Extended Reach For Bt Broadband

[deezel]

EXTENDED REACH FOR BT BROADBAND



As you know, we have been running extended reach trials in this region in the Milton Keynes area. As a result of the success of these trials and others in the Scottish Highlands, I am pleased to tell you that this morning BT announced that, from 6th September 2004, we will remove the current distance-related limits for the most popular ADSL broadband services in enabled areas in the region. This will bring one million more premises across the UK within range of an enabled exchange.



Here in the South-East that brings approximately 187,000 more homes and businesses within the reach of broadband. It will open up the potential of high-speed broadband to: 42,000 more homes and businesses in Kent



This means that 99.8% of lines served by a broadband-enabled exchange will now support the standard 512kbps broadband service (compared to the current 96%). Additionally, we are now able to significantly increase the range for 1mbps services from 4km to approximately 6km, raising availability from approximately 75% to 96% of lines on enabled exchanges.



As I mentioned earlier both improvements have been made possible by the success of the recent trials in Milton Keynes and in Fort William and Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands. One of the key findings from the trials was that approximately one in five people beyond the former 6km limit will require a visit by a BT engineer to make modifications at their premises. In a small number of residual cases (averaging 0.2%) it may still not be possible to provide reliable broadband services and we will seek other solutions for these customers as the technologies develop.



This, together with the exchange upgrade programme announced earlier this year, means that by summer 2005 availability of ADSL broadband in the UK will be 99.4% (99.9% in the SE), on a par with the percentage of homes that can get good quality analogue TV signals for the four main terrestrial channels.



The UK has now established a convincing lead in the G7 nations for broadband coverage. The challenge for public and private organisations alike is to see that the benefits are fully exploited. We now want to continue to build on the success already achieved here in the region to ensure more businesses and consumers take full advantage of the exciting opportunities on offer through broadband technology.





Brian Tayler

Strategy Advisor, Connecting Kent

G14/G15 Sessions House

County Hall

Maidstone

Kent ME14 1XQ

Office: 01622 694080 / Freecall 7000 4080

Mobile: 07768 982456

Taken from an email I received today

[Alnath]

There is no extended reach anymore, BT just removed the limit for the 512KB speed.

CO Pink Panther and http://www.adslguide.org/newsarchive.asp?item=1818

[deezel]

There is no extended reach anymore,

Same thing , different way of saying it.

, cept you were second


............ and of course its great news for many of those who were beyond the original limits.

Some people sheesh

[Alnath]

Cept people understood what i said

[deezel]

Cept people understood what i said

not so you'd notice

[Alnath]

Oh how your harsh words strike me down with the sharpness of a wet paper bag

[deezel]

[slowcoach]

Great news...Except, if you couldn't get 1Mbit service before due to line noise you still won't be able to get it. When BT moves to fibre it will only be installed in new properties, all existing properties will keep the current infrastructure which will only deteriate more with age. In a couple of years time ISP's will be advertising 10Mbit and I will still be stuck with 512Kbps, NOT.
Judging by the distance I am from the exchange I would reckon that most people, like me, will be unable to have 1Mbit ADSL even though I have a great 512Kbps service.
Unless BT is prepared to spend a lot of money updating the current infrastructure ready for higher speeds it won't be long before BT wake to find all their customers have left for pastures new.
Luckily I have cable running past the house so I do have an alternative for the future.

[DaveL]

Originally posted by slowcoach
Unless BT is prepared to spend a lot of money updating the current infrastructure ready for higher speeds it won't be long before BT wake to find all their customers have left for pastures new.
Luckily I have cable running past the house so I do have an alternative for the future.

BT spend money

There are no "pastures new", that's the problem! Cable has a limited coverage. The point is that we cannot have another network built alongside BT because it is to expensive, as has been proven by cable. Remember Ionica?

I've written to Ofcom asking them how they ensure that BT maintains the network and routes new lines, and their reply is that it is "something that BT as a commercial company must take responsibility for".

So, in short, they spend as little as possible now. Afterall, any decisions they make affects more or less everyone. This story seems so much like on the railways where costs are cut back and prices rise because 'commercial' decisions are more important than anything else.

[Zer02004]

And that's from that organisation that was set up to protect the public from the whims of BT's monopolistic position!
I bet BT management are shaking in their boots.
After Hatfield etc (Where some poorly paid labourer will probably eventually carry the can), would it be a good idea to forward this letter to your MP?
Perhaps comparisons to the rail network fiasco may kindle his/her interest. I doubt it though!

[Mongoose]

Originally posted by slowcoach

Judging by the distance I am from the exchange I would reckon that most people, like me, will be unable to have 1Mbit ADSL even though I have a great 512Kbps service.

I'd like even a 512k connection. I can't get broadband at all. This lifting of the limit doesn't seem to be working. The guy who came round to try and get broadband working for me said they had loads of people trying to get connected who were beyond the original limit and not one had been successful in getting a connection.
The most annoying thing for me, is I'm on an exchange six miles away but the nearest exchange is only 2 and half miles away. BT have said they won't connect me to that exchange even though houses 300 yards away are on it and there are poles between my house and those. How hard could it be to run a cable 300 yards!!

[cheeky2004]

Info to all of you out there who have trouble receiving an internet service.

I have had months and months of emailing BT regarding my slow 28,000 DAC'd phone line. To those of you who don't realise, a DACS is a digital piece of equipment fixed to some phone lines to digitally put 2 lines down one. BT deny that it is a line sharing device...however, I shall leave that for you to decide.

The reasons for DACS, as stated by BT, is so some people esp in rural areas can get a phone line where otherwise there would not be enough cables to go around. Now, after reading that, I wonder how they work out that a DACS isn't a sharing device...

With a DACS you cannot receive broadband, and do not even receive a normal speed phone line. This is the reason behind my slow 28800 connection.

I have fought with BT to get the DACS removed, and they just kept fobbing me off. They said their legal requirements were to supply me with a voice line and stated that the DACS could infact be speeding my internet connection up. I said to them how could it possibly be speeding it up, I only get 28800 now!!!

They kept sprouting rubbsh until I came across some information a forum member posted to me, which stated on the Ofcom website that BT do infact HAVE to look into supplying me with a DACS free line if I complain about the current line. As soon as I said this to BT they sent an engineer out and removed the DACS...

Now I get 48000 on my connection! So I was right all along, the DACS DOES slow down the connection and it does spit the 56000 line in half so I only had half the speed and line I was paying for.

So all of you out there, if you have slow connections with DACS get onto BT and tell them it is a requirement under Ofcom guidelines to look into removing the DACS if you complain. Do not listen to their prattle, insist.

However, if you phone BT customer services you will find that they are unable to order a DACS callout on their computer. They can only order new lines, reconnections etc. You have to email BT at residential.services@bt.com but make sure you state that customer services cannot do it, and also state the Ofcom recommendations.

Now broadband has been extended and the DACS removed I can sign up for broadband...something I never thought would happen here.

Good Luck all of you out there and whatever problem you have just keep at BT. If any of you have a similar problem you want help with then feel free to email me.

Regards
Simon Gamble

[DaveL]

Glad to here that's it worked out and you have now managed to get a proper line.

BTW, that link I posted came in an email from Ofcom. They do have their uses!

[deezel]

Well done cheeky

Thank you very much for this. I have had problems with BT for the past 4 months. I have just gone round and round in circles. I have had an order in for Broadband from Vodaphone for a month now and still the dasc is not removed. BT tell me it might not be if it is too expensive. Vodaphone don't seem to be pushing it at all so I am probably going to cancel the order. I only ordered Broadband in desperation as I too have only had 28 kps since November. I was told it was the isp then that there was a problem with the computer and only when I ordered Broadband did I realise what the problem is. I will try your route and see if it helps.