FTTC Situation in Cramlington?

We have an office in Nelson Park Industrial Estate, Cramlington and currently have to endure a 2mbit ADSL connection which isn't really cutting it for our high-tech startup.

I've been eagerly following news of the FTTC deployment, and a hopeful go-live. However, I've seen so much conflicting information I have no idea when and if BT Infinity will actually be available here.

- Last summer Cramlington was on the rollout plan for completion by Dec 31 2010. This was both according to the bt.com/infinity map, and an availability check for our phone number.

- In late December, this changed to March 2011 (both on the map, and checking our number)

- As of early January, the map on bt.com/infinity started showing the exchange as READY. However, searching for our number yields "not on the rollout plan". Searching for other numbers in Cramlington shows March 2011.

Can someone who knows any more details PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know the situation Right now I have conflicting info about whether or not the Cramlington exchange is ready, and whether or not my cabinet is on the rollout plan. I'm specifically interested in the cabinet for Arcot Court NE23 1BB, where the line 01670 738 222 is connected. Any input much appreciated

One thing to try, if you know which is your existing cabinet, is to see if there is a fibre one close by, and listen to see if it is powered up - vents on the left.

Your story is similar to mine re the dates, going Dec 10 to Mar 11 to not scheduled, even though it was powered up.

It is now showing as 31 Jan, so I'm half guessing that the ones that have gone off the radar are awaiting a fairly close date for actual go-live, and the Mar 11 ones it is just a "By then if you are lucky".

What does the BT Wholesale checker say for the Post Code or Address?

Same for Alton, Hampshire - go live date September 2010.

FTTC has come and gone it seems.

GU34 2PQ can have it. That's residential.

GU34 2PP can't have it. That's a business area with a couple of quite big companies who no doubt have leased lines. There is no date at all as to when this will be live if ever.

The Openreach doc says "Accepting orders now" for ALTON. Lovely, if indeed the thing were available.

There are lots of people getting excited by the prospect of their "exchange" being "enabled", but that's meaningless. Only the cabinet(s) matter and as you've found, there's simply no information. Perhaps they will finish the job, perhaps not.

Are any parts of Nelson Industrial Estate FTTC enabled?

It is a large industrial area with no residential properties near most of it. I would imagine the FTTC products are aimed at the home or SOHO users rather than business areas. The number of properties per cab (due to multiple lines for businesses) will count against them as well.

If this will undercut BT business products they will lose out by rolling FTTC to such areas and omit them. My son works in Holborn in London and there are no plans for FTTC there either for the same reason - too few residential properties!

There's no fibre cabinet next to mine, and also driving through Cramlington I can't see any cabinets that have gained a fibre sibling. I have no idea if there rollout is only limited to a small minority of cabinets I haven't spotted, or if it's just delayed but coming to most/all cabinets.

I saw a lot of activity with BT Openreach vans visiting cabinets here back in December, but now it's quietened down. I should have asked the engineers when I had a chance.

Ours is 20 metres or so up a side-street the opposite side of a main road from the base cabinet.

It went live at the end of last week. At the begining of that week, IIRC, it wasn't even showing as scheduled for rollout.

Presumably there have been signs of it being physically built before it went live, even if it wasn't documented. Although I guess they did well at trying to disguise it - sufficient to make you doubt their sanity (or your own).

What's the kind of distance limit that a DSLAM cabinet can be built away from its sibling?

What's the kind of distance limit that a DSLAM cabinet can be built away from its sibling?

I would guess 100m as that's the limit on tie cables they suggest for sub loop unbundling

I live in Cramlington, and can confirm that a lot of fibre cabinets are now in place, with the actual wiring/hardware work going on now.
I often walk my dogs on the industrial estate you work in, and have been on the look out for any fibre cabinets - but so far, there are none in place.

It looks like the industrial zones are going to be getting short shrift on this unfortunately, certainly in the short-term.

Andy

Thanks Andy for your observations - certainly useful to know although not good news