G.fast limited to 150Mbps?

I've just upgraded to BT Ultrafast. When the engineer tested the line his tester reported that it is capable of nearly 700Mbps (literally just over the road from the cab but via overhead line), and apparently I'm the first Ultrafast in the cab.

Just wondering if anyone knows why BT wouldn't allow me to order the 330Mbps option or if there is any chance of them allowing me to upgrade in the near future?

Also, while on VDSL I was using a Draytek modem, does anyone know of an equivalent for G.fast?

What does BT Broadband Availability Checker estimate for your phone number? Post just the whole table and the line above it, blanking out your phone number. If it doesn't recognise your phone number, use the Address Checker, not the Postcode Checker.

BT are now offering me the faster rate as an upgrade offer, but are asking for another £29.99 for kit and installation - I think I'll have to phone them and see what's what.

There is a Vigor 165 which supports VDSL 35b and looking at limited online reports does better than the Vigor 130 on a line. Later this year there will be a Vigor 166 which does G.fast.

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for the 166

G.Fast limit on 150Mbps for 330Mbps? That must be seriously joke!

I did manage to get the upgrade to the faster speed without having to pay any upgrade fee. The monthly price didn't go up either.

My line looks pretty good:
Data rate:49.08 Mbps / 329.2 Mbps
Maximum data rate:68.400 Mbps / 628.472 Mbps

Interestingly the HH2 reports a lower maximum than the Openreach Engineer's test terminal did, I expect there is quite some variation in modems/chipsets.

I'm almost back to where I was with Virgin, with a rock solid line instead of being plagued by errors (VM refused to do a re-pull). Now I just have to wait for Ultrafast 3 to step it up another notch.

Maximum data rate:68.400 Mbps / 628.472 Mbps

How far is your street cabinet?

Why don't Openreach sell it for 600/60 on g.fast?

Because so few people would get that speed, and pushing DSL to its limits runs the risk of higher errors i.e. more resyncs

H @adslmax

"Why don't Openreach sell it for 600/60 on g.fast?"

I suspect because so few people are able to get those speeds it wouldn't warrant the effort of having an extra product category.

It wont last long

Hi OP (and anyone else who can help!)

I bought a house last month which has a G.Fast line in it (completely by accident, but quite happy!)

Had a bit of pain moving in (line wasn't connected, turned out previous owner didn't disconnect) -- then BT "gave" me their service, set me up w/ a new ultrafast account on their line/number and everything was peachy - I was getting ~300Mbit reliably. I didn't see what the modem was sync'ing at but the speeds were great for me (coming from 'superfast').

I got disconnected a couple of weeks ago without warning -- turns out the old owner put through a disconnect which pulled my service. After much back and forth, BT arranged to get it re-connected.

Openreach engineer came into my house and said BT had applied a 160/30 mbit profile to my account, yet my line is capable of 351/52 (and was previously working fine at >300Mbit.

BT are telling me it's impossible for them to apply the right profile to my account and that they don't sell a service that provides faster speeds on G.Fast (which I know to be wrong).

I apparently have two open complaints with them (one about the new speed, one about the wrongful disconnection) but I haven't escalated yet -- I wanted to ask this forum for anything that could help them apply the right profile to my line?

The "bt broadband speed checker" for my address is as follows:

Featured Products

Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Downstream Handback Threshold(Mbps)

WBC FTTC Availability Date

WBC SOGEA Availability Date

High Low High Low
VDSL Range A (Clean) 80 76.8 20 19 72.1 Available Available
VDSL Range B (Impacted) 80 75 20 19 69.9 Available Available
G.fast Range A (Clean) 330 330 50 44.5 326.6 Amber Amber
G.fast Range B (Impacted) 330 330 50 32.2 313.2 Amber Amber
Featured Products

Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Downstream Range(Mbps)

WBC FTTP Availability Date

FTTP on Demand 330 30 -- Available --
ADSL Products

Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)

Downstream Range(Mbps)

Availability Date

WBC ADSL 2+ Up to 8 -- 5.5 to 12.5 Available --
WBC ADSL 2+ Annex M Up to 8 Up to 1 5.5 to 12.5 Available --
ADSL Max Up to 5.5 -- 4.5 to 8 Available --
WBC Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available --
Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available --
Observed Speeds

G.Fast

VDSL

Other Offerings

Availability Date

VDSL Multicast -- -- -- Available --
ADSL Multicast -- -- -- Available --
G.fast Multicast -- -- -- Available --

If it's easier I can post screenshots but I wasn't sure how to drive this forum properly.

Thanks hugely in advance for any help.

Edit: if it helps, here are two images - one of the broadband speed checker and one from the line check unit the Openreach Engineer showed me
https://i.ibb.co/VL4zc7W/Screenshot-2019-09-26-at-12...
https://i.ibb.co/x3PSDYs/slow-dsl-profile.jpg

Edited by deleted (Thu 26-Sep-19 12:25:47)

BT should be able to just switch you to the Ultrafast Fibre 2 Plus, this will then give you the full speed you had before. It sounds like you've been put on the Ultrafast Fibre 1 Plus product, which only has the top speed you are currently getting (most likely the people you've been talking to a BT have got confused and don't understand that it needs a product change)

Thanks- this sounds exactly right -- except BT's checker only lists Ultrafast Fibre Plus (not Fibre 2 plus) as the fastest plan that I can on my line, despite me about 2 weeks ago having exactly that.

I have a bill dated 18 September listing my service as indeed being Ultrafast Fibre 2 Plus (This is good -- the first confirmation that tells me I'm not going mad) but my current account shows an error when trying to view my broadband package.

I think I'm armed with enough info now to tell them what they need to do - fingers crossed they'll actually turn it on though!!

Thanks so much for the swift reply.

Just be happy you can get G.fast. my 250 meter line can't..

I feel for you, trust me.

My house in Australia has FTTP, I was shocked to find the UK was mostly FTTC when I moved over!
And I was very lucky in Aus. My parents are on "Fixed wireless" where they're lucky if they can get 12-15Mbit contending with neighbours, weather and wildlife!

Sorry it took a while to respond but I suspect your problem is that you appear to be on the edge in terms of line capability - hence the 'Amber' in the line checker.

My line did initially show as 'Amber' while I wasn't able to order the faster speed. I guess once they had the actual stats for a working line they changed it to 'Available' and I was able to upgrade, fortunately at no extra cost.

Given what the engineer's device is showing for your line for 'Max Data Rate' I'm not sure they will ever offer you the faster option, it seems a bit close. My engineer clocked my line at nearly 700Mbps Max Data Rate (wish I'd got a pic).

But good luck getting it sorted.

If edge of line capability is what Amber means then every G.fast line including those that can touch the pod are on the edge.

I'm just going by my experience. My line was Amber until I was connected for a bit (the first in the pod apparently), it then went to Available and I was able to upgrade to the faster product.

In my experience with g.fast it's the process from the pod going live to being able to order with ISP.

So when the pod goes live it's Amber and then when you can order from an ISP it will change to Available

In reply to a post by robertcrowther:

In my experience with g.fast it's the process from the pod going live to being able to order with ISP.

So when the pod goes live it's Amber and then when you can order from an ISP it will change to Available

The last info I read on the subject was any line that needs a managed install is Amber, which is almost every single line as self install is just a trial.

Probably why Andrew mentioned even those that can touch the pod are Amber.

No surprise this changes to Available when live.

I just checked a line with high 330/50 and low 330/33.3 and it's showing Amber.
The pods been live over a year.

Edited by j0hn83 (Sun 06-Oct-19 20:11:50)

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

The last info I read on the subject was any line that needs a managed install is Amber, which is almost every single line as self install is just a trial.

Self-install G.Fast? Really? They're going to let people change the wiring in their cabs themselves?

ADSL/VDSL have been "self install" for years. It means an engineer doesn't need to visit the premises as the end user can plug the router/modem in themselves. The network changes are still done by an engineer but the engineer doesn't need to enter the premises.

In reply to a post by Daemon66:

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

The last info I read on the subject was any line that needs a managed install is Amber, which is almost every single line as self install is just a trial.

Self-install G.Fast? Really? They're going to let people change the wiring in their cabs themselves?

As Ian replied.
A "managed install" involves the engineer attending the premises and checking the line, connecting the modem, and correcting any internal wiring issues".

Problems with extension wiring can affect FTTC considerably or a little but can cripple G.Fast.

Early FTTC was all managed installs with the white OpenReach modems.
They trialled self installs then it became the normal install process.
Managed installs are still available on FTTC but not all ISP's even offer these.
Self install is the norm.

G.Fast is currently managed installs only with self install on a limited trial.
All managed install lines show as Amber.

AIUI sales can be limited to the smaller G.Fast package and then when live an upgrade to 330Mb can be ordered. Not sure if this affects every Amber line.