BT service.....?
 

I have no (technical) idea what BT have been up to recently, but I just had a look at their speedtester for my pc.

My speed has leapt from about 6 to 16.

Over the years I have nagged them to improve my speed, which has been in the range of 4 - 6 mega whatnots per whatever. (Against, of course, a much higher advertised number). I buy their top-end service (not fibre), but have previously received a very average speed given my proximity to their gadgetry. I live about 1 km from their "switchboard" in the village, and about 700 metres from a brand new BT green box, which sits (proudly??) next to the old BT green box. Amongst various things that BT did over the years to improve my speed, the pc now sits about 6 foot from where their line emerges from the ground, they put in an "ADSL v1.0" socket about 4 foot from the pc, they (allegedly) upgraded the copper cable from my house to their nearest junction box/whatever it is called, (which the engineer pointed out is often under water). None of this stuff did anything much to change my speed, which was normally in the 4 - 6 range, but which could go lower.
So either the nearest junction box has dried out in the dry spell, and the line works better, or this mysterious new green box has had some effect.
What have they been up to??
(This area does not have fibre - neither BT nor Virgin think we are worth it.)

There are unfortunately 101 possible reasons for broadband speed fluctuations. So my advice would be to sit back and enjoy your new found (temporary ?) speed.

I would suggest that the most likely reason is that your exchange may have been upgraded to ADSL2+ (20mb) which if you are close to the exchange/cabinet should lift your speed as you describe. SamKnows would be worth a look.

I am a little puzzled by the 'new' green cab - is it the same size as t'other?

The new green box.
The main road near us (c 700m) is an A road, and the telephone exchange sits on that road. About 300m N of the exchange is a green box which gives BT engineers no end of fun. So they can double thir opportunities for fun, they've just erected another one next to it. it is about the same size, but the paint is much more shiny. So right now there are two boxes.
If I wrote children's fiction, which I do not, then the opportunities for jealousy, falling out, eventual reconciliation and so on, between the green boxes are endless, but I'll put that on JB.

BT say the following: -
Is this about BT Infinity?

No, this upgrade is part of our ongoing network improvements.

Mr Sam says the exchange/switchboard is ADSL2+ enabled.

- that is probably what has happened, then.

It seems a bit of a waste of money (Ah! you did say BT...............) to put in another similar newer cab when the ?eventual? fibre cab is a larger one.

Have I missed something with Mr Sam?

Before I can get anywhere it wants me to sign up to some project.

I'd question the BT answer, as the main/only reason they stick a secondary roadside cab in place is for Infinity.

What does Samknows say about FTTC date?

MB - the Infinity cabinet is significantly larger than the 'standard' so I suspect BT are correct..

vulcan - skip past that bit!:)

When discussing 'BT and Cabinets', you all need to remember that the BT cabinet data is quite inaccurate, thought to be often 1km out of actual position and known in one case to be 5km out!

Not only that, but your "line" may not take the most direct route. It's not unknown for a cabinet to be 1 km away from you but the cable length is 3 or 5km. And it ain't just in the sticks either.

I'm 1.6km from the Bracknell exchange as the crow flies....yet 9.1km away as the cable runs. :ugh:

So at 9.1km I assume you have no wired broadband?

Wierd. BT catch 22?
 

Wierd....
On a FTTC check website, (whatever that is)
FTTC Check
it suggests that my "uplift" for paying the extra for fibre would be 2.32 times my current speed. As bt speedtester has now said that my speed is about 16, then are BT shooting themselves in the foot? Why would I pay extra for fibre, when the uplift is not worth it? 16 seems enough for me, currently. (Up to 4 pcs, a couple of Apples, a couple of wi-fi tvs. No film downloading, yet, but lots of wi-fi BBC iplayer)

Anyway, the fibre only goes from the old switchboard, (OK, exchange) about 300 metres up the A road to the cabinet. They've done nought from the cabinet to Ancient Towers.

Is this catch 22 for BT? Damned if they do not upgrade, and damned if they do?

FTTC = Fibre to the cabinet
FTTH = Fibre to the home

Therefore FTTC comes before FTTH, if FTTH ever makes it your way in the near future that is !

FTTC is cheap and easy for BT to implement as they stick blown fibre down existing ducts to desired cab locations.

FTTH is where stuff starts getting expensive as you've got to dig and lay new fibre runs and then get wayleave to go across private land and drill into peoples homes etc. etc.

Mixture,
Thanks. I just got that level of understanding by reading some other websites.
I'll keep an eye on what they provide, over time. I suspect that the 16 will be allowed to downgrade so they can sell me fibre when they are ready. However, Virgin have no plan to put fibre down our Close, so maybe BT won't either.

AO,

Personally, knowing BT's abysmal level of customer service, I would pick a decent LLU ADSL line over any BT broadband product, fibre or otherwise.

Once the 21CN wholesale rates start dropping, you'll see LLU-style offerings over fibre. But will probably take some regulatory intervention to force BT to share some of that fibre infrastructure with others at a fair rate (well, fair as far as BT's pricing structure goes anyway !).

Mixture,
as I've said before on here, BT's customer service increases with either a good letter to the CEO, or with knowing someone reasonably senior, who can put you on to their employees and friends help team. My contact has just retired after 42 years with them.

(I've just re-read that. I'd much rather have a friend/relative at BA to give me cheap flights.)

However, to get thru to a good service, one has to be patient, and if I were running a biz from home, they would have bankrupted me a couple of times....

On a lighter note.....One day you might like to ask your BT contacts how their Chairman got his Broadband. When he was just a beancounter, he did not get much in the way of broadband. Now he is a BT Chairman, he appears to get brilliant broadband.

As in most walks of life...its not what you know, its WHO you know !!!!

The customer comes first. I can name you a number of ISPs where you can get good service and prompt resolution by just walking in off the street.

Its an utter sham and part of BT's disgraceful customer service that you have to escalate in order to get anything done.

Communicating with the CEO doesn't always resolve either. He's tightened down his remit in the recent years and is eager to pass the buck.

I don't see why I should have to maintain the address book that I do of various senior contacts within BT.

Which is why if quality of service comes before cheapest price in terms of importance, you should never choose BT.

You should never have to be patient to eventually get through to a good service. You should be able to speak to people with a brain straight off the bat.

Actually I have a 3.1mbit/s connection. However this 9.1km was in 2001/2 when they sent a BT bloke out in a van and there wasn't a concept of 'wires-only' broadband. I had to wait until 2006 to get broadband, and then at approx 1.1mbit/s via RADSL. It's progressively got better and I have rewired my house and all the way to the junction box on the wall to get it up to this speed. My loop attenuation sits at 68dB at the moment.

As you can tell, i've been awaiting Infinity with baited breath (since 2009 when it was first supposed to be available in Bracknell....but not)

I suspect you are now a bit 'closer' to the cabinet or you would not get those figures at all. At 9.1km you will not even smell Infinity. It 'dies' at around 5km at 0mb. Also 68db does not suggest 9.1km. I reckon around 4.