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[AdrianH]

We were discussing a possible speed issue on the avast forum, the attached image shows what one of the staff gets on his connection and also shows just how poor our internet service is in the UK.



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[camallison]

I recall last year getting a similar erroneous result - you sure it is real?

Colin

[AdrianH]

I recall last year getting a similar erroneous result - you sure it is real?

Colin

Oh yes, it's real, some of the "Eastern Bloc" countries had virtually no infrastructure so when they started out with internet they just went for the best you can get, the Czech Republic have superb systems now. Korea is anothe place where they have eye watering bandwidth and speeds to domestic installs. They stream TV/Film/phone and Internet connection at rates way above what we have here.

[Ottersnose]

I was talking to a Satellite and WiBe installer in Cumbria this week who has connections in Korea and even there they are going to struggle with the HD IPTV demand.

[Ottersnose]

I was talking to a Satellite and WiBe installer in Cumbria this week who has connections in Korea and even there they are going to struggle with the HD IPTV demand.

(I didn't mean in Cumbria) 

[asbokid]

We were discussing a possible speed issue on the avast forum, the attached image shows what one of the staff gets on his connection and also shows just how poor our internet service is in the UK.

You highlight how far behind the UK has fallen..  Much of the world is already moving to 30MHz FTTC services - including otherwise deprived cities in Latin America.   We are often told that privatisation of the GPO has been a great success. They tell us that investment in infrastructure would never have been possible without the involvement of the City of London and the private sector.

And yet that just isn't borne out by facts on the ground.   Much of the network - the critical parts including the local loops which were installed by the G.P.O. some 30, 40 or even 50 years ago - are in a disgraceful state.   

British Telecom has also scrounged £500m of taxpayers' money as Band Aid. Where was the private sector? And yet while thrusting the begging bowl at government, BT also paid a bumper dividend (up 9%) last year to its shareholders.

If that's a privatisation success story,  it's time to re-nationalise British Telecom.   That state subsidy of £500m (to date) should be converted through a share rights issue into a taxpayer stake.

[waltergmw]

@ asbokid,

Amen to that - but observing the very close associations of BT with many sections of the public sector I very much doubt if that will happen until a Government recognises that we really do have my "Communications Rail Crash".
Perhaps a difficulty is that we cannot (yet at any rate) demonstrate a loss of life through a lack of proper broadband.

Kind regards,
Walter

[Black Sheep]

I tend to find that the majority of countries with ridiculous 300 Meg speeds that nobody really needs, (unless you are a business), tend to be rather 'people repressed'.

I ask myself if I would rather have decent roads, freedom of speech, a NHS etc etc ................ or a throughput speed of 280Mbps If I had a Korean wife and she sired 27 children for me, who were all playing 'C.O.D' at the same time, then I don't see why we should be so hung up on getting connection speeds that mean the web-page has loaded before you've even thought about accessing it.

I know we've been slow to develop, but good things are happening and quicker than forecasts predicted. Maybe 'Duckpond Village' is still operating on 0.5Meg for the time being, but that's just how it is. I'm pretty sure there's a similar village in the CR or Korea with the same issues.

I have a DS of just 9 Meg, there's just me and the missus using that, and sometimes my son and daughter when they visit. It's adequate enough for now.

[Ottersnose]

I tend to find that the majority of countries with ridiculous 300 Meg speeds that nobody really needs, (unless you are a business), tend to be rather 'people repressed'.

I ask myself if I would rather have decent roads, freedom of speech, a NHS etc etc ................ or a throughput speed of 280Mbps If I had a Korean wife and she sired 27 children for me, who were all playing 'C.O.D' at the same time, then I don't see why we should be so hung up on getting connection speeds that mean the web-page has loaded before you've even thought about accessing it.

I know we've been slow to develop, but good things are happening and quicker than forecasts predicted. Maybe 'Duckpond Village' is still operating on 0.5Meg for the time being, but that's just how it is. I'm pretty sure there's a similar village in the CR or Korea with the same issues.

I have a DS of just 9 Meg, there's just me and the missus using that, and sometimes my son and daughter when they visit. It's adequate enough for now.

I'm guessing that you don't live in a " duckpond village" then Blacksheep?

[burakkucat]

I don't live in a country village but on the outskirts of a country market town. GEA is available from my exchange but I persist with my LLU'd connection. I am fortunate that I do not experience any congestion / contention. As speed tests (a.k.a. throughput tests) are only meaningful when comparing like with like, I have attached a pair of graphs that show my modem statistics for the past 24 hours.

Quick consideration of the graphs will show that I have a connection that is mid-point of the original ADSL specification. As there is just me (and the spiders) using the computers in The Cattery, that connection sync speed (and thus the somewhat lower throughput speed) is sufficient -- even for such services as the ITV Player or 4OD.

As I use a 2Wire 2700HG modem / router, I've also attached images of the DSL Diagnostics page (to give Walter something to examine).

Why have I posted this? To say that in my opinion, the service standard I receive should be the minimum for everyone, anywhere, in the U.K. Unfortunately that is just not the case. 

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[AdrianH]

Why have I posted this? To say that in my opinion, the service standard I receive should be the minimum for everyone, anywhere, in the U.K. Unfortunately that is just not the case.

Indeed, I am in an area where there is no "super fast" connection but was able when on a BT based connection to synch at 832/8128 but noise,contention and the profiling system would drive you crazy.
Folk living in an area physically closer to the exchange are unable to get anything near 448/512 and wireless dongles are pretty much useless too. Much of Purbeck has extremely poor speeds and very unreliable internet.
I was very glad to find I could get an LLU ADSL2+ connection @ 18 months ago, it is superb and I certainly wouldn't want to change back to any of the BT products now evemn if they offered 3 times the speed.

[Black Sheep]

I tend to find that the majority of countries with ridiculous 300 Meg speeds that nobody really needs, (unless you are a business), tend to be rather 'people repressed'.

I ask myself if I would rather have decent roads, freedom of speech, a NHS etc etc ................ or a throughput speed of 280Mbps If I had a Korean wife and she sired 27 children for me, who were all playing 'C.O.D' at the same time, then I don't see why we should be so hung up on getting connection speeds that mean the web-page has loaded before you've even thought about accessing it.

I know we've been slow to develop, but good things are happening and quicker than forecasts predicted. Maybe 'Duckpond Village' is still operating on 0.5Meg for the time being, but that's just how it is. I'm pretty sure there's a similar village in the CR or Korea with the same issues.

I have a DS of just 9 Meg, there's just me and the missus using that, and sometimes my son and daughter when they visit. It's adequate enough for now.

I'm guessing that you don't live in a " duckpond village" then Blacksheep?

No I dont ON, but given the choice of a nice, affordable cottage in 'Duckpond Village', on the proviso I drop to 0.5Meg, for me it'd be a no-brainer.

Obviously, I knew my statement would draw comments, especially posted on a 'DSL Forum'. But you are all adults (I assume ?), I can't understand why you don't see the bigger picture as to why we are behind oppressed/repressed countries ??

Politics aside, I ask again, what on god's earth are you gonna do with 300 Meg ?? Would you be willing to fork out the monthly rental for this, just to be able to post your stats on a forum ??

The point I'm labouring to make is, we are where we are. The momentum is gathering pace and there are a helluva lot of staisfied EU's out there. We regularly get feedback about 'market share' percentages of ISP's and believe me, BT are waaaay out there at the front. FTTC take-up is fast becoming the ace-up-the-sleeve, with numbers growing rapidly.

B*Cat, of course, in an ideal world we'd all receive a minimum 5Meg lets say. But we DON'T live in this ideal world.

In closing, I work on broadband every single day of my working life (as most of you know). I flit between ADSL and VDSL and see the vast differences that EU's receive. Take it from me, 99% of folk are happy to have a connection to DSL, whatever that connection speed is. Of course, some want more, but are happy to wait, as it isn't the be-all and end-all of their priorities. I personally can leave an EU's premises working on 40Meg, and get home and log-on at 9Meg. Bitter ?? Am I heck ........ it is what it is.

Sorry if this offends, its just my opinion based on what I see every single day of my working life.

 

[AlexS]

Refreshing viewpoint Black Sheep. In my experience most people would be happy getting the best speed their line can support.
If it should support 4Mbps, they don't see why it can't run at 4Mbps.
That's why information like disconnecting ring wires on extensions and using filtered faceplates where possible is so valuable.
The frustrations tend to occur when everything reasonable has been done and the voice provider/ISP can find no line faults, yet the speed is still below expectations...
Alex

p.s I wish I had "just 9 Meg"

[Black Sheep]

Refreshing viewpoint Black Sheep. In my experience most people would be happy getting the best speed their line can support.
If it should support 4Mbps, they don't see why it can't run at 4Mbps.
That's why information like disconnecting ring wires on extensions and using filtered faceplates where possible is so valuable.
The frustrations tend to occur when everything reasonable has been done and the voice provider/ISP can find no line faults, yet the speed is still below expectations...
Alex

p.s I wish I had "just 9 Meg"

Ha ha, cheers AlexS. 

That's what folk like me (and invaluable forums like these) are there for, to ascertain exactly what the line is capable of, (not projected or predicted figures ..... but actualities) and making sure that this is being delivered.

The vein of this thread is that by tomorrow, we want the whole of the UK to have FTTP !! I understand frustrations, but what these educated people are forgetting. is that Openreach is a business, with shareholders. We are not going to run a fibre to 'Duckpond Village' if it isn't going to be cost-effective. Now, knowing the residents of 'Duckpond Village' like I do (Cos I made it up), I know they're registring their interest on the 'Infinity' web-site. to ensure they don't get overlooked when our planners are wondering where to install the next FTTC.

PS .............. it's actually 9.5Meg, but I didn't want to brag.

[burakkucat]

B*Cat, of course, in an ideal world we'd all receive a minimum 5Meg lets say. But we DON'T live in this ideal world.

Indeedy! The line of my post, to which you have responded, was actually to highlight the stupidity of that proposed government USO. What was the value? A DS sync of 2 Mbps, I believe. Could I cope with that? After having had experience of a DS sync of ~ 5 Mbps, no. 

However I do appreciate that there are people who manage to make do with even less . . . but I don't want to start up Walter on the subject of Ewhurst.