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Author Topic: No BT Fibre because...  (Read 4505 times)

UncleUB

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No BT Fibre because...
« on: February 28, 2014, 06:16:49 PM »

I have just had this reply from my MP as to why BT have no plans to upgrade my exchange for fibre broadband..... :(

Quote
Dear Mr xxxxxxx,
 
Thank you for your email.
 
I do understand your concerns and I have recently met with BT to discuss this matter.
 
Further to our previous correspondence on this issue, BT at the recent meeting were a lot more forthcoming with their reasons as to why the Attercliffe exchange has not been upgraded so far. However their current position is that they still do not have any imminent plans to fibre enable the Attercliffe exchange.
 
In the meeting they outlined that the reason as to why the Attercliffe exchange has not been upgraded is commercial and they feel that there is not enough demand in the areas covered by the exchange to upgrade it without Government assistance. I did challenge BT on this as there is a large business community as well as a large residential population, with businesses in particular demanding fibre but they insisted they would not make the investment without Government funding. They also outlined that because the South Yorkshire Councils, opted to go for the European Commission funded fibre broadband initiative (which became Digital Region) opposed to opting to work with BT that in turn meant that BT took their investment to other regions and would always thereon be prioritising the area’s which had opted to partner with BT.
However, BT are currently in negotiations with the Government in regards to obtaining investment as the Government has a fund called the Superfast extension programme that is for assisting in these matters but they outlined that if funding was secured the exchange would still not be enabled until late 2015 or even 2016.  The Government’s deadline for the completion of the scheme is 2017.
 
With regards to Digital Region, as I understand it the South Yorkshire Councils are currently in the middle of a process for selling the infrastructure to an unnamed bidder, but that process will not be completed in time for the scheduled closure date of the existing Digital Region network. BT at the meeting also confirmed to me that they have no plans to bid for the Digital Region network at this stage as it uses different technical standards to their own network.
 
I also understand that the mobile phone networks have plans to offer 4G LTE products for use in the home which can offer download speeds of 50 Mbs but so far they have not given any concrete launch timetable or approximate costs. The mobile phone/tablet version of this product is already available in Sheffield but the costs are expensive when compared with landline based unlimited broadband products.
 
I have written to Maria Miller to ask that South Yorkshire be given priority funding and I will of course forward on a copy of the response as soon as it is received.
 
I do understand this response is not going to bring a speedy resolution to this problem but please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions on this or any other issue.
 
Regards
 
Clive Betts MP 

There are 23000 residential and 3000 businesses connected to the Attercliffe exchange....how can they say there is no demand... :shrug2:
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Black Sheep

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Re: No BT Fibre because...
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2014, 06:43:33 PM »

'They also outlined that because the South Yorkshire Councils, opted to go for the European Commission funded fibre broadband initiative (which became Digital Region) opposed to opting to work with BT that in turn meant that BT took their investment to other regions and would always thereon be prioritising the area’s which had opted to partner with BT'.

I blame the SYC for making the wrong decision back then ............. I personally can't blame BT for putting them to the back of the queue, just because DR has gone bust.
Of course, the real (and only) losers are the EU's.  :(
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UncleUB

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Re: No BT Fibre because...
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2014, 06:53:41 PM »

BT have enabled quite a few exchanges around Sheffield for fibre broadband most of which can(could)get fibre broadband via DR.So why did BT chose to invest in these areas and not others.The same principal by South Yorkshire Councils was applied right across the region not just in parts
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Black Sheep

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Re: No BT Fibre because...
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2014, 07:10:14 PM »

Hmmm ?? I've no idea then.

It seems odd that they've deliberately mentioned the European funding as part of their decision regarding Attercliffe, if it hasn't played a part in bringing FTTC to other parts of SY ??
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kitz

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Re: No BT Fibre because...
« Reply #4 on: February 28, 2014, 11:17:58 PM »

 :'(
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waltergmw

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Re: No BT Fibre because...
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2014, 08:56:16 AM »

Gentlefolk,

Given that there is infrastructure in place, perhaps South Yorkshire councils might like to expedite their activities and offer an attractive package for a commercial or CIC enterprise to take over the structures. As presumably so much public funding has been consumed without any long-term guarantees of return, positive steps to attract an operator would seem a matter of significant urgency. These could include strong persuasion to the back haul suppliers to reduce charges, no (rateable) revenue extraction before the investment is making a real return, encouragement for local clubs & enterprises to adopt the equipment and services etc. etc. etc.

If a straight sale of effectively scrap equipment without a customer base is compared with the value of an operational system with desperate clients, the only losers for such a solution would be a pinprick of lost revenue to the incumbent. However we have observed how commercially spiteful the behemoth has demonstrated its political and commercial prowess elsewhere, even though shedloads of State Aid continue to be gifted to it.

Surely it's time for some practical head-bashing to recover from this squandering débacle ?

Kind regards,
Walter

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UncleUB

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Re: No BT Fibre because...
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2014, 11:44:53 AM »

Gentlefolk,

Given that there is infrastructure in place, perhaps South Yorkshire councils might like to expedite their activities and offer an attractive package for a commercial or CIC enterprise to take over the structures. As presumably so much public funding has been consumed without any long-term guarantees of return, positive steps to attract an operator would seem a matter of significant urgency. These could include strong persuasion to the back haul suppliers to reduce charges, no (rateable) revenue extraction before the investment is making a real return, encouragement for local clubs & enterprises to adopt the equipment and services etc. etc. etc.

If a straight sale of effectively scrap equipment without a customer base is compared with the value of an operational system with desperate clients, the only losers for such a solution would be a pinprick of lost revenue to the incumbent. However we have observed how commercially spiteful the behemoth has demonstrated its political and commercial prowess elsewhere, even though shedloads of State Aid continue to be gifted to it.

Surely it's time for some practical head-bashing to recover from this squandering débacle ?

Kind regards,
Walter

Totally agree Walter,while the powers that be play their games of powermongering its the end user who suffers... :( >:(
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HPsauce

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Re: No BT Fibre because...
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2014, 01:38:47 PM »

Sadly, unless the equipment is made and installed to BT spec and from their current selection of equipment they use and support themselves it's inevitable that they won't be interested.
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Black Sheep

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Re: No BT Fibre because...
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2014, 08:25:25 PM »

Agreed, plus the 'Powers-that-be' shouldn't be expected to just drop their FTTC roll-out programme to suit a certain electorate, just because that certain electorate's previous 'Provider of choice', went bust.

BT, damned if the do ....... damned if they don't.
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