Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Hi

I just recently moved house and my broadband has dropped from 120mb/s to 2.8mb/s adsl (if im lucky)

We moved about 2 mins round the corner from the old house but no cable???

How, when will i know if i will be getting cable in the area im at now?

CS were not very helpful when i asked about it.:td:

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Probably never. Check when BT fttc is due.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

There used to be an email address you could send requests to to get your street cabled. I know they have got to draw the line somewhere but having one street cabled and another not sounds silly. Like dash said though, you can go to the Infinity site and it will tell you when fttc is coming to your area. I know it is annoying atm but it will be well worth the wait.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Personally I would just connect it myself to the old house

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

This doesnt really help but hey ho..

The BT infinity site only provides me with a result(yes you can/no you cant) not a date..

Does anyone have a link to a site that can tell me if i will be getting this service?

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Ohhh man ... i know how you feel ... :(
You remind me when had FTTC and moved at new address and stuck with adsl (Not that is bad) but 2,8 speed propebly can not even see a HD movie
Luckily for me VM has fast broadband at new address

Use the address & check Availability Date.
http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/adslchecker.welcome
This is the most accurate checker ... If not dates or named FTTC service given ... i am afraid you are unlucky & you will stay long time with just adsl line ... unless you move again
You can try call VM if is any near plans for getting the street cabled but will not hold my breath

Good Luck

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Just checked my fttc availability :(

postcode says march 2013
address says march 2014

boo hoooooooo

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

cablemystreet@virginmedia.co.uk is the e-mail address

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Thanks all

I tried the dsl checker and had zero luck..

I recently spoke to a virgin engineer and he said the local council has put a block on any more fiber optic cable work in the area due to funding and the disturbance of the work that goes into it.????

This is absolute twaddle in my eyes and i will be using the email supplied (thanks btw) to vent about it.
Im sure if i contact the local MP, she will be able to help.

Gonna go get my citizen smith hat and fight the power!!

Wish me luck

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I think it will be somewhere in the middle dude. I am not too sure of the physical work involved but last year the BT site said my exchange had been enabled for Infinity but when I popped my postcode in it said I couldn't get it. I as confused and rang the helpline and all the pleb on the end of the phone did was whack my postcode into the checker and told me I couldn't get it so I gtave up. A couple of weeks later the postcode checker changed and I could get it. You might not have to wait as long as you think :)

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

End of March is a placeholder date it's not anything set in stone or even a guess. If it says anything in a 3 month increment ie Dec, March, June etc then they don't know when they'll be doing it.

That doesn't mean you won't get it though. My postcode for example went from Dec to March to June currently yet the new FTTC box has been up beside my Cab for a couple of months now so it's on the way... at some point.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I'm not a lawyer, but as I undestand there is a general presumption of wayleave for telecom providers except where the works would disturb a conservation area. Seeing as BT are present in said areas, there would be few reasonable grounds for a council to refuse VM.

I guess you'll need to ferret deeper into VM who, I suspect, don't really care because it would be easier to increase the business from an existing street.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

So basically VM have had the block put on supplying cable to the area but BT havent??

I do know that my area is Infinity enabled just not physically to my address, so by what you say all i need to do is badger BT to get the proverbial finger out and i might get it sooner.

I have emailed the link supplied btw..;)

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

These is a difference between the work VM will need to do and what BT will need to do though. For VM they will normally need to dig up pavements/roads to lay a fibre and power to a new cabinet and copper to each house. In the case of BT all they often have to do is pull a fibre down an existing duct to an existing cabinet, and then change the kit inside that cabinet. The wires to the houses are already there.

Sometimes the work goes a little beyond this if there are limitations in the existing duct or cabinet, e.g. power and space. In that case the work is often limited to the cabinet or its surrounds. I have heard that if there are duct problems they just skip the upgrade on the specific cabinet and the customers it serves, at least in the short term, leaving groups of people with no upgrade!

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Sounds exactly right..Heres the reply i got from VM

Hi Stephen,

Thank you for your enquiry regarding Virgin Media providing digital
services at your home.

Unfortunately for us to make this area serviceable with digital services
would be too expensive and would cost more than our current budget
allows, so therefore cannot be considered to be upgraded by our infill
activity at this time.

As we find new ways of serving areas such as this that are outwith the
existing network, we will look at your request further and may be able
to include this in build programmes in future years. However at this
time, we will not be able to provide cable service to this area.

I appreciate this is not good news, but be assured our team will
continue to look for other solutions that may help us achieve this in
the future.

Best regards

The Cablemystreet Team

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

A colleague lives on a private road - approximately 40 houses or so. His town has Virginmedia all over, but his street doesn't. The street association approached Virgin who said it wasn't viable as they didn't have a cabinet near by. Unfortunately their road is a bit out of the way of the other residential areas, so it would have taken a lot of works just to get TO their street, let alone cabling it. He also said something about a £50k charge from Virgin to cable the street anyway (mostly due to it being private).

So yeah, it's definitely a bit 'don't hold your breath'.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Pretty close to being correct but there is more work involved.

It is not just a matter of pulling a fibre cable to the existing cab. It needs a new cab to house the DSLAM, power and equipment as well.

The power co. may need to dig up the road/pavement to supply the power.

Collapsed/blocked ducts may need to be cleared/replaced. The amount of work involved is huge.

Then there is the problem of permissions.

Quite often BT don't need any unless in a conservation area or the local council objects for whatever reason (I'm not au fait at what they could be but it has happened).

If a collapsed duct is found in the middle of the road, again they must request permission from more than one (local/government) department to be able to dig up the road to replace/clear it.

Etc,etc.

Areas with these problems are "skipped" in the initial roll-out as you cannot have teams sat around waiting for things to be in place, they are best served continuing with the roll-out.

As continuing moving on gives a small buffer it does give teams the opportunity to re-visit areas that had a problem if everything is OK to go ahead.

Openreach have recently implemented a policy of changing the date for problem areas to the end of the current commercial roll-out phase rather than the 3 mth placeholder dates they used in an effort to not raise expectations. Not all the areas of BT's complicated site will reflect this.

A March 2014 placeholder means there are problems with any (or more) of the above and once resolved then the date will be brought forward.

IMHO it is far better than the date continually being put back by 3 months.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I'd say the big difference is VM have to lay cable past each and every house they want to provide service to, i.e. down the whole street. BT/Openreach only have to dig up to the cab, they do not dig up the road to the house in the vast majority of cases.

Digging up the entire length of the street, down the entire pavement and past everybody's house is going to be more disruptive than digging up the street corner for one cabinet.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Reckon im about to cancel on VM.
I have never had such a bad connection and ive been on the net since 98.
Atleast on dial up you got what you paid for ;)

This adsl netgear combo is really frustrating the hell out of me.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

They might be offering services through the BT FTTC network soon so if you have BT FTTC in your area it might be worth waiting to see what VM offer in the future.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Not a major issue, they usually just take a feed from the nearest streetlight.

May, but not always, plus - obviously, the duct laid will be new.

BT have to gain the exact same permissions as Virgin, as does any utility.

Nope. just a road opening notice from the local authority

---------- Post added at 08:01 ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 ----------

Yes, but obviously the cost of the dig is offset against each property passed.

---------- Post added at 08:03 ---------- Previous post was at 08:01 ----------

Correct, if there's BT FTTC in your areas then from July there will probably be VM FTTC as as well (over BT obviously)

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

That's not true. BT don't need planning permission for most things unless like has been said, they are doing work in a conservation area. They might submit a planning notice but they don't need permission.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

If BT are going to dig up the road, or install a cab.

They need the exact same permission from the local authority as Virgin Media do.

In the eyes of government BT is exactly the same as VM and vice versa.

We all work to the electronic communications code. The New Roads and Streetworks Act and the Traffic Management Act.

Also if you are referring to the siting and positioning of cabinets, you're right BT don't need "planning permission" but neither do Virgin Media. However you still need to gain approval from the council that it is sited sympathetically and responsibly. i.e. not impede sight lines and road junctions etc.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

They do not need planning permission to install a cab unless it is in a conservation area! It was on the news because they were putting 5ft cabinets outside peoples front gardens.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

They are not offering it yet but have announced they plan to. There's some thread about it somewhere...

P.S. Welcome back Pip

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

BT have been stopped from installing cabs in non-conservation areas and are working with the councils for a solution.

The "we can stick cabs anywhere" ethos does not exist.

Any council can object to the siting of any cabinet anywhere for any valid reason.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...ht/true#M18784

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Cheers, nice to back in contact with old friends.:D

---------- Post added at 16:32 ---------- Previous post was at 15:48 ----------

Hi Martin.

Check out my post on that thread.

Answer the points and I may agree, only that they are looking into it with you.

It does not state they supply it though, only that they are looking into it.

How long do they need to look into something before the other ISP's leave them behind?

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Good luck streaming youtube when that is launched, I doubt Virgin will add any additional peering capacity to meet the demand of the extra bandwidth being used

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Did you try the search by telephone number? BT say that is more accurate than postcode or address.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

That assumes Dash has a BT line... I would think there's a fair chance that most users of this forum haven't?

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

So, rather than start a different thread i have another question.

My VM adsl speed tops at 3.0 mbps (rarely)
Bt infinity website say they can provide speeds between 4.5 and 9mb for my address .
Am i right in saying BT would be a faster service?? They cant guarantee this right?

Im cancelling tomorrow if they can though ;)

Edit : i would also be able to upgrade to infinity when it becomes available (seems legit)

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Yes, but he just told us he moved away from a VM cable area, so if he is with Virgin ADSL he is using BT copper. They will probably still have a record of his BT phone number on that line.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

The OP - Chumba - has moved. You were replying to Dash...

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Any ISP can only give an estimate of speed however it looks as though BT can do better for you than VM but it's not guaranteed.

Yes you would be able to upgrade once Infinity becomes available.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

No Bt number but line still in.
BT state exchange will be ready end of march but some people near me already have infinity as I found out on tbb forum.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

The reason you can expect to achieve the BT Infinity quoted speeds is that from cabinet to exchange is fibre not copper.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

The speeds quoted are ADSL speeds Seph, he can't get Infinity ATM hence the question to upgrade when available.

BT won't supply Infinity at those speeds.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I thought that too, Pip. But the OP said:

Bt infinity website say they can provide speeds between 4.5 and 9mb for my address .
Am i right in saying BT would be a faster service?? They cant guarantee this right?

So that was the point, taken at face value, being addressed.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I understand Seph, point taken.

BT Infinity or any other ISP's using BTW's FTTC will not offer the product if the estimated speed is <16Mbps as that is the minimum threshold offered by BTW to all FTTC ISP's

I did also address the OP's question previously..

To be honest BT Retail do not actually have an "Infinity" website. They do have a website that promotes it and why not?

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

It's not July yet.

---------- Post added at 17:56 ---------- Previous post was at 17:54 ----------

Isn't that what I said?

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

So what is going to happen in July that will be so fantastic that other users of BT Wholesale's product (which VM will be using)., will then flock to VM?

No throttles on downloads no matter which protocol? Already done.

VM are on the "back foot" regarding FTTC via BTWholesale, their opposition has a commanding lead in the market.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

The MAC code has been given.
Im switching on 14th of march to BT.

Now according to uSwitch, against all other ISP's, BT are the fastest in my area.
I know its only an extra meg but its better than all the drop outs and non gaming im getting at the mo.

Thanks to all for the advice on here..I secretly envy your fiber optic connections :/

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I've never said anything fantastic is going to happen, I'll leave you to make up such stuff, you seem to be very good at reading stuff that isn't there and trying to argue against statements that haven't been made.

All I've ever said is VM's FTTC offering over BT's network will be Q3/Q4 this year, that's all.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

its worth pointing out the conservation area issue is having red tape removed from legislation soon, which will make it interesting if VM continue to blame planning permission for delays.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Or similarly, Openreach.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I doubt much will change.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Well after a couple of month of waiting on a 3.0mb connection i check BT infinity on the off chance it had some good news and it did!!!

Infinity 2 is in my area

This reply has no use to anyone, im just dead chuffed and thought i would share it ..

Cheers again ;)

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Never mind, just enjoy it when you get it.

BTW you don't have to get it from BT. Infinity is just BT Retail's name for Openreach's FTTC product. Openreach have to make it available to all other ISP's.

Shop around for the best deal and be warned BT's offshore helpdesk is worse than Virgin's! If you have a problem use their forum which is quicker and better than Virgin's.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Skys phone support is spot on, the forum is a bit hit and miss by the look of it, but my service has been spot on, so havent had to use it (used the phones once)

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I take it you are referring to the Sky forum?????

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

yep, its not too good, similar to the VM one

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

BT forum. Support will contact you personally within 3 days via email or phone. That person will take ownership of your issue and will be your one point of contact until resolution.

SKY & Virgin take note!

They also have @BTCare on twitter.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Including Virgin Media :monkey:

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Can you get LLU on the street side cabinet yet?

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Why would you need LLU on the street side cab? The VDSL product supplied by Openreach is totally different to ADSL.

Yes it will be and is available to VM National. It depends if VM want to take it as it would make their cable service look grim!

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

Last I recall the consultation resulted in absolutely zero interested customers :dozey:

Also, I see you be copyin' my avatar.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

The project to use BT's FTTC infrastructure is already well under way.

VM will probably start marketing the offering towards the end of this year.

Not just broadband either, there will be a tv offering too.

VM's current "offnet" National offering, as we know, is quite dire. VM know this and they've never marketed it.

However, the new FTTC over BT, will be a different ball game, it'll be very interesting.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I agree, it will be very interesting. Especially if their FTTC offering over the Openreach infrastructure ends up better than their own FTTC offering.

Only time will tell.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

And if there's any overlap, it'll be very interesting.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

It certainly will! and definately worth watching out for as it's bound to happen.

Unless VM deliberately withold offering the National product in overlap areas.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

I don't know about that, or the pricing, speeds that will be offered, or the type of TV product etc etc etc.

But all I can say is it would be pretty stupid to offer the National product "on-net".

But, there's no limits to mans stupidity.

Re: Will i ever get fibre optic?
 

It would appear the project outlined above has been postponed, possibly shelved.