Plusnet FTTP Trial - Is it worth it?

Hi all,

Finally today after months of trying I managed to get a provider to offer me a Fibre product!
I'm not in an FTTC area (despite exchange being enabled) but Plusnet have offered their trial 40/2 and 40/10 FTTP products to me, but I have to have phone line with them too.

I'm on Sky unlimited and getting 4 meg at present.
BT say they cannot offer me FTTC or FTTP in full or trial form.

The Plusnet assistant was keen to explain this is still in trial, so please can anyone who knows about this trial able say if it's worth signing up for it?

I.e. is it stable? I wouldn't want to sign up only to find the service keeps dropping or speeds are nowhere near 40 meg.
I appreciate the point of it being a "trial" so the occasional drop out etc is understandable, but now I'm so close to a decent speed I'm just hoping nobody is going to present a ton of horror stories about it!

Also, is the 40/10 for an extra £2/month worth having?

Cheers

If it's FTTP that's being offered I'd bite their hand off!

Your not in a Fttc area therefore BT could not offer you fibre.
So how in the hell will plus net give you fibre. are they going to dig up the road and send some cable to your house so they can do there trial.
To me it sound like the sales person has no idea and once they have you for the phone then its tough for you.
Call them up again and explain that BT say your not in a fibre area and ask in detail how they will get the Fibre to you. Also ask for that in writing.
You dont want shafted onto plusnet only to find it was a stupid mistake

Edited by iwish (Mon 25-Jun-12 22:45:05)

With FTTP you get the speed quoted (subject to throttling/congestion etc). There is no copper in the way to degrade the signal, it is fibre into your property. Fibre does have a range limit but it is around 100km before repeaters are needed.

Thanks, that is partly my concern however I am reassured by the fact that BT spent a huge amount of time last year installing Fibre all around the area, and all roads around my property can get FTTC - fibre cabs all around with the "Get Fibre now" stickers on them.

Our problem is that our house is one of 6 in a private road set back off the main road, as it was built on an orchard much later than the rest of the area, so I think we're in the land of the forgotten...

Maybe they went for FTTP up the poles as it was easier to get it to us? (we've no cable either but all other streets around us have).

My phone pole has the new black & yellow fibre cabling up it and a new ducting was recently dug into the pavement underneath so I guess they put it in and now can't be arsed to offer it...
The pole is on the main road and the cables run across the back of the other properties over to us. I think there's an access issue.

Just beware (as you're currently on unlimited) that the Plusnet product will have an included monthly useage of 40 or 120Gb per month (peak time, total of download and upload) depending on the product / price ('value' or 'extra'). While 120Gb is plenty for many people it can be used very quickly on fibre particularly if you do a lot of streaming or obsesive speed testing! Additional bandwidth is chargeable.

Because FTTP is also being rolled in some areas where FTTC is not available, plan was to reach 10 to 15% of UK this way

In reply to a post by beercan:

My phone pole has the new black & yellow fibre cabling up it and a new ducting was recently dug into the pavement underneath so I guess they put it in and now can't be arsed to offer it...
The pole is on the main road and the cables run across the back of the other properties over to us. I think there's an access issue.

I'd say your area has been earmarked for FTTP if they've gone to the trouble of running ducting up the poles.

The delay is that although FTTP speed is the full 100Mbps, there is a setup time after installation of the fibre where zero power is applied and the glass has to go dark as photons picked up before connection gradually disperse, before they can use it.
_{Oops! I thought it was April 1.}

I did a bit of digging about the Plusnet product and asked some questions of them. The responses recieved were less than reassuring.
For example, it turns out they put you onto their ADSL package (and 18 month contract) first, then upgrade you to FTTP after a couple of weeks; however if there was a problem and FTTP could not be successfully installed, you'd be locked into the ADSL package/contract for the standard minimum term...

Also, there's significant traffic shaping so not truly going to be getting 40 or 100mb for most things...

http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/do...

Regards