Hackney, Shoreditch Exchange. New(ish) apartment complex.

Hi

I live an an apartment in a complex in Hackney, London, which was built around 2007. There�s no fibre broadband installed, and typical ADSL speeds are 3Mbps down / 0.5Mbps up, regardless of provider. We really really want Fibre Broadband here. Obviously!

Virgin aren�t interested. Hyperoptic are interested, and although I can�t quite fathom what�s going on, our management company are being uncooperative. So the only other option are Openreaach.

Entering our details at superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when returns the following, with a question-mark over the location of our exchange, which is Shoreditch.

�We're keen to bring Superfast Fibre to your area and are exploring how best to achieve that. We may deliver it as part of our commercial programme, or by working in partnership with your local authority. At the moment you can't order Superfast Fibre.�

What exactly does this mean? And what has to happen to move this forward?

I know that the Shoreditch exchange is enabled for Fibre, and there�s several green cabinets in the streets surrounding us with �Fibre Broadband Is Here� posters on them.

Of course, Openreach just ignore my attempts to contact them, my current provider (Sky) can�t tell me anything, and our management company don�t even seem to understand what Fibre broadband is (or at least, that�s the impression I�m getting).

So, I know that some kind of infrastructure needs to be upgraded somewhere. Maybe a cabinet in the street, or something in our complex, or both. And someone would have to do that, and someone else would have to pay for it, and probably certain parties (possibly including our buildings management company) would need to co-operate with each other.

Can anyone here give me any clues about what the blocker might be? Or how I can find that out for myself? That would be very much appreciated.

Thanks & Regards
SL

Edited by deleted (Sun 08-Feb-15 00:53:37)

What cabinet are you on?
Also a postcode may help.

I have found the following cabinets for your exchange that currently only have ADSLx:

Cabinet 7 (no fibre info)
Cabinet 8 (no fibre info)
Cabinet 14 FTTC Planned (exchange ready 20th September 2011)
Cabinet 40 (no fibre info)
Cabinet 46 FTTC Planned by 30th June 2015
Cabinet 51 (no fibre info)
Cabinet 52

There are also huge amounts of EO Lines as well.


Paul

Edited by PaulKirby (Sat 07-Feb-15 18:24:37)

Use the BT Address checker (not the Postcode checker), enter your postcode and then select your address from the drop down box. What does this say? Paste a copy of the output but delete your phone number and/or flat number.

Strange. When I use the address checker, my flat number isn't in the list, but all the other flats in the complex are.

When I use the phone number checker, I get...

Telephone Number 0207xxxxxxx on Exchange SHOREDITCH.

It doesn't give me a cabinet number!!!

My postcode is Echo Two Eight Foxtrot Bravo.

In reply to a post by superleccy:

Strange. When I use the address checker, my flat number isn't in the list, but all the other flats in the complex are.

When I use the phone number checker, I get...

Telephone Number 0207xxxxxxx on Exchange SHOREDITCH.

It doesn't give me a cabinet number!!!

My postcode is Echo Two Eight Foxtrot Bravo.

If its not displaying a cabinet number like the line you posted, that means you are most probably on an EO (Exchange Only) Line.

Looking up info for your post code.

As an Exchange Only (EO) line BT are unable to supply FTTC as this requires an intermediate cab which is absent where the line is EO. Whether BT will provide the necessary network rearrangement so as to install a cab and associated FTTC cab comes down to money and whether the project is considered commercially viable. To date the only times this has happened is where BDUK has paid for the upgrade or where the local community has stepped in and provided the necessary funds. Unfortunately, being in London, there is no BDUK funding to fall back on.

I'm in a similar position, a cluster of 75 EO lines in SW9. In our case we have managed to raise the funds and are currently in the process of signing with BT for them to do the necessary work.

Thanks. An EO line would explain a lot. We are about 1 mile away from the exchange. Does that sound right?

I'm guessing it'd be a pipe dream, How do you set the ball rolling for community-funded installation?

Many thanks indeed
SL

Well after a search for all postcode for your Exchange Only Block I have the following:

Exchange Name: Shoreditch
Exchange Code: CLSHO

Cabinet: EO (Exchange Only)
Fibre Phase: No Information found.
Result Count: 154.

[Your Postcode]
Has 42 home(s) connected to EO (Exchange Only) with ADSLx with approximate speeds around the following:
ADSLx (Worst): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)
ADSLx (Best): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)

[E2 8EF]
Has 31 home(s) connected to EO (Exchange Only) with ADSLx with approximate speeds around the following:
ADSLx (Worst): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)
ADSLx (Best): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)

[E2 8EX]
Has 1 home(s) connected to EO (Exchange Only) with ADSLx with approximate speeds around the following:
ADSLx (Worst): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)
ADSLx (Best): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)

[E2 8EY]
Has 5 home(s) connected to EO (Exchange Only) with ADSLx with approximate speeds around the following:
ADSLx (Worst): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)
ADSLx (Best): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)

[E2 8EZ]
Has 75 home(s) connected to EO (Exchange Only) with ADSLx with approximate speeds around the following:
ADSLx (Worst): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)
ADSLx (Best): Up to 8.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 5.5 to 12.5 (downstream range)

Please note that these speeds are using BT's DSL Checker and uses the lowest and highest values for that postcode and cabinet.
� Had at least 1 issue retrieving information from the BT DSL Checker.

Seems the owners of that building hates the number 13, also seems that every lift has their own broadband connection

As for the distance from you to the exchange its about 1.25km (birds eye view) so yeah about 1mile.

Sadly like MCM said, you need to be connected to a cabinet to get FTTC, but I cannot see any information point to this in the works, so you may have to wait.

Sorry

Paul.

You need to talk to other residents and decide if a sum of £20,000 to £30,000 can be raised, that is a ball park figure to be aiming at, but if the flats are all Exchange Only it might be higher.

Openreach can do the work outside the flats, which if you have a troublesome management company is the only way. Hyperoptic will be a lot faster and more future proof, but you need to work on the management company.

Did you not consider broadband before committing to the flat?

Of course there is 4G and people like https://www1.relish.net/ who may be able to provide you a better than ADSL connection in the meantime.

Just been checking out some friends' addresses on Shoreditch on dslchecker. Seems that the blocks are EO, but a free standing building pretty much next to them have FTTC. The residents don't care tho as they're lucky enough to have VM.

In reply to a post by Pedrostech:

Just been checking out some friends' addresses on Shoreditch on dslchecker. Seems that the blocks are EO, but a free standing building pretty much next to them have FTTC. The residents don't care tho as they're lucky enough to have VM.

What the residents in your building?
If you can get VM then there is small chances in getting fibre installed via BTOR, so I have read on here.

Paul

I live near Hascombe,Surrey, nowhere near Hackney. Just have a friend there. I'm on 11/1 FTTC in a BDUK FTTP in FTTC deployment, but cannot order FTTP here!

Edited by deleted (Sun 08-Feb-15 00:31:35)

Ah, ok, I must look at names when replying, at a quick glance I thought you was the OP

11/1 FTTC?
11 Mbps down and 1Mbit up? bit low, or are you that far from your cabinet?
Or are you getting ADSL speeds on a FTTC line, some providers do that, so I have been told.

Also if your cabinet is FTTC then you won't be able to get FTTP due to its one or the other, and where you have a FTTC Cabinet that's all you could get.
However depending on your exchange, you may be able to upgrade to FTTPod an on demand service, costs loads of money so I have heard.

Paul

MCM. Paul, MrS, everybody else

We've been here since the beginning, when 3Mbps didn't seem so unreasonable!

Thanks for your help. OK, so not a promising outlook, but good to know where I stand. I'm going to try and put this to the residents committee, and there's some commercial units in the block that might carry a bit of clout too.

However, it does sound like our best bet is to try and woo Hyperoptic, and get our management company on-side. I'll check out Relish too, although we do live it a bit of a Faraday Cage here...

Thanks again
SL

If you decide on the Hyperoptic route, either email or phone them to find out the minimal amount of homes that are required before they see it as viable.

But if you get enough then you may be lucky.

Good luck.

Paul

On the FTTP not strictly true, there is some native FTTP in Surrey where fttc is very slow. Not a lot but some, checker shows wbc fttp and wbc fttp estimates

mcsafforn not quite sure why you think that Hyperoptic will be a lot faster and more future proof, as they use the same 1 gib bandwith as openreach

Show me the 1 Gbps symmetric retail product using Openreach network and I'll reconsider.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

On the FTTP not strictly true, there is some native FTTP in Surrey where fttc is very slow. Not a lot but some, checker shows wbc fttp and wbc fttp estimates

I was referring to if they already had a FTTC cabinet setup connected to their PCP Cabinet.

Paul

In reply to a post by Fastman2:

mcsafforn not quite sure why you think that Hyperoptic will be a lot faster and more future proof, as they use the same 1 gib bandwith as openreach

Every Hyperoptic customer has Gigabit Ethernet back to a switch, which from there uses multiple 1Gb or a 10Gb backhaul, Sir.

The major difference is how the punters get to the backhaul. For 99% of us on SFBB via Openreach it's via VDSL which maxes out at less than 80Mb down, 20Mb up for right now and there is no upgrade path without installation of new hardware for most due to the laws of physics - vectoring helps but the majority still won't be able to get to 100Mb download, which is the 'middle' Hyperoptic tier, and certainly not the 100Mb upload speed that comes with the Hyperoptic product.

Hyperoptic can deliver symmetrical 1Gb to any customer at the push of a button. A comparable Openreach product for consumers just doesn't exist right now and even if it were released less than 1.5% of the SFBB covered areas would be able to receive it.

Edited by deleted (Sun 08-Feb-15 17:24:38)

i didnt think the hyperoptic was symeetircal i though it was i gig shared between the building (x bandwith dived by Y uerss shatring the same 1 Gig

Edited by deleted (Sun 08-Feb-15 18:09:03)

There is. PCP and DSLAM were fitted as part of EO upgrade. Somre residents can choose between up to 7mbps ADSL MAX, 3-7mbps FTTC, or 40, 80, 330 FTTP

Symmetrical is nothing to do with connection sharing it means same speed down as well as up.

How sure are you that hyperoptic only provision a single gig to a whole development?

In reply to a post by Pedrostech:

There is. PCP and DSLAM were fitted as part of EO upgrade. Somre residents can choose between up to 7mbps ADSL MAX, 3-7mbps FTTC, or 40, 80, 330 FTTP

Don't you mean the following:
ADSL Max: 3 to 7Mbps
FTTC: 40, 80 Mbps
FTTP: 330Mbps

Even though you never get the full Fibre speeds, so I have read.

Paul

Nope. WBC FTTP is offered at 40, 80 and 330mbps speeds.

In reply to a post by Pedrostech:

Nope. WBC FTTP is offered at 40, 80 and 330mbps speeds.

Really?
I have only seem the checker display Up to 330Mbps for FTTP, but I have seen some providers cap the speeds to supply lower speeds at a lower price.

What Post Code uses that?

Paul

Edited by PaulKirby (Sun 08-Feb-15 19:34:21)

Gea fttp comes in various speed and orice points

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Gea fttp comes in various speed and orice points

Oh, right, so its like capping the speeds to the lower speeds for that lower speed price.
So for example instead of providing 330Mbps which may be over the top for somebody that only does web browsing etc and could go with say 40Mbps down, so if they chose 40Mbps they would get charged for a 40Mbps option, is this correct ?

Paul

Yes

That's good to know.

So I guess that's what some ISP do when they don't supply the 330Mbps speeds, and can only supply up to the full 80/20, 40/20,10 etc.

Paul

With the fttp service they is no can only supply. It is a range of product options available to providers with 40 and 80 Meg services at same price as fttc

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

With the fttp service they is no can only supply. It is a range of product options available to providers with 40 and 80 Meg services at same price as fttc

That's what I meant.