BT and Fibre

kinmel · Jul 15, 2008, 08:35:19

BBC reports that BT are to invest £1.5 on new fibre optic circuits.

I don't know if that will be Fibre to the home (FTTH), fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), or a combination of both.

Rik · Jul 15, 2008, 08:53:35

To judge by "BT is also planning to put fibre-optic cable into about 1 million homes, making the service even faster for those customers." I'd say it's mainly FTTC, Alan. I also strongly suspect they will go where Virgin have gone, and most of us will miss out.

Sebby · Jul 15, 2008, 08:54:55

I suspect you're right, Rik, and if that's the case, I won't be benefitting.

Rik · Jul 15, 2008, 08:56:58

Me neither.

talos2 · Jul 15, 2008, 09:51:25

Nor me, we have the old copper overhead system, unless of course there is such a thing as overhead fibre.

Rik · Jul 15, 2008, 09:56:37

No reason why there shouldn't be, Bob.

Lance · Jul 15, 2008, 10:25:33

If they only reach as far as Virgin do with their cable, I'm out of luck too. If they do FTTC that should bring a nice boost for me!

Noreen · Jul 15, 2008, 10:34:49

This is the BT press release. http://www.btplc.com/news/articles/showarticle.cfm?articleid=%7befd7b1fa-52ed-45bb-b530-734fac577e94%7d

Lance · Jul 15, 2008, 10:45:07

THanks Noreen. So it seems that for new builds, they will put in FTTP / H and they will get up to 100mb connection speed, whilst everyone else will have to make do with FTTC and speeds of between 40-60mb. Sounds good to me, as long as the ISPs can keep up and don't start throttling the connections. Opps, I forgot most already do...!!

pup · Jul 15, 2008, 11:30:02

Quote from: kinmel on Jul 15, 2008, 08:35:19
BBC BT are to invest £1.5 on new fibre optic circuits.

£1.5 ?? Bl**dy tightarses!

doc_holiday · Jul 15, 2008, 13:33:40

Quote from: kinmel on Jul 15, 2008, 08:35:19
BBC reports that BT are to invest £1.5 on new fibre optic circuits.

I don't know if that will be Fibre to the home (FTTH), fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), or a combination of both.

As said before, this is going to be FTTC. I really wished they would get serious about a complete overhaul of the national network to fibre. While this is a move in the right direction, I fear that all that will happen is that large cities and towns will get picked out and many areas that are already behind will slip even further.

kinmel · Jul 15, 2008, 14:05:18

Apparently Sky have started FTTC tests too

Rik · Jul 15, 2008, 15:04:58

I notice that - bit of a coincidence...

Tacitus · Jul 15, 2008, 15:45:04

Quote from: doc_holiday on Jul 15, 2008, 13:33:40
.......I fear that all that will happen is that large cities and towns will get picked out and many areas that are already behind will slip even further.

If they renewed the copper from the village centre to Tacitus Towers, joy would be unconfined as I could then get a fairly reliable 4Mb. The likelihood of either that or fibre to the village centre during my lifetime is not something I would bet on.

Stupid thing is that it's in many rural areas where new businesses, which are dependent on good quality broadband are trying to start up. BT argues local authorities should subsidise rural broadband, but they are scared stiff of accusations of wasting taxpayers money on something not everybody wants.

Rik · Jul 15, 2008, 16:04:18

The only effective answer is to give BT some guarantees on a return on their investment in return for them to committing to providing the service, just as they have to do with voice. The current piecemeal approach is crazy.

kinmel · Jul 15, 2008, 17:48:54

Quote from: Tacitus on Jul 15, 2008, 15:45:04
Stupid thing is that it's in many rural areas where new businesses, which are dependent on good quality broadband are trying to start up. BT argues local authorities should subsidise rural broadband, but they are scared stiff of accusations of wasting taxpayers money on something not everybody wants.

that is the beauty of the Welsh Development Agency, they are happy to spend on infrastructure to attract business.

Rik · Jul 15, 2008, 17:55:20

The same is happening in Scotland, Alan. Up the Celts!

Sebby · Jul 15, 2008, 19:53:03

Even if we only get FTTC, the copper from the cabinet to the home shouldn't make that much difference...

Tacitus · Jul 15, 2008, 20:09:48

Quote from: kinmel on Jul 15, 2008, 17:48:54
that is the beauty of the Welsh Development Agency, they are happy to spend on infrastructure to attract business.

I agree, I've thought for a long time that the Scots and the Welsh have a far more long term view of these things. For the English, long term is next week. Anyone who talks in terms of next month is regarded as a visionary.

misterdb · Jul 16, 2008, 10:21:31

with a circa 2011 date for bt's 21cn I'm not pinning my hopes to high on the local cabinet getting connected as i live in a small village here on anglesey,so here's me getting the writing pad out to contact the local assembly member to earn his money and get bt to install fibre.

Edit: Smiley markup sorted.

Rik · Jul 16, 2008, 10:24:30

Don't worry, here in Milton Keynes we are plagued by thin aluminium, and even with a population of 270,000 and rising, no-one is rushing to do anything. Sometimes it's patience or move.

Noreen · Jul 16, 2008, 17:08:08

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/news/fibre-to-the-home---what-might-it-cost--402.html

Rik · Jul 16, 2008, 18:07:31

Interesting read, Noreen. I guess we are going to see an amalgamation of the bigger ISPs to provide real competition to BT.

Glenn · Jul 16, 2008, 18:23:43

Quote from: Rik on Jul 16, 2008, 18:07:31
I guess we are going to see an amalgamation of the bigger ISPs to provide real competition to BT.

Isn't that happening now, with larger ISP's buying smaller ones, the big step is moving into the provision of the complete infrastructure.

I can't see how the cost to lay the line from the cabinet to the home would cost upto £1000, yes there are 2 joints to be made, but the cost to lay the cable should be the same as the copper.

Rik · Jul 16, 2008, 18:27:58

Quote from: Glenn on Jul 16, 2008, 18:23:43
Isn't that happening now, with larger ISP's buying smaller ones, the big step is moving into the provision of the complete infrastructure.

I think the trend will be accelerating now, Glenn. I don't see where the cost comes from either.

chrisga · Jul 16, 2008, 21:23:55

Pretty doomed here I suspect - Took us long enough to get ADSL, one of the last village exchanges in Hampshire of its size to get done !

No competition to BT ADSL, so no update - simple really !

I'm fortunate that I'm near the exchange and on a sound underground connection - at least I can get 8MB, that will have to do for the foreseeable as they aren't too keen on updating us to ADSL 2 either !

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/THKC

21CN PSTN upgrade Q4 2010 (but this may not even include ADSL2) It seems that the standard time they state when they have no plan or intention of doing the work is Q4 2010 !

Sebby · Jul 16, 2008, 23:43:33

Consider yourself lucky - I'm in quite an urban area and get only about 4Mb.

Rik · Jul 17, 2008, 10:03:08

As am I at 3MB... I definitely need fibre.

Gary · Jul 17, 2008, 10:09:22

Oddly my village is stated to go live on the 21CN in Q3 this year, but Since we have BE/O2 LLU I'm happy at 5MB which is 2MB more than I got on adsl max, odd how they work out which exchange gets updated and when, the City nearest to me, Chichester does not go over to 21cn to next year I think....could be later possibly and that is a big place compared with our little village area

Inactive · Jul 17, 2008, 12:33:01

Quote from: Rik on Jul 17, 2008, 10:03:08
As am I at 3MB... I definitely need fibre.

You do Rik, it's good for the bowels.

Rik · Jul 17, 2008, 12:42:26

As the Troggs sang

You move me

.