80Mbps FTTC

[Simon_idnet]

If anyone would like to trial FTTC running at 80Mbps please drop me a line (simon at idnet dot com). The initial trial will be limited to just 150 lines across the whole country during January but will then open up to a wider trial until the end of March.

Your line must currently run at 15Mbps or faster downstream and 5Mbps upstream in order to qualify.

As usual, there are no gurantees as to the quality of the service during the trial period. And we have no indication of what the price will be once the service is commercially available.

[Inkblot]

Is it an option for people already on the 40mb FTTC product? (People like me!)

[Glenn]

Yes, Inkky, I mailed Simon this morning, he put me on his list.

[.Griff.]

My names already on the list according to Simon! 

[Inkblot]

Hopefully mine will be in a while as well

[mervl]

  Presumably that's 150 lines "spread" amongst all participating ISPs. Another fine piece of BT hype for the gullible?

[Bill]

Request sent to Simon... I'm a sucker for shiny new toys

[joe]

I would like to be added to the list.

[Rik]

You need to email Simon.

[joe]

Thanks Rik, I have. If I'd read Simon's post properly I would have known that wouldn't I !

[Rik]

It was easy to miss, given the format of the email address.

[Technical Ben]

Wow. 80Mbps. That's got to be reaching specialist requirements only right? Granted, we did eventually need something faster than 56k... but I see 80Mbps as being something most people will not need for a while.

Hope the trial goes well though! Those who get it will be bound to find a use (HD TV? HD webcam to Aussie family? Etc).

[Bill]

Those who get it will be bound to find a use

My speed test is bigger than your speed test

[davej99]

Forgive me for an off topic winge. Much has been written about the Poverty Gap; but there is an increasing Communications Gap between rural and urban Britain. BT seems to have walked away, and been allowed to walk away, from exchanges in the more remote bits of the UK because they are uneconomic to upgrade, sometimes from a little more than ISDN. Communities and local governments are expected to pay. So I guess the Broadband Gap is now 500kbps - 80Mbps; the difference between listening to Radio 4 and downloading the back catalogue of Universal Studios.

[Rik]

My speed test is bigger than your speed test

[Rik]

Forgive me for an off topic winge. Much has been written about the Poverty Gap; but there is an increasing Communications Gap between rural and urban Britain. BT seems to have walked away, and been allowed to walk away, from exchanges in the more remote bits of the UK because they are uneconomic to upgrade, sometimes from a little more than ISDN. Communities and local governments are expected to pay. So I guess the Broadband Gap is now 500kbps - 80Mbps; the difference between listening to Radio 4 and downloading the back catalogue of Universal Studios.

Aren't BT getting a chunk of money from the TV licence fee to redress the balance, Dave?

[Lance]

Yep, but I'm not sure if that is the cash which has allocated to BDUK, much of which will be spent with BT, or whether that was additional funding.

[davej99]

Aren't BT getting a chunk of money from the TV licence fee to redress the balance, Dave?

In addition, local government and communites here in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK are paying BT to upgrade rural exchanges to implement very basic broadband. The thing is we don't pay Royal Mail extra to deliver to rural areas, or the emergency services, or broadcasters, or the health service, or largely the power and gas providers. We assume the principle of universal provision and spread the cost amongst us. BT have largely escaped such obligations, yet they enjoy a near monopoly, especially on the copper. This was doubtless to maximise its privatisation revenues; for the same reasons Royal Mail's universal obligation seems threatened. BT are safe behind the fig leaf of regulated competition knowing that others do not rush to LLUie in Achiltibuie.

[Rik]

Nice poetry, Dave.

[Simon_idnet]

Thanks to everyone who contacted me about the 80Mbps trial. The list has now been sent to BT. Aparently we will need to place orders with BT to get these lines upgraded to 80Mbps when the trial starts on 8th Jan 2012.

[joe]

Simon, an idea of the costs involved would be helpful!

[Bill]

Simon, an idea of the costs involved would be helpful!

I'm sure they would tell you if they could, but it looks as though they can't:

And we have no indication of what the price will be once the service is commercially available.

[Simon_idnet]

Unfortunately the list of participating Exchanges is quite small (see below). I've kept a list of all those who asked to join the trial and so for anyone whose Exchange is not listed here we'll try to get them onto the next phase of the trial which should by country-wide.


Acton
Arkwright
Arrowebrook
Ashford
Aycliffe
Balham
Banbury
Basford
Bath Kingsmead
Beaconsfield
Beckenham
Bedford
Beulah Hill
Bishopsgate
Boreham
Bridgend
Burnham
Burntwood
Bushey Heath
Chepstow
Chesham
Chesterfield
Colindale
Dronfield
Dulwich
East Grinstead
Edgware
Egham
Enfield
Evesham
Farnborough Hants
Feltham
Fernhill Heath
Gants Hill
Garforth
Gosforth Unit A
Grove Park
Guildford
Hackney
Hampstead
Hayes Common
Headington
Hengoed
Ilford North
Kingsbury
Kingston
Kneller Hall
Lee Green
Leighton Buzzard
Llantrisant
Lofthouse Gate
Loughborough
Lower Holloway
Maidstone
Mill Hill
Molesey
Mosborough
Newbury
North Wembley
Palmers Green
Preston
Primrose Hill
Purley
Rayleigh
Reading Central
Rugby
Rushden
Rushey Green
Sale
Shenley Church End
South Kensington
Southport
St Neots
St Peters
Stevenage
Stockton Heath
Stratford On Avon
Swadlincote
Teddington
Tile Hill
Tunbridge Wells
Uckfield
Widnes
Willaston
Winchester
Wolverton

[.Griff.]

Scrolling down the list I just knew my exchange wouldn't be on the list 

[Bill]