Kitz Forum
Announcements => News Articles => Topic started by: gt94sss2 on October 10, 2019, 11:12:56 PM
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The Scottish Government today announced that BT is their ONLY bidder for two of the three areas under the new £600m R100 (Reaching 100%) project, which originally (here) aspired to make “superfast broadband” (30Mbps+) ISP networks available to “every single premise in Scotland” by the end of 2021 (March 2022 financial).
More at https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/10/scotland-pick-bt-for-part-of-600m-superfast-broadband-rollout.html
Also covered at https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/8562-bt-only-bidder-in-2-out-of-3-scottish-r100-contract-areas
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BT have also now been awarded Lot 1 of the Scotland R100 programme.
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/11/bt-scoop-lot-1-of-scotlands-r100-superfast-broadband-rollout.html
This is the one that would apply to Weaver's part of the world.
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According to https://www.scotlandsuperfast.com/ Weaver will be getting a broadband upgrade, sometime in the next few years.
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2021/09/progress-update-on-north-scotlands-r100-broadband-rollout.html
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Do we think this is real? I’m assuming that unless it’s all a cop out and they say "just use 4G" it would mean BT would have to run fibre into Heasta and then hopefully put FTTP in, not FTTC, that would be madness.
I wonder if AA would be kind enough to track this for me, if I ask them really nicely?
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Do we think this is real? I’m assuming that unless it’s all a cop out and they say "just use 4G" it would mean BT would have to run fibre into Heasta and then hopefully put FTTP in, not FTTC, that would be madness.
The checker says:
A new superfast connection is being built in your area. It's part of the Scottish Government’s broadband improvement scheme.
Your connection will be delivered after the end of 2021. Based on the current engineering schedule your address is in scope to receive its superfast connection in 2025.
So yes, I assume you will eventually be getting FTTP, its the only logical choice for your area as you say.
The FTTP Openreach checker (https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband) for your address also says:
We're sorry, our fibre products aren't available for you yet. However, we are starting to roll out our Ultrafast Full Fibre in your area.
You can register your details with OR and they might be willing to share more information re: dates via email (though they might not have been estimated yet)
For a even more remote location (PH41 4PL) the checker only talks about offering a £5,000 voucher.
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I'm sceptical myself. The checker now says for my address ..
Your connection will be delivered after the end of 2021. Based on the current engineering schedule your address is in scope to receive its superfast connection in 2025.
However with all the previous quotes and comments about individual addresses not being commercially viable, I will believe it when I see it. As it stands I just can't see them running nearly 1000m of fibre just to serve one property.
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As it stands I just can't see them running nearly 1000m of fibre just to serve one property.
Remember that the R100 is a state funded BDUK type scheme - so it doesn't have to be commercially viable. Having said that, there are going to be some properties they don't bother with.
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The Scottish Government has unveiled an extension of their existing £600m Reaching 100% (R100) contract with BT (Openreach), which will see a further £36m being invested to cover an additional 2,637 rural properties with a gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband ISP network. But completion is now 2028!
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2022/08/scotland-unveil-36m-extension-of-r100-fibre-broadband-rollout.html
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I'll not be holding my breath or putting any bets on when I get this ;)
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I'll not be holding my breath or putting any bets on when I get this ;)
Neither should anybody else .... regardless of where they live .... and I count myself in that, too.
It happens when it happens. ;)
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Neither should anybody else .... regardless of where they live .... and I count myself in that, too.
It happens when it happens. ;)
IF it happens :D
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Neither should anybody else .... regardless of where they live .... and I count myself in that, too.
Agree. I suspect there'll be plenty of properties just told to made do with satellite. Although on that basis I suppose they could claim to have already reached "R100".
Assuming the actually do proceed with FTTP in a given exchange, I wonder whether a property having an existing live copper line will be a factor in whether they are or are not included? Just thinking of people like ourselves where really we might as well cease the copper line as it's barely workable even as a fall-back Internet connection. But maybe doing so will mean we're not eligible for fibre (if it ever comes).
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That’s a good point, about whether or not you have a copper internet connection. But as you said, if people are being told to make do with satellite, then we have already reached R100 and Openreach can pack up and go home right now, job done. One of my neighbours, in the most difficult position in the village, has no 4G coverage and the DSL is maybe 1 Mbps downstream, I think it was mentioned. They already have satellite.
But as I mentioned earlier, some of the very remotest parts of Skye are being done with FTTP right now, as my OR engineer told me. Gleann Dàil, and Dùn Tuilm were specific examples he gave me, and presumably the Bhatairnis ‘middle finger’ peninsula too. I wonder if it could be anything to do with the fact that our MP lives up there?
Where I am, there are now 31 houses in Heasta now, Janet tells me. So at least OR wouldn’t have to be doing one single isolated house. So I think there is hope, despite my natural skepticism. So is that approx 1 PON’s worth? Would there be a need for some active optoelectronics in Heasta?
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Where I am, there are now 31 houses in Heasta now, Janet tells me. So at least OR wouldn’t have to be doing one single isolated house. So I think there is hope, despite my natural skepticism. So is that approx 1 PON’s worth? Would there be a need for some active optoelectronics in Heasta?
Guess that depends how far away the head end is by ducting/poles?
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Where I am, there are now 31 houses in Heasta now, Janet tells me. So at least OR wouldn’t have to be doing one single isolated house. So I think there is hope, despite my natural skepticism. So is that approx 1 PON’s worth? Would there be a need for some active optoelectronics in Heasta?
Usually, 1 x PON = 120THP maximum, (8THP for future proofing, making potentially 128THP in total).
It is the number of SASA's in the splitter node joint, that create the actual PON THP number.
One SASA = one fibre = 32THP.
With our lowest fibre cable count carrying 36fibres anyway, it would matter not whether they used one SASA or two SASA's for your area.
Your head-end is based in Kyle, as an aside.
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I think it’s about 12 miles to Kyle, Caol Loch Aillse, just over the bridge on the mainland. I suspect this means that BT can completely close the NSBFD exchange in Broadford once they get everyone off ADSL and POTS. I wonder if the fact that they will be deleting ADSL and POTS at some point will mean that we have to get FTTP in its place? Can’t just remove copper services and leave people with nothing, or can they? Universal service something obligation? What happens to that in a post-copper, post-POTS future?
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Universal service something obligation?
USO is toothless. Theoretically it means that everybody has the right to request (but not necessarily receive) a 10meg or better connection. However in spite of all the blurb about upgrading networks and costs that might or might not be absorbed, all that is ever on offer is a 4G home hub at some ridiculous monthly price.
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USO is toothless. Theoretically it means that everybody has the right to request (but not necessarily receive) a 10meg or better connection. However in spite of all the blurb about upgrading networks and costs that might or might not be absorbed, all that is ever on offer is a 4G home hub at some ridiculous monthly price.
You'll have to take my word on this - but that statement couldn't be further from the truth. ;)
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I suspect this means that BT can completely close the NSBFD exchange in Broadford once they get everyone off ADSL and POTS.
The plan is indeed for them to close most of their exchanges during/after the migration to FTTP.
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I I suspect this means that BT can completely close the NSBFD exchange in Broadford once they get everyone off ADSL and POTS.
Out of the circa 5,600 Tel Exchanges nationwide, only circa 1,000 classed as 'Handover points'. I would hazard a guess that Broadford will be going ;).
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Usually, 1 x PON = 120THP maximum, (8THP for future proofing, making potentially 128THP in total).
It is the number of SASA's in the splitter node joint, that create the actual PON THP number.
One SASA = one fibre = 32THP.
Forgot Openreach call up to 4 PONs a PON. Terminology is confusing. ???
Scotland is spending some truly titanic sums per premises passed at the moment. Won't be that many they can't reach spending £14k per premises.
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Forgot Openreach call up to 4 PONs a PON. Terminology is confusing. ???
Ha ha - no - they colloquially call a PON, a PON. * pedants - we all know what the real meaning of the term PON is.
As above - most PON's will be maxed out at 120THP (customers), but with hierarchical approval, OR can sometimes take this figure up to 128THP. I've yet to see that happen, though.
What you are referring to to is what 'makes up a PON' - which is the amount of SASA's utilised. As mooted ... 1 fibre per SASA ... each SASA has a capability of 32THP, but usually only 30THP will be accounted for.
Terminology is everything.
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For everyone else a PON is the network served by a single OLT network as everything is passive between the one active component at the provider side and the terminals/ONTs at the customers.
Hope that explains why I described it as up to 4 PONs. 1 fibre powered by 1 OLT port going through however many splitters to feed however many customers = a PON. What you guys call a PON is 1-4 of them where the splitters are colocated in a single place. Presumably easier for reference to refer to 4 splitter trays as a PON during build than 4 separate ones. You folks have aggregation nodes feeding PONs with up to 4 splitter trays in each serving the actual Passive Optical Network forming the network hierarchy.
CityFibre use Primary Nodes, Secondary Nodes and then cabinets from which the PONs spread out. Netomnia L0, L1, L2, L3 and L4 nodes.
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It never fails to confuse me why Openreach define a PON differently to everyone else.
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> Scotland is spending some truly titanic sums per premises passed at the moment.
It’s difficult as the distances are so very great. It’s something like 85 miles to Tesco. A five hour round trip drive. Janet was doing that every day, going to Inverness to the big hospital, back in January. Thank god Tesco now does deliveries. That service is very popular.
And the distribution of people is even more difficult in some areas; say, parts of the Western Isles (Na h-Eileanan Siar), parts of Orkney; am afraid I don’t know Shetland at all.
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It never fails to confuse me why Openreach define a PON differently to everyone else.
Don't let it eat away at you, Alex - as explained above, it is a a colloquial term used amongst the OR workforce.
When 'you' are dealing with hundreds of 'Splitter Nodes' on a daily basis... it's far easier to reference them as a PON. Not once have I heard anybody say, "Ahem, well excuse me, I think you'll fin ........ ".
If you worked for OR, within 2hrs, you too would be calling splitter-nodes, PON's. ;)
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You'll have to take my word on this - but that statement couldn't be further from the truth. ;)
OK let's just say that any address that I have checked has been offered nothing other than a 4G router.
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OK let's just say that any address that I have checked has been offered nothing other than a 4G router.
You haven't checked enough then :)
If the database thinks you can receive 10Mb/s downstream via 4G (even outdoors) then you will be offered a 4G hub and even an external aerial if necessary to reach 10Mb/s.
That covers the vast majority of the country.
There are still many many thousands of extremely rural properties that are well outside any possibility of reaching 10Mb/s via 4G and those properties are entitled to £3,700 to help bring faster speeds.
This can be combined with neighbours who also qualify and all put in a single pot towards Openreach FTTP.
Openreach have deployed a fair bit of FTTP from USO funding.
As you can imagine though, anywhere rural enough that doesn't receive sufficient 4G and isn't in a current SRN (shared rural network) rollout plan, will likely be very expensive to roll out FTTP to.
Many properties that qualify for USO funding don't meet the funding necessary to bring FTTP.
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OK let's just say that any address that I have checked has been offered nothing other than a 4G router.
I have an unlimited 4G SIM with EE for £12.50 a month, that delivers 140Mbps with the right equipment.
That is perfectly serviceable for a lot of people I'd say. Of course, you need to be lucky enough to get decent 4G coverage, and I only have it with one of the providers.