Kitz ADSL Broadband Information
adsl spacer  
Support this site
Home Broadband ISPs Tech Routers Wiki Forum
 
     
   Compare ISP   Rate your ISP
   Glossary   Glossary
 
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Author Topic: Purchasing a copper upgrade  (Read 2819 times)

Weaver

  • Senior Kitizen
  • ******
  • Posts: 11459
  • Retd s/w dev; A&A; 4x7km ADSL2 lines; Firebrick
Purchasing a copper upgrade
« on: August 13, 2018, 06:07:53 AM »

What if BT had a chargeable service where they would survey your copper line and perform various physical upgrades such as replacing joints and even replacing lengths of copper with thicker copper ? They would need to quote you for the survey and then quote you for the individual possible  upgrade alterations? I presume some of these changes would cost an absolute fortune? I do not know if anyone would pay for such. If you were struggling or needing some more speed and had either deep pockets or an easy problem, then I suppose that might be a case where this could make sense, not sure?
Logged

chenks

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 1106
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2018, 07:55:56 AM »

there would be zero interest (on both sides) in this IMO.
Logged

Weaver

  • Senior Kitizen
  • ******
  • Posts: 11459
  • Retd s/w dev; A&A; 4x7km ADSL2 lines; Firebrick
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2018, 02:00:50 PM »

@chenks - I hear you. There have been a lot of struggling pining kitizens over the years, but maybe kitizens are very much not the norm and also ordinary folks do not want to ever put their hands in their pockets.
Logged

re0

  • Reg Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 840
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2018, 03:06:13 PM »

It's not as simple as just replacing "your" copper line. You have to take into account that a typical cable (called a multi-core copper cable) actually carries many individual pairs. So it's not a matter of just replacing one. Perhaps you might get lucky in the future if a fault is found and they have to replace it as no spare pairs available - though they will probably replace it with the standard gauge.

Replacing D-side (from the distribution point) would be much more possible since, in most circumstances, it only has two pairs (and most premises are actually only using one pair). Though the typical distance which it has to cover would not have much scope for benefit unless it was actually faulty. Besides, I don't think Openreach will want to touch it unless there is a fault.

If there was a service for replacing cabling, it would be expensive - people with FTTPoD availability would probably just get better value by going through with a group project with their neighbours and utilise government subsidies for discounts. Though if you could somehow pay for a thicker gauge it would benefit places which have aluminium in the network more than those who have standard-gauge copper.

I have a somewhat good connection so perhaps I do not qualify to speak on behalf of those who are receiving a mere few hundred kilobits. But if I went back to ADSLx, I wouldn't opt for it since I know I would have to reach into my pocket for thousands of pounds. Also, we should be looking towards full fibre and not holding on to xDSL technologies - though maintaining existing infrastructure is fine as long as it is necessity.

Edit: Added missing word (oops!)
« Last Edit: August 13, 2018, 04:31:52 PM by re0 »
Logged
ISP: Gigaclear - Hyperfast 900 (up to 940 Mbps symmetrical)

Weaver

  • Senior Kitizen
  • ******
  • Posts: 11459
  • Retd s/w dev; A&A; 4x7km ADSL2 lines; Firebrick
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2018, 03:13:29 PM »

Yes, I had thought about the multi-pair cables. For that part of it to work it might be necessary to get a whole load of neighbours together to all ask for this review. And we know how impractical it often is to get neighbours to collaborate.

The joint review but might have more of a chance of working out. There it is I assume where a lot of faults are found, and that keeps customers happy and reduces repair costs anyway. Since I am expecting all of this to be chargeable, then it is something that BT should want to do, since I intend that BT will make a modest profit from doing each job.
« Last Edit: August 13, 2018, 03:17:48 PM by Weaver »
Logged

ejs

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 2078
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2018, 08:55:00 PM »

I thought Openreach already offer a "boost" engineer visit which is some sort of optimisation service. A description of the boost service used to be available, it included remakes in D-side joints and renewal of up to 3 spans of drop wire.
Logged

Weaver

  • Senior Kitizen
  • ******
  • Posts: 11459
  • Retd s/w dev; A&A; 4x7km ADSL2 lines; Firebrick
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2018, 10:50:55 PM »

Ah, starting to ring bells! That term is familiar. I had maybe thought to myself that it was concerned with things like extension wiring, modern NTE5 and I-plates, so may have just made assumptions concerning it.

In that case, some of my suffering neighbours at the far end of the village could do with it if their plight is not just down to the extra 1500m or so or copper, but additional joints possibly.
« Last Edit: August 13, 2018, 11:53:09 PM by Weaver »
Logged

re0

  • Reg Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 840
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2018, 11:42:09 PM »

Hmm yes... it brings up something from memory, but I can't remember anything much of significance. Perhaps https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/products/serviceproducts/broadbandboost/broadbandboost.do has something to do with it?
Logged
ISP: Gigaclear - Hyperfast 900 (up to 940 Mbps symmetrical)

zedman

  • Just arrived
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2018, 03:28:13 PM »

You would have absolutely no interest from BT to even investigate the possibility of doing this and unless you have just won the lottery the cost would be astronomical. There is a lot more to the network than most people realise
Logged

Black Sheep

  • Helpful
  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 5717
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2018, 06:33:16 PM »

I thought Openreach already offer a "boost" engineer visit which is some sort of optimisation service. A description of the boost service used to be available, it included remakes in D-side joints and renewal of up to 3 spans of drop wire.

All a 'boost' tasks entails that is different from a normal 'SFI' broadband engineering task ..... is pretty much we are authorised to swap out the Hub if a fault is found on the original.

Be it SFI or BOOST .... if we find a fault on the network we repair it regardless, there is no difference at all between the two products in that respect.  :)
Logged

j0hn

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 4093
Re: Purchasing a copper upgrade
« Reply #10 on: September 06, 2018, 07:17:02 AM »

The whole idea of a "copper upgrade" ignores the fact the network mainly consists of multi pair cables, with a strong emphasis on the multi.

It just wouldn't be feasible to deploy a new dedicated cable (multi-pair or not) for individual lines. Replacing every section of a multi-pair cable from exchange to home would probably be more expensive than FTTPod.

Speaking of which, does FTTPod now show available to Weaver now that his line is connected to a PCP? I don't recall the mention of an FTTC twin for this PCP.
Logged
Talktalk FTTP 550/75 - Speedtest - BQM
 

anything