21CN question...

We are shortly to get fibre cabinets on our village. My question is, when they are enabled, is it normal that the whole exchange and it's directly connected lines be upgraded to 21CN as part of the change? Or will the existing lines (all currently 20CN) remain as 20CN? Thanks.

They'll remain 20th until 1) 21CN broadband is made available from that exchange and 2) Individual ISPs order regrades.
FTTC don't necessarily mean 21Cn at the local exchange as most FTTC cabs are cabled back to head ends in a different exchange area.

Thanks very much, I wondered if that would be the case. BT appear to be currently installing new cabling between the local exchange and the proposed cabinet location. (road dug up!) There isn't another exchange for some distance.

Spine cables can be 15km or more and typically go via a manhole near the local exchange as this gives access to the local cab duct network

In reply to a post by packetman:

Thanks very much, I wondered if that would be the case. BT appear to be currently installing new cabling between the local exchange and the proposed cabinet location. (road dug up!) There isn't another exchange for some distance.

That may look the case but it seems unlikely. If it's a medium sized or small exchange then the fibre cabinets will not be connected to it. How far away would you say the nearest large exchange is?

In answer to your question, with all that in mind your exchange will probably stay on 20CN for lines connected directly to it.

I'm unsure what you mean by the "directly connected lines". That would normally mean those that do not go through cabinets on the way to the houses, (normally called Exchange Only lines). Is that what you meant?

I.e. a mixture of cabinet and EO lines .

What I meant was lines that don't go through the fibre cabinets, sorry I didn't make it clear. These would still go though old-style wired cabinets presumably. The gist of my question was really whether there would be any benefit for people who don't take up fibre, if the provision of fibre triggered the exchange to be upgraded to 21CN. It seems that fibre and 21CN from the exchange aren't connected, so this answers the question. Thanks!