BT announce a further 303 exchanges for fibre broadband upgrades

[dujas]

To be enabled between Autumn 2010 and Summer 2011, list of exchanges here.

[Glenn]

http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=19105.msg467645#msg467645

[Rik]

It's interesting to see my exchange crop up on yet another list, let's hope it proves to be true.

[Glenn]

It's the same list as Hells Bells posted I believe

[Rik]

Yes, just a different source.

[Noreen]

Most the exchanges around me seem to be listed but not mine. Not really bothered by it at the moment though as I normally get over 14MB.

[Rik]

For me, fibre will be a huge step forward, and there's no question that I'll go for it - I just wonder, though, whether I'll make full use of it.

[Glenn]

Me too, with WBC I would no doubt get slower or similar speeds.

[Rik]

To judge by recent postings, it certainly remains a bit of a lottery, Glenn.

[Glenn]

It does.

[Colin Burns]

im just amazed by the fact there are some north east exchanges on the list

[Rik]

It's done like the lottery, Colin, they draw balls out of a bag.

[Gary]

Can't see us getting fibre until 2050 probably and WBC is just a dream for this new decade 

[Rik]

You'll get fibre, Gary, but it might be delivered as a wet piece of string.

[Technical Ben]

I'm sure you could watch masterchef in high definition on BBC2 over that fibre Rik, while you drool over your sausages! 

[Gary]

You'll get fibre, Gary, but it might be delivered as a wet piece of string.

I'll delivered in a back of a black car by that day to a cemetery I imagine, Rik. Seriously, our exchange is just so overlooked like many small rural ones its maddening 

[Rik]

It's the city/rural trade off, Gary.

[Niall]

It makes me wonder how they chose the arse end and complete holes of Wales to do it, and not the bigger areas.

[Rik]

Less complaints if it goes wrong?

[Simon]

Less people with TVs?   

[adamr8965]

I dont really see the point of fttc, why dont they just make ftth, because thats what is going to happen, just seems like watching the pennies.

If you have fttc and live 500m away you wont see much improvement would you?

[Rik]

It is saving pennies, but BT have made the commercial decision that FTTC is sufficient (and much cheaper) than FTTP. To be fair, Virgin also do FTTC, the last stretch being a coax cable. For most people, it will deliver sufficient improvement, few people live as close to the exchange as they do to their cabinet, and 500m is usually going to produce a big improvement over several km to the exchange, not to mention that the technology is capable of delivering more.

[adamr8965]

True rik, but move on fibre for normal adsl you really need to using 200gb plus a month, otherwise whats the point.

I want faster bb but 7meg is more than enough for most things. Faster bb is only worth it if your going to use it.

[Rik]

I don't know. There are two possible reasons for moving to fibre, one is bandwidth used, the other is speed. FTTC will open up a new raft of possibilities that can't be considered seriously for Max/WBC.

[adamr8965]

Like what?

[Rik]

VOD would be the most obvious thought, in real time HD.

[adamr8965]

Yeah that would get bandwith up a fair bit.

[Rik]

Plus radio, phone etc. I can see a fibre connection replacing much of the present communication systems, if it's robust enough.

[adamr8965]

That will cost billions to do.

[Rik]

There's billions to be earned too. It all comes down to what the return on the investment would be.

[adamr8965]

Yeah it would and if it cost viable aswell. Has idnet started to roll out fttc products yet?

[Technical Ben]

IDNet resell BT products (those available on the open market). So no. Unless there is a massive change in the way IDNet work, and they gain the millions/billions needed to install the cables. Bear in mind most LLU providers only change the boxes in the exchange, not the cable it's self.

[Joel]

Can I ask whether the list in the original post is specific to exchanges, or areas? It says "Brighton and Hove", but is that a specific exhange, or does it mean all of the exchanges near to Brighton and Hove?

Thanks

[zappaDPJ]

These announcements usually refer to the actual exchange name rather than the area.

[Glenn]

I just found this pdf it shows an indicative date for when the exchange should be upgraded.