Downham Market - Y U No FTTC?

Our town exchange EADNM serves about 6.5 thousand properties and we don't even have WBC yet, let alone FTTC. It's ridiculous, a nearby exchange (EASWO) with less properties to provide to has had FTTC for over a month and we're still wondering when we'll actually be given WBC (a fluctuative RFS date).

So how can the people of my town push BT to give us a solid RFS date for FTTC? (and WBC, if anyone really wants that!)

Who is the best person to complain to? Should we just make petitions and protests? Could we get a fund going?

What do we do?

The Openreach rollout is a commerical deployment so they will chose the areas to rollout the service to, their may still be a few more exchange announcements.

Looking at your area their are very few exchanges with FTTC enabled and the reason why South Wootton is enabled is it is next to King's Lynn which has a holding date of December 2012 for going live.

THETFORD is a nearby exchange that is live but the exchanges outside are not planned.

Other nearby exchanges that are planned are WISBECH, MARCH, ELY all with end of 2013 go live dates.

Looking at the whole area its a very rural area to roll services out to and its likely that Openreach will bid on the BDUK project for Norfolk and then rollout to the rural exchanges with the goverment/public funding- work most likely to start in early-mid 2013 once the contact has been awarded.

Norfolk will make the decsion between Openreach and Fijitsu on the 10th of September

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5400-norfolk-to-m...

As for your exchange Downham Market the estimated WBC dates are 01/10/2012 - 31/10/2012, you already have TT and Sky LLU on the exchange, so its a posbbility you may see FTTC before the rollout ends in November 2014 but its likely to be upgraded via the BDUK rollout if Openreach win.

WBC and LLU allows for asdl+2 up to 20Mbps download and 1Mbps upload depending on distance from the exchange, so for those close enough it does provide quite a speed increase, so it does benefit alot of people.

So just wait for the 10th to see who wins and you will see things moving forwards into 2013 for the rollout..

Edited by deleted (Wed 05-Sep-12 14:42:58)

We got 21CN WBC in the end which I don't need now anyway 'cos I use TalkTalk LLU.

The best news is EADNM (Downham Market) is Under Evaluation for Superfast fibre broadband!

It is very exciting for me, the prospect of having fibre and it'll be great for gaming etc.



Edit: how long does evaluation generally take?

Edited by deleted (Fri 31-May-13 09:19:37)

The link below is to the Norfolk BDUK site- their will be 7 phases of the rollout, you will have to wait till they publish which areas will be part of the 7 phases.

http://www.betterbroadbandnorfolk.co.uk/where-when.aspx

Over this week, markings have been appearing on pavements around the town. Yesterday, I spotted an engineer painting markings next to my current cabinet. I've had a look and one part there is a cabinet-shaped white box outline (amongst other jumble which I assume is to do with cabling).

I have a few questions for those who have kept a close eye on the fibre roll-out in their own towns/areas.

1. These markings are definitely to do with fibre cabinets, right?
2. If so, how long after the markings are drawn are the cabinets installed?
3. Me being impatient again - how long do you reckon until I can order fibre from this point?

Thanks.

Edited by deleted (Fri 30-Aug-13 15:55:04)

1) Yes.
2) How long's a piece of string?
3) See 2).

In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

1) Yes.
2) How long's a piece of string?
3) See 2).

1) Thanks.
2) Fair enough
3) See 2

Thanks for confirming that it's to do with fibre.

What have other peoples' experiences been of time scales? (I know they'll be different for me but I just like to enquire, I have way too much free time).

The markings are the planning of the cabinet, from there in my experience it will be a further 5 months before construction is complete and the cabinet is ready to go.

Obviously if there are any issues that complicate the construction this timescale can be stretched out a fair bit.

If this is the start of FTTC in your town then it will be at least 5 months, but probably a lot longer.

Our cabinets started appearing around February last year, and started going live June/July (2012) time, but there are still some not yet installed, and one installed last year is still not live over a year later.

You've just got to be patient and wait, and wait, and wait then if you're lucky you'll get FTTC

Saw some contractors on another estate this morning, they had a massive drum of cable. I am pretty certain they are laying the fibre cable.

Should be only 5 or 6 months to go now!

If big drum of black with yellow stripe then that would be fibre tubing, with the fibre blown down the smaller tubes inside later.

http://blog.thinkbroadband.com/wp-content/uploads/20...

That's the one!

Any idea if this comes in any other 'varieties'?

The fibre tube they pulled near here was way larger than this and wasn't yellow stripe.

EDIT: I know it was a fibre feed, and they had to attach something to the end to close it off. Any idea if, perhaps, the plan is to build an aggregation node and the larger tube contains a few of these?

Edited by deleted (Thu 26-Sep-13 19:16:23)

Really only seen that size a clean bit from indoors

http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/fibre-milton-keynes/wgc...
(The other bit is half a FTTP fibre manifold)
http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/fibre-milton-keynes/wgc... a pavement chamber

More fibre kit at http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/fibre-milton-keynes/def...

Sorry for my late edit there.

Well we'll see what happens.

Over the past few weeks I've seen loads of cable being put down all over town. Just recently, the Better Broadband for Norfolk website was updated with a date range of 'January to end of March 2014' for fibre availability in some areas of town - but today it gets even more exciting...

Five blokes in high vis jackets are digging up the pavement next to my current cabinet, where the markings were originally put.

According to roadworks.org...

Wimbotsham Road, Downham Market, Norfolk
Works Start: 07 Nov
End: 20 Nov

Description : DOWNHAM MARKET (PCP 17)STREET CABINET & POWER INSTALLATION. Excavate to lay approx 7m BT ducts in f/way, Lay concrete plinth, Stand cab. Excavate to expose low voltage cable for Power Connection and lay approx 1m duct in f/way. POWER engineer to carry out inspection prior to jointing. POWER jointing team to insert cable and execute jointing works. Reinstate, Check and clear site.

So it begins. My cabinet is the first to be installed in the whole town (they must've known how much I would like fibre )

I have a question which you have probably guessed by now which is... how long after when they finish the installation of the cabinet does it usually take for fibre services to become available to people served by the cabinet?

Thanks.

There was a link in here to this:

http://beusergroup.co.uk/technotes/index.php?title=D...

So that make help you get guessimate.

Nick

Thank you.

So around 3 months?

Not bad and not far off the Jan-Mar 2014 range either so it looks quite certain.

Welp, not a great deal of movement surrounding the hole in the pavement but I just had to post this.

2 contractors turned up today, argued over the necessity of a digger and then drove their separate ways.

What a day.

The cabinet is in.

The Openreach 'Where and when' website now gives a forecast date of December 2013. Next month!

It's coming

Today some contractors were working outside, I had to go out but I know when I left they were digging up the temporary tarmac that previous contractors put down.

One bit of tarmac is of trench-width and goes into the BT manhole which is front centre between the FTTC and standard cabinets (so I assume it is to do with the actual fibre connection and quite possibly the connection between the cabinets too). The other bit of tarmac, which comes out the other side of the cabinet and widens out into a square almost filling the pavement, I assume is something to do with power.

The site has now been cleared of all roadwork associated gubbins.

Can anyone say whether I am likely to be correct in what I have said, where abouts in the installation progress do you guys think they are? You might want to refer to the information I took from roadworks.org in my earlier post - I don't understand it but maybe someone else will.

Also I went up to the cabinet to try and listen but I couldn't hear much, although there is a lot of traffic both ground and air right now so I may go out this evening and try again. How obvious is the noise that comes from the cabinets, do you have to try quite hard to hear them?

In reply to a post by Xplosion:

I went up to the cabinet to try and listen but I couldn't hear much, although there is a lot of traffic both ground and air right now so I may go out this evening and try again. How obvious is the noise that comes from the cabinets, do you have to try quite hard to hear them?

Same today when I tried to listen, is it necessary to put your ear right up to the vents to hear anything? I would have thought the power is connected because the job is no longer on the roadworks website and it did say they were meant to insert the power cable.

So confused.

I listened to one today, ear pressed up against it barely audible. As it's cold the fans could be going slow or off as ambient cooling may be sufficient.

In reply to a post by yarwell:

I listened to one today, ear pressed up against it barely audible. As it's cold the fans could be going slow or off as ambient cooling may be sufficient.

Thanks Phil, that gives me hope . The wait is almost unbearable.

Just an update - I have had an email from the council's street works team in their infinite wisdom telling me that the leccy contractor failed to turn up. However, they are re scheduling and it should be connected up to the power by mid-December.

Return of the contractors, they appear to be threading some yellow tubing/cable of some sort into the manhole (image). Don't know if it's a coincidence but they also began to excavate for another NGA up the road today.

Rodding to check that the ducting is clear before they send the actual fibre tubing through.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Rodding to check that the ducting is clear before they send the actual fibre tubing through.

Okay thanks, hope it is clear!

An engineer from Openreach is out there today working on the old PCP and the NGA, is this the connection between the two?

Image

Another image, looks like Santa's elves are working for Openreach now

is this the connection between the two?

Yes, the copper link cable.

If that's your cabinet outside your window then you're in for a nice bit of speed.

In reply to a post by Ribble:

is this the connection between the two?

Yes, the copper link cable.

Great news, thanks for the clarification.

In reply to a post by R0NSKI:

If that's your cabinet outside your window then you're in for a nice bit of speed.

Yeah that's why I can't wait!

He's back today, brought his director's chair with him too . He's been there all day as well. Does it usually take this long to connect the copper link or is he doing other stuff too? Also is he going to be the one to connect the power, as the ducts are already in place it just needs a cable and a thumbs up.

Edited by deleted (Wed 27-Nov-13 14:10:34)

Does it usually take this long to connect the copper link

Not usually.

or is he doing other stuff too?

Quite probably

Also is he going to be the one to connect the power

No, Openreach do not connect the power.

Hate to disappoint you, but it took just over 6 months from our cabinets being installed, to them going live.

A bloke from Openreach is under a tent working on the FTTC cabinet today. Any idea what he could be doing?

Morrison Utility Services have installed the power to my cabinet!

How long have you guys on here waited after your cabinet being powered until it went 'live'?

2 years and counting,

In reply to a post by Ribble:

2 years and counting,

Really? That long? I wonder why that is, Openreach are wasting money on electric bills for dormant cabinets which aren't earning them a penny.

I know why. I'd hope they havnt actually left the thing powered all this time but who knows.

In reply to a post by Xplosion:

Really? That long? I wonder why that is, Openreach are wasting money on electric bills for dormant cabinets which aren't earning them a penny.


Yep totally agree. They shouldn't powered it up if they knew it won't be going LIVE in the next 2 years. Waste of energy electric bill.

Edited by adslmax (Sat 11-Jan-14 13:44:55)

Well I received an email from the BDUK scheme co-ordinator type person which said...

Dear xxx,

The outstanding dependency is on the upgrade to the Head-end Exchange at Downham Market which is expected to be completed before end March 2014, sorry can�t be more precise.

Regards

Karen

Which is fair enough... Openreach never know when anything will happen anyway.

Pretty good news though, not long to wait really compared to how long I have waited so far and, at least, one can hope that's a conservative estimate .

I have seen blokes in ordinary (no obvious commercial branding) cars fiddling around in the already stood NGA cabinets today, which I think are all powered. I'm pretty certain the fibre has been blown too. Can't be long now can it? What are these people doing, finishing touches?

Men from GCHQ adding their spying kit

I'm still waiting for my cabient to go live in the NSELG exchange, FTTC cabient been their since November time and theres a few around my area that the FTTC are live.

Men from GCHQ adding their spying kit

Wouldn't surprise me.

In reply to a post by JB68:

I'm still waiting for my cabient to go live in the NSELG exchange, FTTC cabient been their since November time and theres a few around my area that the FTTC are live.

Yes, mine was put in in November so you're not the only one.

They had a laptop plugged in to the cabinet too, does anyone know what they were doing?

Been over a week since those people had their laptop plugged into the cabinet. There's been literally no FTTC-related movement this week and there have been less vans at the exchange as well (drive past it every day). Could it be nearly here? What were they doing with their laptop?

I'd take a guess they were commissioning the cabinet for service and that it be available to order any day soon

In reply to a post by Ribble:

I'd take a guess they were commissioning the cabinet for service and that it be available to order any day soon

Great, thanks. I'll begin to hold my breath now then .

They may have found a fault, it does happen.

I'm in Downham too, its set for 1st March far as I can see.

Checked the BT Wholesale checker about half an hour ago and to my surprise, fibre is now available for my street.

I have added TalkTalk Fibre Large to my package online and the engineer is coming on the 19th, my birthday!

Just thought I'd consolidate all the different stages of the fibre upgrade into a sort of timeline for other curious people.

The Timeline

1. Late May 2013 - Exchange goes 'Under Evaluation' by Openreach.
2. Late August 2013 - After three months, cabinet markings appear.
3. Late September 2013 - After another month, fibre tubing is laid.
4. Early November 2013 - After another month and a bit, workmen are digging the hole for the cabinet and laying the concrete plinth for it to stand on.
5. Mid November 2013 - After almost another week the cabinet is stood, the Openreach website now gives a forecast of December instead of saying 'Under Evaluation'. The next day all the holes at the site are filled in because the power installation is delayed.
6. Late November 2013 - After about another two weeks, the copper link cable is installed between the PCP and NGA.
7. Throughout December 2013 - Openreach staff work on the cabinet, often under cover of their tents.
8. Mid January 2014 - After about another couple of weeks, Morrison Utility Services rock up and connect the power to the cabinet.
9. Early February 2014 - After another two or three weeks, people arrive in normal non-Openreach branded cars and plug a computer into the cabinet, these people are commissioning it ready for service.
10. Late February 2014 - After about three weeks, the cabinet is now live on the BT Wholesale checker and to my surprise, also on TalkTalk's system.

Key Time Periods

It took four months from when my exchange became 'Under Evaluation' for physical work to begin.

It took two months from the cabinet being stood to it being powered.

It took over a month from the cabinet being powered to it being ready for service.

It took almost a month from the cabinet being commissioned to it being ready for service.

It took three months from the cabinet being stood to it being ready for service.


Of course, these timings vary with every install. This is just my experience.

And now announced.

http://www.betterbroadbandnorfolk.co.uk/news-detail....

Can I confirm with you guys that Downham Market is now Live?

I've spoken with Talktalk and BT today ref. ordering it and both say it's not available in PE38 at all. I'm 1.2 miles from the exchange so that doesn't seem like the reason.

Thanks.

Today didn't go quite as smoothly as I would have liked but such is life.

The appointment slot I booked was for between 8:00 and 13:00 however the engineer called at 12:50 to say he was stuck at a job in another town and would be here at about 14:00. So anyway, the clock ticked away and as 15:30 approached, his van pulled up outside (think he was a contractor as I'm pretty sure it said 'working on behalf of Openreach').

He came in, plugged a piece of equipment into the master socket and went to work on the cabinet. As I saw him drive down the road towards the wrong cabinet, I was quite worried but after pacing about for 5 or 10 minutes he finally went to my cabinet and hooked it up.

He came back, upgraded the faceplate and plugged in the Openreach modem which synced no problem. We then connected the modem to the fibre port on the router and the fibre LED lit up. The ADSL LED kept flashing too even though we had disconnected the ADSL cable, but I didn't see that as a problem as we were connected and all seemed well. The engineer had other ideas...

He was obsessed with this ADSL LED and thought it'd somehow interfere with our fibre connection. He led us into letting him perform a factory reset on the router and changing the connection mode from 'auto' to fibre. I still don't see why as the connection was up and running. ADSL LED continues to flash even after this wizardry.

Anyway, bearing in mind the fibre cabinet is about 4 or 5 metres from our master socket, I am quite disappointed with our download speed. We are downloading at about 45 Meg however we are on an up to 80 Meg package and the BT Wholesale checker gives us an estimate of 79 Meg.

Is our speed subject to a 'line training' period or has something gone wrong?

Is this with TalkTalk?

It should be at full speed straight away. There are a few thing that can upset the apple-cart though.

Which OR modem did he supply, HG612 or ECI? An HG612 is easily unlocked so you can see the connection speed, to see if it's that or elsewhere you have the problem.

Have you got any star wiring taken off before the master socket? That would really mess it up.

Are you testing wired or wireless? At these speeds wired is essential for speed tests.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Is this with TalkTalk?

It should be at full speed straight away. There are a few thing that can upset the apple-cart though.

Which OR modem did he supply, HG612 or ECI? An HG612 is easily unlocked so you can see the connection speed, to see if it's that or elsewhere you have the problem.

Have you got any star wiring taken off before the master socket? That would really mess it up.

Are you testing wired or wireless? At these speeds wired is essential for speed tests.

Thanks for the reply.

It is with TalkTalk.

The modem is an ECI one.

None of the star wiring has been touched.

My connection is wired to my desktop and wireless to my laptop, both are giving the same speed.

Throughput is still 45 Meg or thereabouts but the TalkTalk forum staff say I'm synced at 80 Meg. Managed to get an engineer booked for next Thursday but in the meantime is there anything I could be trying, or does anyone know what the issue could be? My Googling suggests it is to do with DLM which could mean the engineer will need to reset the line.

Edited by deleted (Fri 21-Mar-14 19:24:46)

Anyone know what could be wrong with the connection, and how to solve the issue?

The modem is an ECI B-FOCuS V-2FUb/r Rev B so can't easily be unlocked or 'hacked' so sorry I can't be any more helpful with stats.

The BT Wholesale checker says I should be seeing the following figures:
FTTC Range A (Clean) 80 79.9 20 19.9
FTTC Range B (Impacted) 80 71.3 20 17.9