View Single Post
Old 21-10-2005, 18:21   #274
DeadKenny
Inactive
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Woking
Age: 51
Services: PlusNet 2Mbps Premier. BT. Sky Digital. TiVo.
Posts: 273
DeadKenny will become famous soon enoughDeadKenny will become famous soon enoughDeadKenny will become famous soon enough
Re: Want ADSL?-Read on....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martyn
also who owns the exchanges? sorry if random question..?
BT owns them (used to be the Post Office years ago )

With LLU (local loop unbundling), the likes of Bulldog and EasyNet are allowed to install their own equipment in BT's exchanges and I think they essentially own the line to your house (though repairs to the line might still involved BT, not sure. I guess LLU companies pay BT for that?). Normally BT owns the line and equipment and ADSL providers buy off BT Wholesale, hence the prices are driven by BT.

LLU often provides higher speeds but mainly due to short distances to the exchange. BT's maxDSL is basically BT opening their speeds up to provide 8Mbps potentially so all providers buying off BT Wholesale can offer this, but it's still subject to line lengths. If you are very close you may get 8Mbps, otherwise could be 4 or 2Mbps. Some people a fair distance or on poor quality lines are still limited to 512kbps. This is different to cable where you can get the full speed wherever you live but poor line quality results in disconnections instead.

Coming up after maxDSL is ADSL2+ which has potential speeds of 24Mbps, but again will vary on line length. Needs a modem supporting ADSL2+ though. BT, the LLU providers and even NTL are looking at ADSL2+ technology.

It won't stop there either, though I still think the dream of 100Mbps fibre to home like some countries is a long way off. Then again, BT are committed to switching POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) to IP by something like 2010 and with Sky buying up the likes of EasyNet there could be a huge drive to get video and phone technology streaming over IP at huge rates and 100Mbps may be necessary ultimately.

Cable have problems keeping up in this area unless they are prepared to do fibre to home. Current coax/fibre hybrid is pretty crappy. It's like old thick-ethernet technology in many ways which was flawed.
DeadKenny is offline   Reply With Quote