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Originally Posted by JustAnotherN00b
Bulldog offer the package you describe above, PrimeTime 2000, and an AllTime 2000 product, from over 400 enabled exchanges. From 70 or so in Central London they offer services for the home up to 6Mbit/s downstream and 400kbit/s upstream.
A number of ADSL ISPs offer similar 2Mbit services from a number of enabled exchanges using an alternative form of ADSL provisioning called 'DataStream' or Option 3 in BT speak, have a google :p
Not all BT exchanges are equipped equally, they have varying backhaul depending on demand and other factors. Typical backhaul is 4 - 8Mbit for 512k 50:1 users and 10Mbit for 20:1 business users, not sure what is provisioned for 1Mbit users, think they go on the same paths as 512k.
This only applies to IPStream not DataStream, which uses a dedicated ATM link from each exchange onto Bulldog's ATM network, rather than having the data go to BT's LAC (L2TP Access Concentrator) along with the other IPStream ISPs on an exchange and get seperated there to be fed to the individual ISPs.
Bulldog's DataStream links typically vary between 2Mbit and at most 10Mbit, which in some cases works rather poorly, when there are 2 or 3 2Mbit users on an exchange intent on anhialating the 2Mbit VP (Virtual Pipe/Path) and said path only delivers 1.8Mbit of actual usable data speeds get a bit hairy.
That is how Bulldog delivers their alternative services on 450 or so exchanges in the UK.
In the 70 or so (I think) in Central London they actually use all their own kit. People's copper phone lines come in and go to Bulldog's own DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) - the bit that combines all the incoming ADSL 'calls' into ATM for backhaul, and from their goes down Bulldog's Metronet. As Bulldog have complete control of this apart from the copper itself and the line card at BT they can offer whatever they want on it, DataStream and IPStream are limited by BT to 2048k/256k maximum. Usually LLU (Local Loop Unbundled or BT speak DSL Option 2) exchanges are on 100Mbit LAN Extension lines 
And that's it in a nutshell, albeit a large one, hope that helps *phew*
Without having to google once *flex* |
lol - no need for a google - I used to work a telco (not NTL!)
I was keeping things simple and only talking about BT's own kit at the exchanges using IPStream, not the 35 Bulldog have LLU'ed in Central London or the fact that Bulldog sometimes use BT DataStream (though I did mention that Bulldog use a different form of backhaul as a reference) to operate the the Primetime service
BT IPStream exchanges have "sufficient" backhaul to BT's core network - the amounts differ according to the number of customers buts its more than sufficient
Bulldog uses BT DataStream as you correctly say and that can cause problems sometimes which is why Bulldog increase capicaty etc as I have also stated.
BT DataStream can only go up to 10MB per Virtual Circuit but Bulldog sometimes have more than 1 going to an exchange (they must have quite a few customers on those!) or so I have been reliabilty informed.
On the 35 exchanges which Bulldog have LLU'ed (central London only) a its all their equipment they are now offering up to 8Mb lines...
Hopefully as some of the DataStream exchanges get busier they will LLU them as well.
Easynet are the only other people really doing LLU in abig way (more exchanges than Bulldog) but they are not offering residentail services yet - but they will be next year sometime from what I have been told