Are NTL still cabling new areas

BigAndy817 · 06-02-2006, 16:18

I have recently moved from an NTL cabled area to a non-cabled area. I have in the past compained about NTL but all (well almost all) is forgiven... BT is worse than NTL for customer service. They seem totally incompetent when it comes to giving me a broadband service. They come out with all the excuses under the sun as to why I can't have broadband... too far from the exchange etc. but my neighbour has it so why can't they get it to work in my house!

Anyway, to my point. Are NTL still laying new cables to get to areas that they don't yet cover. I live just outside Leicester in the LE9 postal area, so there are cables within a few miles of me but just not down my street. Is NTL's aim to eventually make cables available to every household? Hopefully it is, if they cabled down my street I would switch back to them straight away!

Chris W · 06-02-2006, 16:24

short answer ....

no.

BigAndy817 · 06-02-2006, 16:47

Thanks for the reply.

It's a shame NTL don't extend their network more, I'm sure in the long run if they did cover everyone they would force BT out of business since BT don't seem to be doing anything to upgrade their network to cope with things like very fast broadband connections and cable TV.

Chris W · 06-02-2006, 16:50

well merging with Telewest will mean that the one cable provider will have a much larger network, and once the merger is completed then maybe the new company will consider expanding the network, however expansion is bloody expensive and i expect the focus is on higher market penetration in areas that are servicable first.

SLM · 06-02-2006, 17:10

In fact both TW and ntl together have about 7million customers with a max of 12million homes with a cable outside, until they get close to the 12million mark they will not even be thinking about expanding (not very good business sense)

King Of Fools · 06-02-2006, 17:24

NTL have stated that they would not be laying any more physical cables and would concentrate their off-net efforts via LLU on BT lines as it was far more cost effective.

PS1 · 06-02-2006, 20:39

You can actually get NTL broadband through a BT telephone line!!!

Chris W · 06-02-2006, 22:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by PS1

You can actually get NTL broadband through a BT telephone line!!!

err... as in virgin.net adsl?

Neil · 06-02-2006, 22:20

**Moved to Installation forum**

thelem · 07-02-2006, 03:09

Where abouts do you live?

If you are just after broadband, and you can't get it from cable or BT, then you could try the LLU providers such as Bulldog and Easynet. You might also be able to persuade BT to re-survey your property, although it sounds like your line quality is borderline so you might end up with a slow or unreliable connection if they do accept you after pestering.

Failing that, your only options really are dialup, 3G mobile broadband or satellite broadband

Chrysalis · 07-02-2006, 05:06

Leics has loads of LLU but I doubt it will be available in LE9 area sounds like thats a fair bit out of town. If you can get wholesale adsl somehow (try signing up for bt broadband isp they tend to make the effort to get you hooked up then) and then you can migrate after.

Shaun · 07-02-2006, 05:45

LE9, Hinckley/Broughton Astley/Lutterworth, you've got no chance soon, that's way too far out of town. Sorry

Ntl haven't even activeted the cables they installed in the roads in Blaby (LE8) 5 or 6 years ago.

As for LLU, there's no chance of that either unless you live in Hinckley/Leicester as far as I know LLU exchanges in Leicester and the south of Leicestershire are Leics Central/Montfort/Hinckley Central.

Have you tried to get BB through someone like Plus.net? If not then try it they can sometimes get BT to pull their socks up.

Unless you live in a really remote area (or have a really bad line then you should be able to get 1Mbit at least. I know people that live in Sharnford (for those not in the know it's a very rural village by the A5) and can even get 2Mbit, there may be hope for you yet

---------- Post added at 05:45 ---------- Previous post was at 05:36 ----------

For further info try here:

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/phoneno.php

BigAndy817 · 07-02-2006, 09:51

Thanks for all the replies.

In response to some of your suggestions, I am on the Sutton Elms exchange which is ADSL enabled. I am not sure what LLU means, so I'm not sure what to do about that suggestion.

At the moment I am signed up with BT broadband. My neighbour is on AOL and gets 512 broadband. Initially I was getting no connection at all, then a BT engineer did something from their end which gave me intermittent connections. Then a BT engineer visited and replaced the standard phone socket with and ADSL socket so I plug directly into the socket with the broadband modem instead of using a plug in filter. Since he did that we are back to no connection. Now we get a different story every time I phone to complain. Yesterday my wife phoned to complain and got told there was nothing wrong with the line and there was nothing further BT could do. Five minutes later a BT engineer phoned and informed us he will visit tomorrow to fix the fault on our line. When she questioned him he said he was nothing to do with broadband connections and was coming to fix the fault with the voice part of the line!

At the end of the day I know a broadband connection is possible if BT would get their act together and do something about fixing the problem instead of passing us from department to department and no one wanting to take responsability for the problem. If it works next door it will work in my house if someone who knows what they are doing would come and look at the problem.

Thanks everyone, I understand your comments about NTL having no plans to extend their network. Satellite broadband is a nice idea but is expensive as far as I know.

King Of Fools · 07-02-2006, 10:59

LLU is Local Loop Unbundling. It basically means that a third-party company can supply a service to a customer over BT lines without that customer needing to have a contract with BT.

In your situation it would not help as it sounds like there is a problem with your BT line.

Neil · 07-02-2006, 11:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAndy817

Thanks for all the replies.

In response to some of your suggestions, I am on the Sutton Elms exchange which is ADSL enabled. I am not sure what LLU means, so I'm not sure what to do about that suggestion.

There's no LLU (yet) at your exchange: http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ex...?ecode=EMSTTEL