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BT Infinity in SE23 - News
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Samurai


Posts: 30
Joined: Jun 2007
Post: #1
19-11-2012 03:54 PM

Feeling fed up with the slow progress of BT / Openreach to install more cabinets in the SE23 area, I contacted every source I could find online.

For those of you not in the know, last year BT installed one of the new fibre cabinets and claimed Forest Hill as 'connected'. Sadly, this was a bit of a half truth as it will only cover roughly 25% of the town - yet they're still able to claim it as another town they've taken care of.

Obviously, I am one of a few residents who can't get access to fibre (unless of course I go with Virgin - and that will NEVER happen).

I finally got a response from someone at Openreach... see the email:

Quote:
Dear Mr X

Thank you for your interest in our Fibre Broadband project. We are rolling out one of the fastest and largest commercial deployments in the world. Our commercial deployment will have extended to 66% of the UK by the end of December 2014. We aim extend this to 90% of the UK, in partnership with other sources of funding, e.g. local and National government.

The rollout is based on the commercial criteria for each cabinet. Forest Hill cabinet 12 and a number of adjacent cabinets have not met these and have been deferred out of the programme. Unfortunately in view of this there is no timescale for the cabinet 12 to which your line is connected. Where cabinets are not commercially viable Government funding (via BDUK) is available to Borough and County councils to improve fibre coverage and it is worth contacting your Council in relation to this.


You may also wish to register your interest on the Openreach website at
http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/

Regards

Peter Dean
nga.enquiries@openreach.co.uk


So if it's not commercially viable, despite the fact that the LSFOR exchange has always been a popular hub for LLU's and the like - we've got no hope in hell.

Does anyone have any contacts within the council they could have a word with? I'm sure I can't be the only one that's interested in this.

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Samurai


Posts: 30
Joined: Jun 2007
Post: #2
19-11-2012 04:11 PM

I've also managed to find this website which details which areas of Forest Hill are non-operational.

http://batchgeo.com/map/048fdee974c63d28...e1afac5e36

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Snazy


Posts: 1,516
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #3
19-11-2012 05:17 PM

I just got a letter from BT saying I can now get a massive 34mb connection speed if I subscribe now....

Sadly I already get a lovely 65mb from Virgin for less.

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MockTurtle


Posts: 3
Joined: Apr 2010
Post: #4
22-11-2012 08:50 AM

I live in SE23 near the Horniman Museum and have recently had fibre to the premises installed. BT Openreach ran fibre directly from the telegraph pole after enabling the whole street thus dispensing with the need for a cabinet and copper for the last few yards. I currently have 100/15 Mbps and can order up to 300Mbps downstream if I need it in the future.

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Samurai


Posts: 30
Joined: Jun 2007
Post: #5
22-11-2012 11:14 AM

MockTurtle - Are you currently in one of the 'blue' postcodes indicated on this map? http://batchgeo.com/map/048fdee974c63d28...e1afac5e36

How did you manage to get it enabled on the street without a cabinet? Did you ask for it?

This whole situation is a joke. If you look at Forest Hill as a whole, you'll see it's mainly the heart of the town that is not enabled.

I'm not going to Virgin due to previous dealings with them, plus their FUP and traffic shaping.

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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #6
22-11-2012 12:04 PM

I wish their broadband speeds matched the speed of their vans down our road.

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MockTurtle


Posts: 3
Joined: Apr 2010
Post: #7
22-11-2012 01:29 PM

Samurai

Yes I live in one of the blue areas. FTTC is not offered in our road, only FTTP.

We have never had the option of Virgin cable because it was never laid in the first place: is that a joke? I don't think so, both BT and Virgin and businesses with a legal obligation to provide the best return for their shareholders.

Virgin will happily sell you a business class connection for a modest premium without restrictive fair use policies and traffic shaping. Alas there are no bargains with internet connectivity.

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davidl


Posts: 180
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #8
22-11-2012 09:39 PM

We live in one of the streets between Brockley Rise and Garthorne Road and switched to BT Infinity last week. The speed is impressive (I managed to justify to myself the expense for the fastest service and have seen 280Mbps down the line) and so far (touch wood) we've not had any incidents of instability.

Having waited a long time for the FTTP solution to be available, I can understand the frustration of Samurai above, though I think it's a bit misguided to think that BT would work out from a town centre - grids of residential streets probably offer the best option for them to make money from the service.

Hopefully your part of the network won't be far behind.

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goater


Posts: 14
Joined: Jul 2011
Post: #9
23-11-2012 01:40 PM

We received an Infinity letter from BT too, but when I tried to order over the 'phone, I was told "cabinet 19" on South Road is not Infinity-ready Ohmy

People seem largely anti-Virgin for high-speed broadband - any good Virgin stories?

Cheers

Goater

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #10
23-11-2012 08:32 PM

Quote:
any good Virgin stories?


If you have a Virgin phone, you can get free beer and access to clean loos at the V Festival?Thumbsup

This post was last modified: 23-11-2012 08:33 PM by shzl400.

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Snazy


Posts: 1,516
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #11
26-11-2012 01:09 PM

Goater, I get a high enough speed for what I need from Virgin, no issues there. 60mb connection, usually getting that or a bit more.
Cant complain for the price. Thumbup

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robwinton


Posts: 335
Joined: Jun 2006
Post: #12
12-12-2012 10:39 AM

I apparently live in a blue postcode according to the map, except this is not true - only 1 side of the South Circular on Waldram Park Road (the south side) has been connected. Those of us on the other side of the road still have to suffer.

I refuse to go with Virgin after personal experience here with the TV service some years ago and lots of comments from friends who use it elsewhere - but I've given BT the benefit of the doubt for TOO LONG.

My currently 'tuned to be as fast as the line can bear' on this side of the road is a paltry 9Mb when all the other b****rs are asleep, and maybe 6Mb on a normal day.

Worst of all, I barely get 1Mb up these days (having suffered .25-.33 for years) which is really not enough for running a single Skype chat!

Very frustrating.

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NewForester


Posts: 379
Joined: Feb 2008
Post: #13
12-12-2012 02:34 PM

I generated that map from information Samurai posted on this thread. Not sure what the source was.

It is very frustrating to be in an area which is not getting FTTC/FTTP, especially when friends are gloating about their 30Mbps plus. Unfortunately BDUK will not be much help; their ambition is to provide superfast broadband to at least 90 per cent of premises in the UK - but Superfast includes ADSL2+ (24Mbps) services, which anybody in Forest Hill can get.

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kemamira


Posts: 50
Joined: Jul 2008
Post: #14
03-01-2013 04:47 PM

I pay about £12.50 per month for my broadband only with a download speed of about 10Mb. It used to be about 16Mb but it's getting slower and slower.

My postcode is blue in the BT map (thanks for linking that) so faster broadband is available to me. What sort of monthly price do you guys pay for this lightening fast broadband and is it part of a package?

Thanks.

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Samurai


Posts: 30
Joined: Jun 2007
Post: #15
03-01-2013 07:22 PM

kemamira wrote:
I pay about £12.50 per month for my broadband only with a download speed of about 10Mb. It used to be about 16Mb but it's getting slower and slower.

My postcode is blue in the BT map (thanks for linking that) so faster broadband is available to me. What sort of monthly price do you guys pay for this lightening fast broadband and is it part of a package?

Thanks.


What ISP are you with? It sounds as if your modem / ISP has put you on to standard ADSL instead of ADSL2+. This can be easily changed, even by a simple reboot of the modem - but there are other ways. I'll also need to know what modem you're using.

OT - This whole situation is just incredible. I can't see why they would enable 75% of a town and leave the rest. Part of me wants to blame my useless neighbours for not doing enough to show demand. I may very well put up posters - but even then I think we've been left high and dry.

This post was last modified: 03-01-2013 07:24 PM by Samurai.

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kemamira


Posts: 50
Joined: Jul 2008
Post: #16
03-01-2013 09:53 PM

@Samurai, PM sent. Thanks.

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Mr_Numbers


Posts: 513
Joined: May 2012
Post: #17
10-01-2013 10:50 PM

I'm confused. The map posted by Samurai shows that my postcode is Infinity-enabled, but BT's own website says my phone number isn't (I double-checked with my address, too). It says my broadband speed should be between 14.5MB and 18MB.

Samurai, how do you know what 'cabinet' is yours?

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Samurai


Posts: 30
Joined: Jun 2007
Post: #18
11-01-2013 01:51 AM

Mr_Numbers. In cases like this, you would normally need to ring them. The online checker is so out of date (2011) that complaints have been made to the ASA - see here: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a4...ecker.html

It should be noted in that link the following text:

In its response to the ASA, the telecoms giant said that it is currently developing a new availability checker for delivery in early 2013, and would "bear in mind any issues raised about properly communicating availability dates".

My own date was revised several times before someone at Openreach told me it "wasn't commercially viable". I live on Taymount Rise, a stones throw from London Road (A205 South Circular), and basically our 'high street'. I get a solid 20-21Mb connection on ADSL2+ with Be and have done for a number of years. BT claimed at the time that I should be only capable of between 14-16Mb. This eventually changed to 17-21.5Mb. That's a huge difference. They just don't seem to know what they're doing.

There is a link here as you asked about the cabinet checker.

http://fttc-check.alc.im/

Take it with a pinch of salt, but it's better than the official checker. Post your results if you can. What street do you reside on? The uplift will be a multiplier so whatever you can get now. The phase is generally where they are on progress.

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Samurai


Posts: 30
Joined: Jun 2007
Post: #19
11-01-2013 02:04 AM

kemamira - I can't reply to you as you have disabled PM's.

"The person you are trying to send a private message to has disabled private messages, so your message could not be sent."

I just lost all the information I put in the PM for you Sad

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Samurai


Posts: 30
Joined: Jun 2007
Post: #20
05-07-2013 07:19 AM

BT made the mistake of cold-calling me yesterday evening to try and sell me broadband as I have a phone line with them.

After explaining that I'm already on the fastest connection I can possibly get on ADSL, I started asking questions about Infinity for the area of Forest Hill not yet enabled.

Apparently, there's a note on their system that says 'end of October latest'.

Now, I know BT say one thing and do another, but thought I'd share this with everyone.

Personally I don't hold out much hope, and if a new cabinet hasn't replaced the old one by then, I'm switching to Virgin.

What bugs me is the fact that they're able to claim Forest Hill is fully enabled, but we know it isn't. Very tempted to write a letter / email to whoever is in charge of 'providing fibre broadband Britain' to 95% of us, and asking if they know this is what BT / Openreach are doing. I have a feeling they're juggling numbers here to make themselves seen to be progressing.

Anywayyyyyy... October 31st. We shall see.

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