WBC Availability

[Adam]

I have been regularly checking my exchange for WBC availability via Samknows and BTwholesale for some time, with no date in sight for my exchange. After much deliberation I decided to move to Opal LLU earlier this month, with the understanding that I would return if WBC or FTTC became available at my exchange. The service has thus far been good and the 'reseller' excellent, though the line is still new and requires some tweaking to improve throughput. The speed is not what I expected, the improvement is from 4000-6000kbps to a solid 8000kbps, with throughput of around 5600kbps, but I digress.

I decided to check availability again, just out of interest. Samknows shows no date or plans, as I expected, but the BTwholesale checker now has a date for WBC to be enabled on the exchange (31-March-2011). Perfect timing.

Adam

[DorsetBoy]

SamKnows no longer posts the upgrade info as it was so inaccurate.

[adamr8965]

i've had llu on my exchange for months now, sam knows still doesnt show this.

[Rik]

Sam(doesn't always)Knows.

[Gary]

Sam(doesn't always)Knows.

Nor does BT 

[Rik]

Did they ever?

[Gary]

Did they ever?

[adamr8965]

Sam knows nothing!!!!

[Tacitus]

........ but the BTwholesale checker now has a date for WBC to be enabled on the exchange........

Where do you find the BTwholesale checker?  I've tried Googling for it but all I can find is the standard 'Can I get ADSL' one. 

[Rik]

I've never known...

[DorsetBoy]

>> http://www.btwholesale.com/pages/static/Community/Broadband_Community/21CN_Broadband_Availability.html  << Download the list on the right.

[Rik]

Thanks, Dorset.

[Ray]

My exchange isn't listed, 

[Rik]

When I get fibre, Ray, you can have some of mine. 

[Ray]

 
Which Millenium will that be? Rik, 

[Glenn]

Mine has never been listed Ray, but it is on the FTTC rollout

[Rik]

Which Millenium will that be? Rik, 

I'm hoping within the next two years, Ray, according to BT it's scheduled for the end of this year.

[zappaDPJ]

As a matter of interest is IDNet likely to have details of their FTTC roll out and the costs involved?

[Rik]

I've not seen them publicly, Zap, and with only one customer connected so far, I believe, it's very much at the exploratory stage.

[zappaDPJ]

That's one lucky customer!

[Rik]

It was so nearly two...

[zappaDPJ]

Intriguing... was there a problem?

[Rik]

Yes, the fibre didn't go to the necessary cabinet, even though the exchange was enabled. Very BT.

[DorsetBoy]

You can always ask BT direct ( they hate this bit  but have to answer).....

Go here   >>>  http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/loadReason.do

Select '(@) I have a general enquiry'  from the menu and fill out the enquiry form. 

[Rik]

 

[zappaDPJ]

Yes, the fibre didn't go to the necessary cabinet, even though the exchange was enabled. Very BT.

Sounds a similar situation to me, there are a number of properties already connected in my street but they are not taking any further orders for another 8 weeks. I still don't know if it's due to a planning problem, capacity or the family of pixies that live inside the cabinet 

[Rik]

Indeed. 

[Glenn]

The 3rd option is most beliveable

[Rik]

 

[adamr8965]

4th option, live next to exchange and plug a ethernet cable into the 1gbps core.

[Rik]

Nice idea, but I think they'd notice, Adam.

[Tacitus]

>> http://www.btwholesale.com/pages/static/Community/Broadband_Community/21CN_Broadband_Availability.html  << Download the list on the right.

Thanks.  Needless to say my exchange is not on the list neither are a couple of  towns inside a 10 mile radius; one with a population of some 60K and the other around 300K.  Given my exchange has around 4800 subscribers I'm not altogether surprised, but I'd have thought the others would have made it.  

Seems very arbitrary which ones they upgrade.  Time to call Rutland Telecom....

[adamr8965]

who bt or idnet with my usage?

[dujas]

BT Wholesale has announced another 148 exchanges for upgrades to WBC ADSL2+ by 31/03/2011, full list here.

For my locality, Talktalk are now set to unbundle my exchange before BT offer WBC 

[pdu]

Frankly, talktalk could offer to run 1gbps fibre to my home and I'd still take adsl1 from a decent isp any day

[pctech]

Yep too true.

My landline is with the phone coop and they offered me an unbundled deal of phone and broadband (with 40GB allowance) for 22.99 a month.

I asked who they use for broadband and they said Opal telecom (carphone warehouse owned and same network as used by TalkTalk I think) so I politely declined and explained why.

[psp83]

Talk Talk isn't that bad around this area, I know a few people on there LLU and get good speeds & pings 24/7..

[gromit]

I didn't realise there were Opal resellers!
Dare I ask who they are?

[pctech]

One I asked is The Phone Co-op www.phone.coop whom my landline is now with (BT Openreach maintained though of course) so I can get a bit back on what I have to spend each year.

[pctech]

Let me give a fuller explanation (had to go as needed food) Phone co-op use BT for the voice function (as most do) and either Opal or Murphx for broadband (I presume they will use Opal if they have equipment in your exchange or Murphx if they dont)