SFFA

Tacitus · Nov 18, 2011, 16:27:08

Can someone tell me what exactly is "Super Fast Fibre Access (SFFA)" According to a relative BT is to install 6 cabinets in his town, the local paper reporting that "BT has promised its service known as Super Fast Fibre Access (SFFA) will provide up to 40Mb per second download speeds and up to 10Mb upload speeds".

Is this the proper name for Infinity aka FTTC, or is it something else?

Steve · Nov 18, 2011, 16:30:36

I believe it's OpenReach jargon for fibre technology.

http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/products/super-fastfibreaccess/superfastfibre.do

Tacitus · Nov 18, 2011, 18:19:46

Quote from: Steve on Nov 18, 2011, 16:30:36
I believe it's OpenReach jargon for fibre technology.
http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/products/super-fastfibreaccess/superfastfibre.do

I thought it might be. Given they're only installing 6 cabinets in a town of some 60K, I imagine there'll be a lot of disappointed people.

Steve · Nov 18, 2011, 18:28:12

It doesn't seem very many , I've seen a similar number around me for a town of 14k

Tacitus · Nov 19, 2011, 07:37:29

Quote from: Steve on Nov 18, 2011, 18:28:12
It doesn't seem very many , I've seen a similar number around me for a town of 14k

To be fair this may be just the first batch, but since the information was obtained from an application for planning permission, it would have made more sense to apply for them all in one go.

An adjacent town with circa 19K subscribers (according to SamKnows) has had FTTC for 15 months. The only reason my relative's town is getting it was due to a local campaign and a new (Tory) MP looking to make a name for himself. A more practical reason might be that the former town is in BT's East Midland area and the latter, although adjacent and using the same area code is in the West Midlands, so I imagine a great deal of BT's available investment money for the West Mids, is sucked up by the Birmingham conurbation.

Who knows

Steve · Nov 19, 2011, 08:02:41

I never did find the planning applications for my town, so I'm not sure whether every FTTC box needs an application.

.Griff. · Nov 19, 2011, 08:40:37

Quote from: Steve on Nov 19, 2011, 08:02:41
I never did find the planning applications for my town, so I'm not sure whether every FTTC box needs an application.

They don't require planning permission by default but some local authorities have other ideas.

For this reason assuming a town is only getting six cabinets based on a planning application is wrong. There may be another 50+ cabinets installed that didn't need any planning consent. The six that did will probably have extenuating circumstances.

Steve · Nov 19, 2011, 08:59:39

Certainly any boxes in conservation areas need permission.

Tacitus · Nov 19, 2011, 12:49:45

Quote from: Steve on Nov 19, 2011, 08:59:39
Certainly any boxes in conservation areas need permission.

Which is why my village will probably never get FTTC......

Regarding Griff's point about extenuating circumstances, I can't see why these particular ones should be so described but the planning system always did have its weird aspects. I do agree, that these are most likely either the first batch or the others don't need permission for whatever reason.

Technical Ben · Nov 19, 2011, 18:22:55

I don't know Tac, I'd be happy to make some "Ye Olde Worlde" like boxes for them.

Steve · Nov 19, 2011, 18:27:02

The conservation area in my town has the telephone exchange hidden in the middle of it so they won't get FTTC cos they're too near.