Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Black Sheep]

Komodo – Speed Optimisation Task

BT is moving BT Sport transmission via the TV aerial to their multicast service over BT Infinity and BT Broadband. This briefing explains what Broadband Boost engineers need to do to improve broadband service for copper broadband customers so they can continue to receive BT Sport channels.
BT Sport is moving from the TV aerial to transmit via multicast over BT Infinity and BT Broadband lines. BT Sport 2 will move on 5 January and BT Sport 1 in mid-2015. Unfortunately, some customers cannot get multicast over BT Broadband because their copper broadband speed is too low or unstable.

Because customers could get multicast BT Sport if we can increase their line speed above 5.25Mb and make their broadband service more stable, BT Consumer is offering free Broadband Boost visits to end customers.

[kitz]

Thanks BS

However, did anyone like me wonder why they are moving it over to broadband from aerial.   
Is it just me who is old fashioned and still think that TV is best via aerial?   (Says me who does tons of streaming TV  )

[Black Sheep]

Hmm ?? Good point, Kitz. It doesn't say why this is being carried out in the info I received, I'll hazard a guess on price playing a part ..... though where it comes in I don't know ?

PS ....... since FTTC arrived, me and the missus have settled into the glorious world of box-set downloads. Brilliant US drama's ..... who knew  ??.

[kitz]

I'll hazard a guess on price playing a part ..... though where it comes in I don't know ?

Thats the bit I cant understand.   Because its DSL bandwidth thats supposed to be expensive.  Its why we had things like caps and traffic shaping.  Streaming is what takes up a large portion of todays bandwidth. 

OK so multicast can save backhaul transit, there is still a fair portion to go over the backhaul and then limited by whatever the EU's connection rate is. 

Sports - especially fast moving sport such as football or tennis - needs to be of good quality to be viewable.  Whilst entertainment TV & news may be fine streamed, unless sport is of sufficient high quality its going to be pretty carp on a large screen.  Terrestrial TV has a much higher bit rate capability than Internet TV, so its why I was surprised at BTSport being withdrawn from terrestrial completely.

There must be some method in the madness, but atm I cant think what 

[benji09]

  I would be interested to know how they can offer a boost to my line ( 5Mbs ) without putting it on FTTC. Or perhaps BT would be thinking of increasing ADSL lines transmit levels, and wrecking other customer's lines due to increased crosstalk? I am intrigued to know how they would supply this boost.  Incidentally, I have no interest in BT Sport at all, and also I am not a BT customer........

[Black Sheep]

Then you have no chance, I'm afraid.

For info: there is to be no increase in 'Transmit levels', it's a best-efforts project on the current EU's installation. IE: Removal of star-wiring, re-siting of master Socket, Best cable to Cab ........ things of that ilk.

Just because the engineers task says 'Boost', it doesn't automatically follow any enhancements can be made. The wording in my original post states ........ "If we can in increase their line speed" ?? ........ and that is what it's all about, re-working existing infrastructure/internal wiring where possible. 

[Chrysalis]

BS you sure you have the difference between broadband boost engineers and SFI right?

If SFI and speedboost were the same wouldnt this be also sent to SFI engineers?

Also isnt this odd that BT retail and openreach are supposed to be not linked to each other?

[kitz]

No not odd.  Any isp can request a broadband boost engineer.  The isp foots the bill, so BTr  just pay BTo as per normal.

The broadband boost engineer service has been going for a while now.
http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/solutions/engineeringsolutions/broadbandboost/downloads/BT_retail_broadband_boost.pdf

Talktalk also have their own version which some of their customers qualify for for free too. (Such as if you order TT TV) Only TT call them bright sparks.

[Chrysalis]

I think you misunderstood me kitz, issuing a memo to openreach staff regarding a BTr product change is a bit different to BTr simply ordering a broadband boost engineer.

[Black Sheep]

Boost was offered to ALL ISP's, TT and SKY were apparently on-board at one point, but it never happened from what I have personally witnessed ?

Only BTr issue Boost tasks imo.

Edit to add: The memo was sent out for engineers awareness. I've personally taken a few calls myself from BB engineers saying the EU has said they've been told they can have 5.25Meg, in order to watch BT Sport. The circuits in question were both over 65dB.
Obviously, there was miscommunication/misunderstanding between ISP-EU, and total unawareness about this new project on behalf of the engineer. 

[Black Sheep]

Taken from out official docs ........


Broadband Boost is one of Openreach's Engineering Services' propositions and comprises of a range of engineering activities in order to try and improve the speed, quality and reliability of an end user's broadband service. The engineering activities undertaken within the Broadband Boost service can include work on end user owned wiring and equipment, customer equipment at the end user's premises and work on the BT network itself right back to the local exchange. It is different to the LLU Special Faults Investigation product because:


it is an unregulated product available only to Communications Providers (CPs) who agree contract for the service

includes work on the end user’s wiring and equipment

Can be tailored to individual CP’s requirements.

My interpretation of it is , that Boost is all encompassing ....... whereas with SFI it all depends on what modules the ISP has sanctioned. By that, I mean when we pick up an SFI task the ISP will have in the notes what they are prepared to pay for ......... ie: Wiring Module, Network Module, Frames Module ......... apart from the odd occasion where I've had a 'Frames Only SFI' task, the rest of the time all the modules are attached to a normal SFI task.

So, apart from semantics, the only real-world difference between Boost and an SFI is our ability to change out the Hub as mentioned previously, Chrys. 

[Chrysalis]

BS do you have an explanation as to why my SFI visits required a JDSU test failure for action but my broadband boost engineer rang me up before he arrived asking me my current speed so basically before he even plugged in his JDSU unit he was doing a speed boost job?

[Black Sheep]

No, I don't have an explanation for those outcomes. Different engineers operate in different ways, as you know, so can only assume that is why ?

[tickmike]

Boost was offered to ALL ISP's,

So I would  have to contact my ISP (Eclipse) to see ?.
If I have to stop on ADSL till my contract runs out it may help.

[kitz]

Boost was offered to ALL ISP's,

So I would  have to contact my ISP (Eclipse) to see ?.
If I have to stop on ADSL till my contract runs out it may help.

The service is available from Openreach for any ISP, but the ISP has to pay for it.   No doubt they will pass the charge on to the UE if need be 

It looks like BT retail (the ISP) will be footing the bill for their customers who have BT sport.   In the same way that TT foot the bill for a BrightSpark Engineer to visit their TalkTalkTV customers.