In reply to a post by MHC:

That is definitely down to damage and you would have had similar problems with copper.

True.

But I'm amazed that they couldn't find this fault,when I have had numerous engineers here.
They found plenty of others, but this one.
I have been losing connection for hours at a time, hopefully I will get the full 80Mb when the new cable is laid.

In reply to a post by Nightglow:

I have had numerous engineers here.
They found plenty of others, but this one.
I have been losing connection for hours at a time ...

When they do the test the ground and the cable is likely dry enough not to show up clearly enough on the TDR test, so it does not get found.

When they do the test the ground and the cable is likely dry enough not to show up clearly enough on the TDR test,

Wet impregnated cables usually show as battery or earth contacts, these cannot be located with a TDR.

However, even when dry low cap balance, A/C balance, and low insulation should be visible on a PQ test, and this could have been proved a specific length.

That section of cable could have been earmarked for replacement.

I'm not so lucky as I'm one of 6 fibre customers beyond the ally section and I'm the only one with a line with a speed below the minimum impacted estimated speed. Coupled with the fact the ally cable is in good condition even after 40 or so years and ADSL speeds being relatively high, the likelihood of the cable getting replaced is pretty much zero.

According the engineer that installed my work line, fibre take up in my area has been low, with only 54 connections in 3 years on a PCP that covers c.1400 addresses.

Band together, involve your MP.

I made myself very unpopular, wrote letters to Sir Michael Rake (BT CEO), plus OR CEO Joe Garner, plus Ofcom.
Within 3 weeks of first letter, two engineers turned up Christmas week last year & moved phone cable from front pole to the rear pole, which solved the phone issues, but not my fttc connection, other than knocking several hundred metres off the distance to my cabinet.

BT also sent me a dead lock letter, apologising for the speed being considerably less than orginally quoted.
Still have few other people on my list to contact if the cable wasn't replaced.

Edited by Nightglow (Fri 22-May-15 10:29:22)