Long EO line moved to cabinet, what's next?

We moved to rural Scotland about a year ago, and although I have been pleasantly surprised at the speed of our connection given the distance to the exchange (4,5 Mbps on EO line about 3,5-4 km from exchange NSINS), I am of course keen to get access to fibre, so I have been following the local development fairly closely.

Now, as mentioned, I was on an EO line, but I seem to have been recently moved to Cabinet 6 (according to the BTO Wholesale ADSL checker).

When I input our postcode AB52 6LS on the codelook page here, I get a list of 4 fibre street cabinets:

Fibre Street Cabinet 1: P5 10% of area FTTC Available from 7th November 2014 Phase BDUK Scot Government 12b
Fibre Street Cabinet 2: P6 90% of area FTTC Planned (exchange ready 7th February 2014) Phase BDUK Scot Government 12b
Fibre Street Cabinet 3: Exchange 16 90% of area FTTP Planned Phase BDUK Scot Government 12b
Fibre Street Cabinet 4: Exchange 9 10% of area Not Available

Is it safe to assume I will be connected to street cabinet 2 (connected to cabinet P6, which I am currently on?), or am I reading the data wrong?
Also, it seems like the first 3 street cabinets are part of phase 12b - is there any way of checking the timeframe of this particular phase?

And lastly, what does it mean when it says that both street cabinets 2 and 3 cover "90% of area"? Street cabinet 3 has FTTP planned, which I am obviously keen on if at all possible, but I am trying not to get my hopes up.

In short, I am struggling to understand what the current plans are for our little handful of houses out here in the dark heart of Aberdeenshire - thanks in advance for any information you can offer.

Codelook has added some of their own wording to the plans, fibre cabinets have no real number, you are known by the copper cabinet number. The 90% may be a distance estimate to all properties but on my phone so cannot access my map tools to figure it out

Ok,
90% of that postcode was on EO Line (Exchange 16) which has been moved over to cabinet 6

10% was on EO Line (Exchange 9) which has also been moved over to cabinet 6, seems it was originally down to be moved over to cabinet 5, but may of been moved over to 6 so all would get fibre once its all done.

As for "Fibre Street Cabinet X" ignore those that site uses that as an index.
You need to look at those P numbers.

When it says 90% for your post code for a PCP Cabinet (i.e. P6) and Exchange 16, that just means that its being moved from the EO Line to a PCP cabinet, same with the reaming 10%

Sadly I don't think it will be FTTP, there is more chance it being FTTC which cabinets 5 and 6 are down for.

As for Phase 12a of the BDUK Scot Government, I thought they was working on 14a, 14b and 15b, I know a lot of 13a have been completed.
Maybe they are behind on you upgrade.

I did a check on that post code and have the following:

Exchange Name: Insch
Exchange Code: NSINS
Country: Scotland

Cabinet: 6
Fibre Phase: BDUK Scot Government 12b
Fibre Information: FTTC Planned (exchange ready 7th February 2014)
Result Count: 9

[AB52 6LS]
� Has 9 result(s) connected to Cabinet 6 with ADSLx with approximate speeds around the following:
� ADSLx (Worst): Up to 1.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 0.8 to 2.5 (downstream range)
� ADSLx (Best): Up to 1.0 (downstream rate) -- (upsrteam rate) 0.8 to 2.5 (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.

Not many addresses for that postcode.

Paul

It's likely to mean something of a change in plans over time.

I'd guess that *originally*, 90% of your postcode's properties were connected via EO bundle 16, and 10% of your postcode was connected via EO bundle 9. No chance of superfast broadband with things like that.

I'd then guess that BT have subsequently decided that they'll put in a new PCP, numbered P5, and determined that it will house the lines that used to be in EO bundle 9. This allows use of FTTC. Possibly some other bundles too, but not bundle 15.

EO bundle 9 will ultimately disappear.

NB: If the rest of your postcode is also 4km from the exchange, houses on P5 will need to check the location carefully - they might be too far away from it to benefit.

I'd then guess that someone made a plan for EO bundle 16 to be made superfast through use of FTTP. This is the most expensive way to make properties superfast, so BT are always looking for ways to change that plan to make use of FTTC.

So I'd further guess that BT have subsequently decided that they'll put in a new PCP, numbered P6, to house bundle 15, and will use FTTC - and have thrown away the plan for FTTP.

Just like P5, houses switched onto P6 will need to look carefully at the location of the new cabinet; it needs to be within 1km to be getting decent speeds.

If the BTW checker says you are now on cabinet 6, then that is where your line has been moved to.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Codelook has added some of their own wording to the plans, fibre cabinets have no real number, you are known by the copper cabinet number. The 90% may be a distance estimate to all properties but on my phone so cannot access my map tools to figure it out

The percentage on that site is as far as I know how many addresses on a cabinet or EO line for that postcode.
And when you see 90% for a cabinet and 90% for an EO line or multi EO lines, then you can assume those EO lines are to be moved over to that cabinet.

Paul

Wow, I wish I could get this kind of response time from my ISP
Thanks for the answers so far!

I went down to the exchange today and noticed a pair of green cabinets outside it, one of them numbered 5 - I am guessing that would be P5 then, but I am not sure where P6 is hiding. Looking at the map of which postcodes it serves, I have a strong suspicion that it is still pretty close to the exchange (i.e. pretty far from me still), so that raises another question - if I am indeed further away than 1 km from the cabinet (which I am almost certain I am), is there any chance of us ever getting a decent upgrade this far out? If so, how?

In reply to a post by Tolq:

In short, I am struggling to understand what the current plans are for our little handful of houses out here in the dark heart of Aberdeenshire - thanks in advance for any information you can offer.

Just think how Rhynie and the Cabrach compare!

Just think how Rhynie and the Cabrach compare!

Funny that, we were actually looking at a house in Rhynie before we bought this one

Whereabouts?

You can send me a PM ...

Hi Paul.

Do you know when they will start on phase 15a?

Cheers

Del

In reply to a post by delone:

Hi Paul.

Do you know when they will start on phase 15a?

Cheers

Del

I wouldn't know.
I am assuming your referring to BDUK Scot Government phase 15a?
I just checked a cabinet that seems to be down for phase 15b and it already has fibre.

So they are either working on phase 15b or they are ahead for that cabinet.

Paul

At 1km 20 to 24 Mbps still possible so exact distance will be important

The phases are announcement timetables not firm delivery phases and plans can change

Well I just did a check on all addresses on that exchange and have the following:

BT Wholesale Exchange Information.

Exchange Name: Insch
Exchange Code: NSINS

• Cabinet: EO
  
  • FTTP: 0
  • FTTC: 0
  • ADSLx: 28
  • None: 2
  
  
• Cabinet: 1
  
  • FTTP: 0
  • FTTC: 102
  • ADSLx: 32
  • None: 0
  
  
• Cabinet: 2
  
  • FTTP: 0
  • FTTC: 189
  • ADSLx: 69
  • None: 0
  
  
• Cabinet: 3
  
  • FTTP: 0
  • FTTC: 0
  • ADSLx: 117
  • None: 0
  
  
• Cabinet: 4
  
  • FTTP: 0
  • FTTC: 166
  • ADSLx: 2
  • None: 0
  
  
• Cabinet: 5
  
  • FTTP: 0
  • FTTC: 767
  • ADSLx: 34
  • None: 0
  
  
• Cabinet: 6
  
  • FTTP: 0
  • FTTC: 17
  • ADSLx: 270
  • None: 0
  
  

All above information is correct at time of 01:30 05-Jun-2015.

So now I can see that Cabinet 6 is live due to it has some addressed on it i.e. 17 addresses on that cabinet has fibre, so maybe its work in progress.

Paul

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

At 1km 20 to 24 Mbps still possible so exact distance will be important

Even with my largest optimism-hat on, I am struggling to believe that I would be anywhere near that close. I haven't found the cabinet yet, so I can't say for sure, but given that there are almost 300 addresses served by cabinet 6, and that we live just over 3 km from the edge of the town (Insch), with maybe 20 houses on the way out here, I would say it is pretty unlikely.

Short of walking/driving around the neighbourhood looking suspicious, is there any way to find out where cabinet 6 is?

And what might happen with the 20 or so (maybe 30) houses out here, who are further than 1 km from the cabinet?

Edit: Thanks again to everyone for the help.

Edited by deleted (Fri 05-Jun-15 09:41:45)

In reply to a post by Tolq:

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

At 1km 20 to 24 Mbps still possible so exact distance will be important

Even with my largest optimism-hat on, I am struggling to believe that I would be anywhere near that close. I haven't found the cabinet yet, so I can't say for sure, but given that there are almost 300 addresses served by cabinet 6, and that we live just over 3 km from the edge of the town (Insch), with maybe 20 houses on the way out here, I would say it is pretty unlikely.

Short of walking/driving around the neighbourhood looking suspicious, is there any way to find out where cabinet 6 is?

And what might happen with the 20 or so (maybe 30) houses out here, who are further than 1 km from the cabinet?

Edit: Thanks again to everyone for the help.

Well going by the speed that you said you had when it was an EO Line which was about 4 to 5Mbps, while doing some tests yesterday for that postcode I noticed the speeds of 1Mbps while on cabinet 6 so from that I am assuming that your cabinet is located away from the exchange and away from your location resulting in a longer distance of copper.

Let me see if I can locate where the cabinet is.

But cabinet 6 has been fibred up, just not many people on it, I counted about 17 homes.

Paul

Word of caution, usually when a fibre cab goes live it is available to all apart from those where line lengths are too long. So RARE to see it available for such a small number, some more checks need to be done on the data.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Word of caution, usually when a fibre cab goes live it is available to all apart from those where line lengths are too long. So RARE to see it available for such a small number, some more checks need to be done on the data.

This is true.

Low end fibre speed on cabinet 6:

FTTC Range A: 25 -> 34.7 (downstream line rate), 5.7 -> 7.4 (upstream line rate)
FTTC Range B: 14 -> 27.3 (downstream line rate), 3.3 -> 7.1 (upstream line rate)

ADSLx: Up to 7.5 (downstream line rate), -- (upstream line rate), 6.5 to 8.0 (downstream range)

and the high end fibre speed on cabinet 6:

FTTC Range A: 31.5 -> 40 (downstream line rate), 5.8 -> 8 (upstream line rate)
FTTC Range B: 19.3 -> 35 (downstream line rate), 4 -> 8 (upstream line rate)

ADSLx: Up to 7.5 (downstream line rate), -- (upstream line rate), 6.5 to 8.0 (downstream range)

Now the ADSLx speeds for the OP postcode:

[AB52 6LS]
ADSLx: Up to 1.0 (downstream line rate), -- (upstream line rate), 0.8 to 2.5 (downstream range)

Going by that speed I cannot see them ever getting FTTC on that cabinet, well not at the moment.

Also remember the OP said that they use to get 4 to 5 Mbps when it was an EO Line and now gets this, so their line has got longer.

Paul

My presumption based on postcodes theoretically served by cab 6 is that it will be very close to the exchange. Not had an EO where this has been more than 100-200m wrong yet.

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

Going by that speed I cannot see them ever getting FTTC on that cabinet, well not at the moment.

Also remember the OP said that they use to get 4 to 5 Mbps when it was an EO Line and now gets this, so their line has got longer.

Thats what I thought. Might I get moved to a different (new) cabinet at some point then, or is that it for us out here?

Just to clarify re: speeds before and now - I was referring to the sync speeds reported by my ADSL router. They have stayed pretty much the same, so I don't think the line length got (significantly) longer.

Here are the current readings:

Upstream 448
Downstream 4480
SNR Margin(Upstream) 12.0
SNR Margin(Downstream) 8.7
Line Attenuation(Upstream) 31.5
Line Attenuation(Downstream) 53.0

Until we know

a) Your location
b) The location of cabinet 6 and its fibre twin

Then the rest is mostly just conjecture. From a glimpse at a map today, there will be some premises on cabinet 6 if it is based at the exchange (most likely) that will see not much improvement, but upload speeds will jump the most, and getting onto the modern WBC or LLU backhaul might help with peak time performance.

Your cabinet number is very unlikely to change again

In reply to a post by Tolq:

Thats what I thought. Might I get moved to a different (new) cabinet at some point then, or is that it for us out here?

That is probably it for a while. For BDUK projects to reach the phase 1 targets (~90%), there are probably bigger batches of people that are cheaper to reach than you.

However, because you (probably) won't get service that far out, you'll remain on the intervention list for subsequent phases. That means you might see BT install a small FTTRN cabinet to support a small cluster of properties, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that for a good long time. Google for FTTRN, Leyburn and Ulshaw to see how the trial has gone.

Otherwise you might rely on fixed wireless from phase 3. Again, a good long while away.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Until we know

a) Your location
b) The location of cabinet 6 and its fibre twin

Then the rest is mostly just conjecture. From a glimpse at a map today, there will be some premises on cabinet 6 if it is based at the exchange (most likely) that will see not much improvement, but upload speeds will jump the most, and getting onto the modern WBC or LLU backhaul might help with peak time performance.

Your cabinet number is very unlikely to change again

I went for a little drive round the town today to try and spot cabinet 6, and I ran into a couple of BTO engineers at the exchange, so I asked them if they could look it up. It turns out that the cabinet might be ever so slightly closer to me than the exchange.

Coordinates for the cabinet: 57.343581, -2.611447

The engineer showed me where the phone line runs, and it is just about 4.1km from the cabinet to our house - it basically runs alongside the road, under the ground all the way.

I can send my address in a PM if it would be useful still?

If its 4.1km from cabinet to home, then VDSL2/FTTC is not going to help you and would explain why checker does not show availability