Renewing Unlimited Fibre Extra - now no minimum speed guarantee?

[#1]

Just about to renew my Plusnet contract (Unlimited Fibre Extra i.e. FTTC) and noticed that there was just a '?' where the minimum speed guarantee was.

Now at Sign Up stage, and am being asked to ticka box: "Please tick the box to indicate that you've read and accept the terms and conditions for proceeding without a value for the minimum guaranteed speed."

As much as I have been with PlusNet for years (mainly due to great call centre service and this forum), I have to say that this does sound rather dodgy.

(I'm getting just above 40 up / 11 down speeds at the moment).

The price is fine (a couple of quid cheaper for a 12 month contract - oddly more expensive if I go 24 month..) and includes a landline. I'm in a block of flats and - so far - BT/Plus have not got FTTP here, otherwise I would go for that.

Any ideas? Did search for similar, but could not find any post.

Thanks

[#2]

Sounds dodgy, IMO, @mdplus , but I would give them a call on Tuesday, ask for an explanation, and see if you can negotiate a better price?

[#3]

Thanks, will do - but given no minimum speed guarantee means it could go down to 1k, not sure whether safe staying, whatever the cost.

Shall report back on their explanations...

[#4]

Thought I'd do a little interim ferreting...

Entered details for similar block of flats down the road - was offered Fibre and a guaranteed download speed (no Landline).

Then entered details for a neighbour above me - same thing i.e. Fibre, no Landline (and a higher guaranteed download speed than I am getting now...)

My gut feeling is that maybe it is the fact I am renewing a (Unlimited) Fibre (Extra) contract that has a landline attached.

However that makes not a lot of sense IMHO - unless a totally different (copper?) wire or buliding cabinet connection is used for the first two scenarios, surely my scenario is the same i.e. the same wire TTP is used?

Odd.

We'll see when I phone them.

[#5]

Unfortunately, as I have noticed in previous situations like yours, the PN system appears to have a mind of its own - or they just don't want to keep customer. Glad I got out when I did, to be honest, but as you say, wait until you actually speak to them and I hope you get an agent who doesn't read from a script.

[#6]

---

@mdplus wrote:

However that makes not a lot of sense IMHO - unless a totally different (copper?) wire or buliding cabinet connection is used for the first two scenarios, surely my scenario is the same i.e. the same wire TTP is used?

---

I think you are assuming that the "Minimum Guaranteed Speed" is only dependent on the external cable to your home.

The "Minimum Guaranteed Speed" is directly related to the Openreach "Downstream Handback Threshold" (as reported by the BT Broadband Availability Checker), and that in turn is determined by regular checks of YOUR line done by connection testing equipment in your telephone exchange.

These tests will also pickup the effect of everything in your home that is connected to your Openreach Master Socket, including -

• Whether your Master Socket has any extension wiring to slave sockets
• Whether you use a DSL filter or not, and the quality of that filter on the DSL signal
• Whether you have a landline phone connected or not
• If you have an old phone, then that can be an issue for VDSL signals (even when a filter is used)
• The length and quality of your modem's RJ11 cable
• Whether your modem has a chipset matched to the type of FTTC cabinet you have (ECI or Huawei)
• Whether there is in-home VDSL signal interference from powerline adaptors, microwaves, and mains wall PSUs
• Whether or not your modem/router gets switched off regularly (such as overnight)
• Whether you actively maintain your modem's target SNR for best performance and minimum errors
• Whether you have other devices connected, such as inline call blockers, health fall alarms, and security diallers, etc
• Whether you use an EMI filter to protect your modem from radio frequencies passing through it's PSU
• Whether you use a UPS to protect your modem from short disconnections due to power glitches and brownouts

I can tell you from many years of optimising my broadband setup, and addressing every one of those issues, that every improvement I've made has been seen as an increased measured "Downstream Handback Threshold".

I am in the centre of 13 detached houses in my postcode, and MY Openreach reported "Downstream Line Rate" is now 18Mb faster than the next fastest neighbour (out of 12), and more than 36Mb faster than all six of my neighbours who are closer to our FTTC cabinet and exchange, all sharing the same cable bundle and telegraph poles.

This is my connection today, showing "Downstream Rate" of 76.5Mbps and"Handback Threshold" of 49Mbps -

Whereas this is my neighbour who is the width of a driveway closer to the FTTC cabinet and exchange -

[#7]

Interesting list of possible improvements, thanks.

>>I think you are assuming that the "Minimum Guaranteed Speed" is only dependent on the external cable to your home.<<

Nope - I was trying to work out what possible different factor there could be between my block and the block of flats over the road, same design, using same street cabinet.

Hopefully a call on Tuesday will provide a technical explanation from Plus

[#8]

Have to say I've been with Plus for just over 20 years now and would not have stayed with them if the service had not been consistently good (and at a fair price). As for not wanting to keep customers,they clearly did the right thing in being able to keep my custom at least.

Specifically I have been with them because the Support staff have never appeared to read from a script but in fact be extremely helpful and responsive and use their initiative to sort problems (I had one bad experience in one phone call in all that time, with a guy who clearly did not like his job - never heard him again). Compare and contrast with most other ISPs.

The excellent support from Tech staff and other users in this Forum has been another reason for statying with them.

I am slightlly concerned that there seem to be a lot of changes recently (dropping of Business broadband, dropping of Mobile, website glitches) which I hope are not related to BT ownership and a possible loss of hitherto great management and training skills. If it does look like going down the pan I'll probably be off to Zen.

>>Glad I got out when I did<< - you still take part in Plus forums but you aren't even a customer any more?? Just shows you how loyal even their (ex-)customers are to this 'awful' company.

;o)

[#9]

@mdplus I'm not 'loyal to this awful company' - I still contribute where I can merely to help other Community members, not to help Plusnet.

[#10 · Accepted solution]

Went to website before calling - and noticed that the 12 month option had disappeared, and the 18 month option had increased to £29 something (from the 12 month option I had at £24 something - bit peed off as I only hesitated due to the lack of information on the website re minimum speed guarantee.

So, got through to this 'awful' company in about 2 minutes - helpful bloke with I think a Yorkshire accent.

Asked about why my 'Unlimited Fibre Extra + Landline' had not Guaranteed Minimum Speed values - he said he believed it was due to Landline, as selecting no Landline immediately displayed the GMS.

Never like whining to these Phone Support Staff - heaven knows what idiots and chancers they have to deal with on a daily basis - but mentioned in passing that it was rather annoying for me to effectively have lost the 12 month £24 something deal simply due to waiting to clarify a lack of info on the website - accepted that he might be constrained by 'The System'.

He had a delve and managed to get me the same £24 something deal, but for 18 months - which I jumped at.

As a plus, even though I renewed today, they won't need to mess around with the payment dates.

As I said, being able to talk to well-trained staff who give good support is the main reason for me staying with this 'awful' company... let's hope some idiot with an MBA at BT doesn't decide to mess it up in the next 18 months...