, but there is a lack of funding and so investment focusses where the returns or competition are greatest. In my village there is only BTW, and no particular spur to press forward with Fibre to the Pole which is being installed in another local village where Virgin is in competition.

So maybe BTW need something to give them a nudge now and again?

I would not be surprised to learn that compensation is paid to suppliers that is then not passed on to customers in every case. In many ways, that's business.

[#12]

There is little point in an ISP trying to apply pressure with regard to a single cabinet (or even an Exchange) as they would simply get the same answer as anyone else - if a cabinet is uneconomic to up-grade then it won't be done by OpenReach.

Whether we like it or not OpenReach is a private company which exists to make profits for its share holders - it is not a charity or a social service.

Your cabinet may, or may not, be upgraded as part of the Fastershire project - only time will tell.

http://www.fastershire.com/

Brian

[#13]

I think some of the problem with upgrades and rollout is the high cost of steadily improving technology and the fcat that Broadband is marketed like a commodity. Tagged onto another service it is given a low cost or even a period "free" which means that suppliers are looking to save to generate profit. Mobile phone suppliers offer fast connection and a wad of "freebies" including high-speed internet for a fixed monthly fee that itself looks like simply paying off an expensive phone.

As an ISP PlusNet has pitched into low cost "Unlimited" usage (not so long back we were charged if we exceeded a monthly allowance on cheaper packages, and remember free after 10PM(?) ?) Making profit or failing being the only alternatives, PlusNet has cut where it can and Customer Support is reduced as a result, though it is still reasonable. Response times are where it shows up.

As I have suggested here before, I think there's a gap in the market for a "Professional" Broadband service, more expensive, with better support response and perhaps greater service reliability, but maybe that's a foolish dream.

[#14]

I live in a town. The distance to my cabinet is 630m by road, FTTC estimate is 27-20 Mb. There will be lots of areas of towns that are further than 300m from their cabinets, if they even have FTTC.

The must be a few more expensive and better ISPs, Zen and A&A are ones I can quickly think of.

[#15]

740M to my Cabinet and I have had it connected at 52Mbps for many weeks/months Most of the time 47Mbps, this week 42Mbps no sign of increasing despite Profile resetting to 47.34Mbps from 42Mbps. I can't complain and am happy with PlusNet if you twist my arm. Been a tad grumbly today, sorry if it rubbed off.