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[bbnovice]

Hi:

Forgive me if this is an inappropriate question on this section of the forum but.......

I've been suffering from a long standing ADSL broadband problems,  and some of the advice on this forum have helped me through this and contributed to what I hope is a resolution.

The question that I now have is that my exchange is being upgraded for Infinity as from March 2011 with a current plan of going live from 1 July. Whilst trying to resolve my ADSL problem, I have received heavy hints from some parties that it might be preferable to migrate to Infinity when it becomes available and to ditch ADSL technology.

Leaving the commercial (pricing) questions aside for one moment the prospect of 40Mb speed via fibre optic appears to be a seductive proposition.

Is there any catch to this hype that (as a non expert user) I should be aware of?

Can I be cheeky and invite some comments?

Thanks

[razpag]

You're basically asking the one question, "Is there a catch ??". Not at all, it's a simple case of you pay for what you get, with Infinity you get more speed than you would from ADSL.

The only questions I have for you are, do you know where your 'serving Cab' is, and if so, how far are you away from it ??

[bbnovice]

Hi razpag,

There is a green BT box at the end of our street - say 250 metres (maybe less). I think this may be the serving cabinet as Openreach have been busy working on it all week with a cast of thousands  - but perhaps they may just have a mega fault problem?

Sorry, can't be more specific than that.


    

[razpag]

There's a great chance that this could be 'your' cab. If it is, then you'll more-than-likely get the full 40/50Meg once the FTTC is implemented.

<Disclaimer> The nearest Cab to ones premises, does not automatically mean it is the Cab serving the premises.

[bbnovice]

Hi razpag,

A supplemnentary.

I think issues were always to be expected with ASDSL, because although its a very clever piece of copper based technology it was a response to "proper" fibre optic transmission historically being deployed by companies such as Telewest. But will Infinity offer merely a different set of challenges to ASDSL anand not be a panacea?

So perhaps the question I'm really asking is: is Infinity likely to be inherently more reliable than ADSL, or are we (as consumers)  just facing a whole new set questions which will require forums such as this to help us?

I must admit I'm tempted to migrate, but the old saying about pioneers, indians, arrows and all that make me hesitant.
       

[GunJack]

for some possibilities of FTTC problems, read this thread........ mr Pag will be familiar with it's content


http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,8819.0.html

[razpag]

for some possibilities of FTTC problems, read this thread........ mr Pag will be familiar with it's content


http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,8819.0.html

mr Jack ..... you surely are a tease, sir !! 

[razpag]

Hi razpag,

A supplemnentary.

I think issues were always to be expected with ASDSL, because although its a very clever piece of copper based technology it was a response to "proper" fibre optic transmission historically being deployed by companies such as Telewest. But will Infinity offer merely a different set of challenges to ASDSL anand not be a panacea?

So perhaps the question I'm really asking is: is Infinity likely to be inherently more reliable than ADSL, or are we (as consumers)  just facing a whole new set questions which will require forums such as this to help us?

I must admit I'm tempted to migrate, but the old saying about pioneers, indians, arrows and all that make me hesitant.
       

GunJack has quite rightly pointed you to an ongoing thread about a posters issues on his FTTC circuit. However, that particular fault appears to be REIN (though not officially confirmed as yet).

The FTTC will enhance peoples broadband enormously, of that there is no question. The 'challenges' left will be the existing network from the cab to your premises. This in time will probably also be uplifted to fibre as and when budgets allow.

Haven't got the time to give a long reply, but the decision is yours to make as to whether to migrate to FTTC when available. Telewest/NTL/C&W etc etc are championed by people who were lucky enough to live in  high-volume populated areas that the cable companies targeted. They wouldn't for exapmle cable to my plush house where only 5 houses exist, but they would happily cable to the sink estate a few miles away. Whereas the GPO/BT had to provide PSTN to anybody, anywhere in the country, so the costings to upgrade all these people to fibre are something your Bank Manager would throw back in your face within a second of looking at your business proposal. it isn't going to happen anytime soon.

FTTC is a step in the right direction, whatever doom and gloom merchants would have you believe otherwise. 

[Jonny]

Also highly tempted to go FTTC and have been looking for several months now who to go with, cant be any worse than the ADSL's. Or can it?

There are loads of other ISP other than BT but only two are cheaper. BT also want the phone with dearer calls to get Infinity.
Think it might be more of an issue whoes network the ISP uses for its FTTC, if so name some good ones.

[bbnovice]

Hi

Thanks for all the good advice which I will keep in mind.

I’m coming to the conclusion that unless I have an urgent demand for more broadband speed I will “wait and see”.

Like razpag I reside in an area where Virgin have stated they will never build a network.  The major issue is that they would have to build out through a sensitive conservation area to be able to pass my property, and the reinstatement costs are likely to be very expensive. Furthermore I understand that there are serious complications regarding wayleaves. Finally I don’t think the population demographics coupled with the housing density was very commercially unappealing to them.

However BT are in the lucky position of having ducts already running through the area and some discreetly hidden existing cabinets. I think these were built donkeys years ago before the conservation area rules became as strict as they are now. BT have recently been busy pulling fibre through these ducts and doing whatever they have to do with the street cabinets.  The exchange is scheduled to be enabled by the end of this month, and a service offered to the public in July.

So unless and until other ISP’s are allowed to offer service using the BT’s network, Infinity is likely to be the only option.

BTW - I live only 23 miles from central London but it’s a technological “dead zone” Apart from the fibre broadband question, I can’t even receive Freeview via the terrestrial transmitter and I can actually see it from where I live! So I have to use a Sky dish, but the people down the road in the conservation area have to apply for planning permission to erect one, and for obvious reasons a lot of applications are turned down by the conservation officer. So I think they might jump at the opportunity to be early adopters of Infinity in our local area so they can stream TV to their properties. So I might wait and see what their experiences are.

[razpag]

Great reply bbnovice, and you've made a really good point ...... " I’m coming to the conclusion that unless I have an urgent demand for more broadband speed I will “wait and see”..

I think thats the whole crux of the matter. Do you really need 40Mb speeds at this moment in time ?? Opening up e-mail, a bit of web-browsing .... hell, even pushing the boat out and watching a bit of BBC i-player does not justify in my mind paying the prices Infinity are currently asking. It's obviously horses-for-courses and 50-100Mb will be needed in years to come I'm sure, but I think it was a very valid point that bbnovice has made ..... does the average layman need super-fast BB right now ??

[waltergmw]

@ RP et al,

You probably have a valid point and one which BT has at last acknowledged in Cardiff where they complain of a MAXIMUM take up of only 7 %. Whether this is down to the prices BT are attempting to charge or that the cognoscenti have all opted for the superior, but possibly still traffic shaped, Virgin fibre and co-ax services - if they can - is a mute point.

The major problem however is that we really must be developing the non TPON FTTP infrastructure as there can be little doubt that faster and more reliable** services will become essential before too long.
E.g. I am having to download Mac OS X combined software upgrades of over a Gbyte already.

(** Note I'm not attacking BT O staff but the "wiring arrangements" (did I hear somebody whisper rat's nests? !!) are bound to become more unreliable as every joint sleeve is given a poke or two a week / month.)

Kind regards,
Walter

[burakkucat]

(did I hear somebody whisper rat's nests? !!)

Rat's nests? I don't like rats. Someone call out the local rodent operative!

Now if it were mice nests, that would be different. I spend a large part of my day playing with one mouse or another. 

Like bb, I have been considering FTTC but also have decided to wait. My immediate neighbour is being connected (BT Infinity) on Monday, so I'm letting him be a guinea-pig.

[Jonny]

So unless and until other ISP’s are allowed to offer service using the BT’s network, Infinity is likely to be the only option.

To my knowledge there must be 15 providers offering FTTC as is, the world is rosy outside of BT land.
You wont get Infinity without having their calls package.  Plus have sold users private history data! What else they gonna do without consent.
http://www.badphorm.co.uk/page.php?2