Newly available FTTP limited to 330 download?

[#1]

Openreach have just finished installing FTTP in my street and it became available to order on their checker last week. I ordered an upgrade from our existing FTTC Plusnet connection and have just received an email to say

"Maximum supported speeds by line are DownstreamSpeed: 330.000Mbit/s and UpstreamSpeed: 050.000Mbit/s for FTTP."

Is this likely to be a mistake? It seems odd that a brand new connection would be limited in this way.

[#2]

@AndyMillne 

What does the Checker say

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Full Fibre shows as WBC FTTP - is there any narrative about a restriction?

Brian

[#3]

@AndyMillne 

What do you think is a mistake a Full Fibre 300 connection is 300/50

[#4]

The 330Mb limitation is usually due to older (ECI) equipment installed at the headend (exchange). 

[#5]

Thanks all. The wholesale check shows up to 330mb

"I'm sorry to inform you that the recently ordered product isn't currently available. We have checked your property and, due to some restrictions caused by older technology on the line, we have identified that your line is capped at 330 Mbps. This means we cannot supply the higher-speed product you requested. We can, however, offer you Full Fibre up to 330Mbps."

It's the Bedlington exchange if anybody has any insight. They have asked for me to call the Sales & Retentions team but I would like to be as informed as possible beforehand.

"What do you think is a mistake a Full Fibre 300 connection is 300/50"

@Dan_the_Van - I think/hope the mistake is that higher speeds are available. I don't understand why they would install an already limited connection for brand new street works.

[#6]

@AndyMillne 

@MisterW has provided the answer I had forgotten about, older infrastructure.

[#7 · Accepted solution]

@AndyMillne 

The old equipment will be somewhere in the network backbone running to the main Exchange which connects you to the internet. It won't be with the newly installed kit.

Note : your Exchange may have changed with the move to Full Fibre. There are only around 1,000 main exchanges where the internet is connected compared to aroung 5,000 for PSTN.

Brian

[#8]

@AndyMillne its possible your exchange was fibre enabled some time ago and at the time , the equipment was only capable of 330Mb. Your area has been fibre enabled recently but its still connected via the old equipment in the exchange and so is limited. Eventually (I suspect) Openreach will get around to upgrading the exchange equipment and higher speeds will become available to order.

[#9]

@AndyMillne 

This is from 2022

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2022/06/openreach-still-coy-on-plan-to-fix-330mbps-capped-uk-f...

Brian

[#10]

Thanks all, that’s a bit of a shame but the full fibre 300 is likely to be more than needed anyway. I do quite a bit of transferring of large databases for work but thats the only time i’m likely to notice.

[#11]

Hmm. Noticed this in the article you shared @bmc

“NOTE: This issue is not to be confused with what can sometimes occur just after a new Openreach FTTP build has gone live, where BT Wholesale’s Checker may initially only show a top speed of 330Mbps. Related issues (database or capacity related etc.) usually clear up after a few days/weeks, when the displayed capability moves to 1000Mbps.”

Maybe I’ll pause the order for a bit and keep an eye on the wholesale checker for a few weeks.

[#12]

@AndyMillne 

I would place an order now for FF300 so you get full fibre in the near future.

It would give you a chance to try the speed and see if it meets your requirements. If not, you can upgrade (I believe) at any time to FF500 at the cost of a new contract.

You could check with the PlusNet Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 to see if I'm right.

Brian

[#13]

Thanks all, order updated to Full Fibre 300.