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Author Topic: Direct Exchange Line.  (Read 5719 times)

oddlegs

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Direct Exchange Line.
« on: March 15, 2012, 12:31:40 PM »
I and my neighbours are in the unfortunate position of being connected to Exchange Only lines.
I have had this confirmed by BT who tell me that they have no plans to correct the situation.
In their letter they tell me that because I am so near to the exchange, I can expect high speeds on ADSL2+.
We are located about 2 miles from the exchange !!   :no:
I can usually get sync speeds of just about 8,000 kb/s with downloads at about 6,500 kb/s but I don't call that high speed broadband.
We live on an estate of about 200 houses on the edge of Sheffield. The estate was built on green fields in the early sixties between already developed areas. The areas nearer the city and further away are all PCP fed and have FTTC, as do those houses which border the older areas.
Is it likely that the entire estate is fed from a single cable from the exchange and if this is the case couldn't BT just plonk a PCP with it's digital twin at the point where the cable enters the estate ?
I guess the answer is probably no and that eventually if we want superfast broadband we will have to wait (and pay) for FTTP.
I realise that some people would be happy with 6,500 kb/s but it would be nice not to be left behind.
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burakkucat

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Re: Direct Exchange Line.
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2012, 05:56:14 PM »
Ah, you have my sympathies. However, as a Yorkie, doesn't the Digital Region reach you?
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oddlegs

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Re: Direct Exchange Line.
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2012, 07:17:27 PM »
Quote from: burakkucat on March 15, 2012, 05:56:14 PM
Ah, you have my sympathies. However, as a Yorkie, doesn't the Digital Region reach you?

Unfortunately the Digital Region network doesn't extend anywhere near us.
They seem to have concentrated on being in competition with BT.
The nearest DR network to us is in Crookes about two miles away and they have simply placed  DR FTTC cabinets by the BT PCP and BT FTTC cabinets.  The street corners are full of green boxes.
Also it's a non runner because they still need to place their cabinets by a PCP which we don't have.
And to add to that Digital Region haven't succeeded in attracting any big name ISP's and seems to have ground to a full stop.
So I'm sunk for the foreseeable.   :(
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Black Sheep

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Re: Direct Exchange Line.
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2012, 08:25:54 PM »
"Is it likely that the entire estate is fed from a single cable from the exchange and if this is the case couldn't BT just plonk a PCP with it's digital twin at the point where the cable enters the estate" ?

Without the local 'prints' this is impossible to even hazard a guess at.

FTTC (rather than FTTP) has been the carrier of choice for financial and 'roll-out of service' reasons. All existing PCP's are ducted from the Telephone Exchange to the actual PCP jointing chamber. This is more commonly known as the 'Cab Box' and is where the large E-side cables (which are pressurised to deter the ingress of water) is split into individual units, fitted with an 'Air-block' and jointed to the 'Cab Tails'. These are the grease-filled 100 pair cables that connect inside the actual PCP.

Because of the existing duct (large bore pipes for those who are unaware), it is relatively easy to 'blow in' a new Fibre cable. Due to the age of the infrastructure, the cable-gangs do come across 'Stoppages' whereby the older pot ducts have collapsed over the years. But these again are generally easy to repair with a 'Split-duct' repair kit, once our contractors have done the neccesary 'civils'.

DEL's are a different kettle-of-fish. I know, and work on one Exchange patch that is completely DEL. Not one single PCP and this is an extremely rural route. I don't know for sure, but I would guess that the outlying properties fed from this Exchange are in the region of 10/11Km ??.

A lot of DEL's (especially rural) are just armoured cables burried in pavements or across fields. Being roughly 2Km from your Exchange, I would again guess that your estate leaves on a pressurised E-side cable in duct, and then connects to a D-side grease-filled cable 'somewhere' along the route. Where ..... will only be acquired by perusing the 'Prints' ??

 

 
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waltergmw

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Re: Direct Exchange Line.
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2012, 11:38:27 PM »
Hi OddLegs,

Pace B S, but this firm is about to market a faster unit, although it isn't officially released yet.
I gather it could achieve 25 Mbps or so in good line-of-sight conditions, perhaps using the newer external design.

http://www.deltenna.com/products/wibe.aspx

Kind regards,
Walter
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