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[tickmike]

I see Openreach has a new 'Beta in testing' Cabinet postcode checker.

http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/

For me it says we are an 'Enabled area' so that's a good start, just need a new cabinet putting in our Village.

[roseway]

They're making good progress at improving the information available. They'll never please everyone, but it's definitely getting better.

[waltergmw]

@ roseway,

Whilst the web pages certainly do look nice and new I am very disappointed to have to point out that the deception game is far worse than it was before.
If your line is connected to a PCP with a FTTC you are told that the cabinet is fibre enabled.
What you are no longer told (if you are so unfortunate) is that you are UNABLE to obtain any VDSL services.
Instead you are invited to chase around a selection of retail providers who, in their multiplicity of different ways, offer you a product which IS NOT a VDSL service.

Those experienced can see through the deception, but for Joe Public I believe this is a serious complication and is bound to cause even more bewilderment.

Kind regards,
Walter

[waltergmw]

Just to add a little more clarity, I've entered a postcode where a very poor 2.92 Mbps downstream VDSL service is available only now to be informed that BT Wholesale / Openreach can no longer supply any information.

Following the instructions on the BT Retail site I am, as a new enquirer, utterly confused by products being offered as can be seen in the second screen picture.

Finally in picture 3 I've entered a phone number with a current VDSL service of 3.21 Mbps but where BT Wholesale / Openreach have now withdrawn VDSL services.
This actually has quite serious implications as any new house purchaser will presumably be unable to continue with the existing VDSL service so would be forced back to the speed on a second ADSL line in the same house running at 0.28 Mbps.

[kitz]

I see Openreach has a new 'Beta in testing' Cabinet postcode checker.

http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/

For me it says we are an 'Enabled area' so that's a good start, just need a new cabinet putting in our Village.

So it looks like the new superfast checker which Blacksheep told us was telling us about on this post is now live.

[kitz]

Oh dear, just tried it.

Whoopsie.  My postcode is only served by one cab, yet its told me that "my cab" is on the other side of the main road.  Unfortunately this cab is not yet live and I cant yet get FTTC, but its coming soon.   

Yep I know this because a friend of mine is attached to that particular cab and is chomping at the bit to get VDSL.. and has been jealous as hell that Ive had it for a year but he cant get it.


I think for now at least perhaps its best to continue using the BT wholesale FTTC checker

[NewtronStar]

It's working ok here giving me an AO so my fttc cabinet still is accepting orders, its not surprising as the average broadband customers age in our village is 68 years old so most of them seem to be happy with 5Mbps (ADSL)

[adslmax]

This site is full of crap. No metion of addition information from the cabinet! Openreach are a *********!

[Edited for language]

Mind your language please adslmax.

[NewtronStar]

This site is full of crap. No metion of addition information from the cabinet! Openreach

I am guessing the information regarding FTTC cabinets are held in the OpenReach database and is only released to the general publics eye's once it's has been vetted.

And if someone somehow was able to gain access to non vetted information & used it on a thirdparty Web Site then I am sure Openreach will take the right course of action.

[kitz]

The one thing that it does do which is nice is that it shows the cab's location on a map.   The quoted cab number alone means little to most people.

>> And if someone somehow was able to gain access to non vetted information & used it on a thirdparty Web Site

Theyve always been like that..  Ive had to pull information from my adslchecker in the past too and Im not the only one.  The excuse they give is that the information could be abused by a third party. 

[NewtronStar]

Theyve always been like that..  Ive had to pull information from my adslchecker in the past too and Im not the only one.  The excuse they give is that the information could be abused by a third party.

Oh dear KITZ, it would seem that Openreach hold their information close to there chest from what you have described maybe the logo should read as ClosedReach.

I don't see how a third party could abuse any info that could only help an ADSL customer get ready for the transition to FTTC unless it's down to OR copyright protection.

[waltergmw]

Gentlefolk,

There is, just possibly, a chink in the BT Group's armour of obfuscation with the checkers; or at least a serious discrepancy.

Quernmore is now fully operational with B4RN's 1000 Mbps symmetric services so I chose the Infants school as a suitable property with a phone number and postcode in the public domain.

The BT Wholesale checker says that a 1 Mbps VDSL service will be available by 31 Dec 2014 from PCP 28 ex LCLAN Lancaster exchange. From our experience in Surrey, we know that no ISP can place an order for a VDSL service with a range B estimate below 2 Mbps. Formally a Quernmore resident must wait for 2 Jan 2015 to be told that no VDSL service is available to order, despite the presumed availability of the FTTC by then.

Like Dolphinholme, the BT Openreach checker has labelled the Quernmore area as UR = under review or no Superfast will be available for the foreseeable future; this I interpret as little more than procrastination whilst the BDUK cash is spent elsewhere. (I also believe the checker map indicates the centre of the postcode entered and not the crucial PCP location.)

Kind regards,
Walter

[kitz]

From what I can see there is a blue flag with a house icon which centers on the postcode area.

I think I made a mistake the other day when looking at the map and after running numerous tests on local postcodes,  the AO/EA icon is supposed to be centered at the exchange location..  just very badly placed..  so its not giving much info at all, and far less information than the BTw checker.

[waltergmw]

@ Kitz,

I agree entirely. In my example the Openreach map is actually annotated with the school name.
That facility seems closely related to "Chocolate teapot" territory.
As I'm not exactly familiar with the Lancaster area I would like to know where PCP 28 is in the Lancaster suburbs or sticks as the case maybe. Applying the "mankiness factor" we observe down here, I'd guess it's at least 2 km from the Quernmore school which I can locate with reasonable accuracy.

@Newtronstar,

I've actually been informed in all seriousness that BT Group overhead plant locations are not in the public domain; but at least they did not order me to wear a blindfold !!!!

Kind regards,
Walter

[NewtronStar]

@Newtronstar,

I've actually been informed in all seriousness that BT Group overhead plant locations are not in the public domain; but at least they did not order me to wear a blindfold !!!!

Kind regards,
Walter

Sure no need for blindfolds when your mobile phones have been ceased after a 5 minute strip search and then aloud into BT Group HQ  forget about 007 it's the 0800 that scare me.