FTTC Expansion?

[#1]

I've noticed my exchange (Hemel Hempstead) will be FTTC enabled from Jan 18th http://www.openreach-communications.co.uk/superfast/what-it-means-for-you/schedule-popup.htm - are there any plans for the Plusnet FTTC trial to be expanded?
I assume this just means the exchange is enabled only and the green boxes need to be upgraded next?
Thanks and Happy New Year!

[#2]

Happy new Year!
I think the date indicates that green cabinets should be ready too as they are happy to take customer orders.  (Why take an order if you can't provide?)
My line is off the Luton exchange which has a date of 11th Jan on the list and I know that the work has been done to enable the cabinet that the line routes through because I've seen BTOR out doing it  
They've been out all over the town for about 3-4 months doing various work.
Also interested to know if anyone from PN can confirm whether we can "trial" this service and what the costs would be.
Spock

[#3]

On a related note, could anyone from Plusnet check for me please if Ponders End (LNPON) is still in phase 3 of the FTTC rollout? It was originally included back in July, but I've just caught sight of this document which makes no mention of Ponders End and instead includes Bowes Park… so unless a mistake has been made in the document, it looks like they've decided to reject LNPON.

[#4]

My exchange (Shipley) is due to be enabled as part of phase 3.  If Plusnet are maintaining any sort of FTTC trial interest list I would be delighted if you could add me to it.

James

[#5]

Hi,
In order to take part in the trial we need Openreach to enable the exchange and the cabinet that serves your line and then BT Wholesale to do the backhaul. When all 3 are done this checker should give you a yes FTTC is available:
http://www.btwholesale.com/pages/static/Community/Broadband_Community/Coverage/ADSL_Availibility_Che...
It may give a future date but we can't place the order until this has passed.
I'm happy to add anyone to the trial on the new exchanges but do remember it is a trial, things may wrong and it may take longer than normal to fix things. There's no extra monthly charges, no one off charges, any account type can go on the trial but you will either need a router that supports PPPoE over an ethernet port (I think the Time Capsule does so would interested to see how that works) or we'll send you a free Thomson 585v7 with updated firmware.
Send me a PM if your exchange is ready and you want to go on and I'll be in touch.

[#6]

Thanks Dave.
I'll keep an eye on the checker and pm you when my exchange and cabinet are enabled.  Interestedly BT's checker states that my line is "very unlikely to be able to support ADSL" notwithstanding it's currently synced at a bit over 4Mbs!  It never used to say this so I guess BT has changed something in their checker / backend database for some reason.
[Edit: If I use the postcode checker instead I get:
Our test also indicates that your line currently supports a fibre technology with a potential WBC FTTC Broadband where consumers have received downstream line rate of 17.7 Mbps or greater and upstream line rate of 6.9 Mbps or greater.
Is there anyway you can check if this is correct at this moment in time as I suspect it isn't?]

James

[#7]

I was hoping to join the FTTC on 20th Jan but BT put the date back to 1st Feb and now there is no mention of FTTC at all  - so frustrating.
There is clearly something wrong with the Luton setup for it to be delayed so often or taken off completely - BT raise expectations then just disappear! 

[#8]

Totally agree, was waiting for Luton to go live too!  Latest work over at the end of Riddy Lane was a couple of weeks ago, and the BT OR tents are still up round whatever they were doing, so not much hope I don't think.....
In the meantime I'm hoping to drag more out of the poor old copper by joining the 21CN DLM trial to get a forced 6db margin.
Spock

[#9]

Hi guys,
I've got the latest data showing coverage. The Luton exchange is showing as being enabled but not all of the cabinets have been done yet (which is pretty much the same with most of the exchanges although some such as Basingstoke as yet have no enabled cabinets). If you are checking the availability make sure you search by phone number rather than postcode as some postcodes can be supported by more than 1 cabinet, 1 of which could be enabled and 1 not enabled.
Be3G your exchange is still showing in the latest data I have for phase 3, but that's currently waiting for the final notification so until we get that for Openreach I don't know if it will get included or not.

[#10]

Thanks Dave, all hope is not quite lost yet then.

[#11]

@dave  The checker seems to have a mind of its own.  Last week it said fibre broadband available at 12mbps from 25th Jan, this week it makes no mention of fibre at all! 
I know the cab our line goes to and the new one was fitted out and linked up several months ago.
Spock

[#12]

@dave: does your list say anything about my exchange (Shipley)?

Cheers

James

[#13]

spock - that may be because the speed was showing at 12Mbps. The Fault Threshold Rate on FTTC for sync speed is 15Mbps, if the sync speed is below this it's considered a fault, as such for the initial stages they aren't accepting lines that the checker says will get at least 15Mbps. There's a sub 15Mbps version in development for later this year.
James = Shipley is on the phase 3 list for later in the year, don't have any dates for the phase 3 exchanges yet.

[#14]

@dave.
I am a little confused on the status of Basingstoke now, are you saying that there is 'no' service available at all yet?  Based on your message from earlier in the month I was expecting that as long as my phone number responded on the Wholesale checker to say that I can get FTTC (mine does but give a date of March 23rd), it would be available for things like the Plusnet FTTC trial.
The local radio station was pushing FTTC heavily yesterday to say that the service had launched; was this just a publicity spin by BT?
Regards
Mark
http://leyingitout.blogsite.org/tag/fttc/

[#15]

Hi Mark,
The exchange side work is done I believe but the cabinets aren't yet. The date you've got for your line I expect is the estimated date that your particular cabinet will be ready (they need to physically install a new cabinet and may need to run new fibre to it then connect it up exchange side). So long as that's done on schedule we'll be able to move you on to the trial at the end of March.
It has launched but I think we're at less than 50% coverage across the newly enabled exchanges simply because some of the exchanges have over a hundred cabinets with a variety of different circumstances as to whether they need new fibre laying, need planning permission, etc.