FTTC - BT Speedtest - ASSURED RATE Services

I got a new option today from the BT speed test (at least I have not noticed it previously & it wasn't there last week).

I noticed a continue button in the bottom L/H corner of the speed test results with the message "We have identified that you have additional services enabled on my broadband line, please click continue to run advanced service tests"


Additional Services screenshot

This was the result of the test:-

BT Assured Rate Test

I missed grabbing the screen, but it was something to do with broadband TV.

I haven't asked for these additional services.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Edited by Bald_Eagle1 (Sun 12-Feb-12 23:51:15)

You're right, it is something to do with allocating a fixed part of your available bandwidth so you can stream TV without problems if you have that service.

I've seen it many times on ADSLx speed test reports on these forums, even occasionally on my own ADLSL tests on Newnet before I went LLU. Seems to be a hiccup the speed tester occasionally suffers from even on non-BT Retail broadband.

Probably out of date, but IIRC it used to be 500kbps. That looks a bit low for these days!

Assurred rate would be 2 Meg, as thats what BT Vision used to require.

Would expect similar for the backhaul on WBC FTTC products.

Bit puzzled why I now have this test option on my poor (750k) rural line?

Apparently I have BT Vision - why would I suddenly get that on such a bad line - is it just something everyone gets regardless?

Edited by KevG123 (Mon 27-Feb-12 13:54:46)

Slightly different;
BT Vision did not require 2Mb. BT required that you have 2Mb before they provided Vision.
This appeared to be so that you could still browse whilst the vision was working.

Used to have it on a fixed 2Mb profile and it worked OK even if someone was streaming i-player at the same time!

Was always better than i-player due to the assured rate of 500kb so didn't pixalate while i-player occasionally juddered.

So you are saying that BT Vision streamed at JUST 500 Kbps, sorry but I don't believe that

a) Based on what I was told at launch
b) Seeing the picture quality

It was actually 1.5Meg for video, leaving 0.5Meg for data. It may be that over time they added a degree of rate adaption to the video.

We always had a 500Kb assured rate service when taking vision and this only seems to have been used when vision was being used. Rest of the time speedtests reported upto 1884Kb on a 2Mb profile.

I do not KNOW that it just streamed at 500Kb, but I do know that whilst using it we could always use the web (and I-player) with little noticable difference to when it was not used and that the the assured session was always quoted in BT speedtests at 500Kb.( Still was when I last tested, I will check again tonight).

Just done a BT speedtest.

Assured rate part is different to any other one I have seen before. Now says

Download speed achieved 5.38Mbps
Acceptable range is 0Kbps to 0 Kbps
Assured rate profile is -0Kbps

Ordinary part shows 5.39 dl profile 5.5Mbps, 409 ul profile 448Kbps

Used to say assured rate profile 500Kbps